The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.

I was so glad to finally pick this up, and I love how it coincided with my working at the fair. As I may have mentioned before, I use audiobooks to keep myself company while on my drive to the faire, where I work at....

Drum roll....

THE HONEY SHOP!

I know, I know, this choice of reading was absolutely perfect, especially given the fact that it was cottagecore weekend.

One thing that I adore about cottagecore as a whole, is how adaptable of a aesthetic it is. There are subsets within that grow more specific, but as a whole, it embraces whimsy. Returning to nature, creativity, and a more slow-down pace. That was one of the reasons that I connected with this book so much. It presents a sort of pride and prejudice sort of low stakes romantic fantasy that, while predictable, it was magical and so lovely.

Within this story, we follow Marigold Claude, a woman who is of high society but feels as if she does not fit it. She would rather forgo her dance card to frolic within the meadow beneath the moonlight. Nature constantly calls to her, and so does magic. It is this night when her grandmother Althea makes a visit, urging for Marigold to go with her back to the isle of Innisfree where she will become the next Honey Witch.

Her mother, on the other hand, forbids Marigold from going.

You see, all first born daughters within their family line are witches, but there is also a curse that plagues them. They can never fall in love. There is also an Ash Witch, Versa, who nearly killed Marigold as a child and seeks to claim the lands of Innisfree and use the powers of nature to live forever. Marigold's mother chose love, giving up her power so that she may have a family and a life, while Marigold wants more for herself. In choosing to step into her own, she not only makes a choice for her future, but also creates tension between she and her mother.

So, now that we have set the stage, I want to explore the themes and such that are present within the book.

Societal Roles (What is proper vs expected)

This book takes place in 1830s, the later half of the Georgian era, but societal rules and regulations were still somewhat in line with what we know within the regency era. A bit less grandeur, but etiquette and polite society was favored among all else. It is this pressure as well as the constant desire of young ladies to seek out marriage, where Marigold feels out of place. While her family operates in a far more modern way, in their acceptance as well as their understanding of Marigold, there is that underlying expectation, from her mother, that she seek love and forgo the desire of magic. This is done for her protection, of course, but it also isolates Marigold in a way where when she finally makes her decision, she feels alone.

She is aging fast out of being eligible for marriage, she also has mixed feelings about the matter, as well her former prospect, George Tennyson is seeking a marriage. Utterly alone within a society that craves conformity, her choice to leave is, in a way, her take back her agency. It is the first choice that she makes about something that she is really passionate about. Nature, magic, and her grandmother.

It is only when she makes that choice, does she realize the fact that George really could never love her, because of the curse, but also that he was forever destined to chip away at the peculiarities that make her herself. He would have put her in a mold that would have stifled her growth. Marriage was a restriction of her freedom in the way that she also viewed her families desires versus her own. Taking that step, that journey into stepping into her power, was necessary, disrupting what society expected of her.

Love and Power

We are told, my Althea within the novel that “for us, love and power are opposing forces. We must forsake one for the other”. This is demonstrated within the curse that was put on the family by the Ash Witch. Love as well as marriage, to Marigold, is better portrayed as a prison that threatens to diminish the power of women as it bolsters the man. He gains the prominence as well as any lands that she may inherit, and it all passes through him. It is what is expected of young ladies within this era. To desire marriage and motherhood.

This bleeds into the symbolism of the power of the Honey Witch only favoring the eldest daughter. It is she who must marry first within the rules of society, and the choice of choosing marriage instead of "freedom" it is another loss of power that mirrors society as it was then. The mother's desire for normalcy and love is what caused her to want to relinquish her power and thus keep her "trapped", or so what Marigold believes marriage to be. The one thing that differs is that her parents were utterly a love match and it was the power/curse that set them apart. The mother was not seeking to conform, she acted with her heart.

Which is why Marigold feels so different. She is a product of love, where her mother was one of magic. Althea used magic to have Marigold's mother, understanding that her desire to have a family did not have to be "burdened" with love. She chose power. And so does Marigold.

She soon then learns the loneliness within that choice and rattles with it but also the knowledge that she can never find love.

Honey and the Hive

As a symbol and one of the most important things in this book, honey and how it ties into the magic is absolutely important. Honey never expires. It is known as liquid gold and is often used in natural remedies and medicinal practices across cultures. It is used as a throat soother during a cold, often used in conjunction with ginger as a remedy. It is antibacterial and people sometimes use it to treat wounds. Actually, propolis, which bees also make that are at the front of the hive as a defense, also is used for wounds! Honey is also a natural sweetener that aids with heart health and has many natural benefits.
All of that to say, honey is its own sort of magic.

It is prominent that the Ash Witch seeks eternal youth and desires the land of which the Honey Witch works at, because of honey naturally being a symbolism of vitality and enduring. Being that it never expires, it can be see as a fountain of youth. We also know that ash is connected to death and smothering. It can used in high volume as a deterrent to bees, often stifling their production of honey.

If we look at it in another way, we can say that honey is the power while love is the water. Water is the one thing that will cause honey to "spoil" by creating bacteria to grow and cause it to expire if you add it to your jar. This goes back to what Althea said about love and power being opposing forces.

But, the two also can come together to make delicious magic. For example, we have a matcha honey at the honey shop, and adding a spoonful to hot water and lemon, creates a delicious matcha tea that is wonderful.

Looking at it this way, also ties back with how Marigold's mother views magic and love versus how Althea does, and even versus the way Marigold does. Both have a more black and white viewing of how they see things while Marigold, in turn, uses her creativity as well as her mind to become an innovative Honey Witch and powerful in her own right.

Final Thoughts

I really liked this book. It was delightful, low stakes, and incredibly cozy! It was, for one, a really delightful read after a long week, but also had representation within the how society defines love and your place in the world. You simply need to find your own bit of magic.