Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. See my last Can’t-Wait Wednesday post here.
This week’s Can’t-Wait Wednesday book is The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne!
Synopsis: Everyone knows the tale of Rapunzel in her tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there? Haelewise has always lived under the shadow of her mother, Hedda—a woman who will do anything to keep her daughter protected. For with her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, Haelewise is shunned by her medieval village, and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, of an ancient tower cloaked in mist, where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it. Then, Hedda dies, and Haelewise is left unmoored. With nothing left for her in her village, she sets out to find the legendary tower her mother used to speak of—a place called Gothel, where Haelewise meets a wise woman willing to take her under her wing. But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel. It’s also a haven for a girl named Rika, who carries with her a secret the Church strives to keep hidden. A secret that unlocks a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles behind the world Haelewise has always known…
About the author: Mary McMyne has widely published stories and poems in venues like Redivider, Gulf Coast, Strange Horizons, and Apex Magazine. Her debut fairytale poetry chapbook, Wolf Skin (Dancing Girl Press, 2014), won the Elgin Chapbook Award. She has received the Faulkner Prize for a Novel-in-Progress, an NEA parent fellowship to Vermont Studio Center, and a grant from the Sustainable Arts Foundation to research The Book of Gothel in Germany. A graduate of the New York University MFA Program, she lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, children, and border collie.
I am a sucker for a good fairytale retelling, so of course The Book of Gothel is on my TBR list. Reading debut novels can be a lot of fun, and I find that it’s a great way to find a new favourite author. I think that the Book of Gothel has the potential to be a fun new take on the story of Rapunzel.
Set to be released on July 26th, you can pre-order a copy today here and here!