The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne*

Jun 24

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*A physical ARC was kindly sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not in any way affect my review

There is just something…fascinating about books that have to deal with witches living in the times of Christianity as the religion that dominates the region. There is also something equally fascinating about the term old magic. In general, I just love these kinds of books and if you happened to have read The Book of Gothel as an ARC and want more of the whole witches/pagan side vs Christianity rising as a religion, I highly recommend Written in the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt which follows a young girl in 5th century Alexandria (and it includes the Library of Alexandria, whole and unburnt…until the end, of course)

When I received The Book of Gothel, I did not plan on starting it right away, never mind finishing it in 2 days. I had simply opened it and wanted to read a tiny bit, just one chapter but alas, does that ever really work with us readers? I’m really glad I continued reading it because it really pulled me in.

The biggest thing that intrigued me is that it incorporates the story of Rapunzel closer to the end and instead follows the lady we know (as per the Disney movie Tangled as well as the original Grimm brother’s fairytale) as “Mother Gothel”. Except that in this one, “Mother Gothel” was not actually named Gothel. Her name was Haelewise and “Gothel” actually refers to the tower Rapunzel is famously locked in - also a haven for women in need in this book and a tower that is protected by a mist that makes it difficult for men to find the tower.

So in this story, Haelewise is the daughter of a woman named Hedda. They live in a small village and Haelewise has been known for constantly having these “fainting spells” and black eyes, causing her to also be sensitive to light. Haelewise is shunned by her whole village - first, she has her unnaturally dark eyes, and her fainting spells but also, she has this uncanny ability to soothe babies and deliver them in the right way despite not being a mother herself.

Her mother unexpectedly dies, and Haelewise feels abandoned by anyone who has made her feel like a person - her mother is gone, her father has remarried and her best friend and first love, Matthaüs has been engaged to someone else who is pregnant, and the child is not his.

Haelewise decides to set out for Gothel, armed with her knowledge of everything her mother has taught her, she becomes the apprentice to the woman who lives at Gothel. But Haelewise isn’t the only one who goes to Gothel; a young girl named Rika who has a secret the church strives to keep hidden.

As I said before, I really love the whole old magic vs Christianity aspect of this book - it’s just so fascinating to me. I love the incorporation of spells as well and stuff like runes and different herb usage for different illnesses. I also enjoyed the Grimm fairy tale vibes - tales of princes and princesses and a magical wolf-skin that helps men find the Tower of Gothel.

I especially love how the cover gives the impression of an old tale - the story is set in around 12th-century Germany, I think the cover pulls off the vibes for that.

So, if you want a retelling of the story of Rapunzel, detailing how we came to know the story and the story of Mother Gothel herself (and if you have a soft spot for retellings like me) you’ll definitely want to pick this one up!

Out July 26th, 2022!

You can get the book here!