Coming from England, Abitha has been sent off to the New World to marry. Soon after, her husband Edward mysteriously perishes and she is left to tend the farm alone, lest she fall into servitude of her brutish brother in law. Her steadfast ferocity has been cause for chastisement in the past, deemed an unruly characteristic for a Puritan woman. She must forge her own path in a patriarchal society that already has its doubts about her. An unlikely friendship is formed between her and Slewfoot, an otherworldly creature searching for his place in the world. Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, they must decide where they stand indefinitely, whilst the consequences are fatal.

All women can see pieces of themselves reflected through Abitha's character, identifying with her is effortless. Her resilience and refusal to settle for anything less than she deserves is inspiring, allowing connections beyond the Puritanical society in which she exists. Though her auspiciousness is supported with Slewfoot's sorcery, he isn't the cause of her good fortune. He opens her eyes to what she is, merely connecting her to her destiny, allowing her to slip into an identity her mother and mother's mother and mother's mother's mother know is theirs.

Religious overtones in fiction normally lose me but, Brom's holistic interpretation of multiple sects left me in an emotional heap. Acknowledgement of Indigenous beliefs that predate English settlers is executed in a manner that shows reverence for the beliefs upheld. Puritan authoritarianism overtly works against Abitha but, she continuously utilizes her connection with nature to (mostly hehe) support the community that vilifies her.

Slew and Abi discovering and sustaining their respective identities together would have easily kept my attention from start to finish. Emotional depth, characters' integrity to their sense of self, and tone throughout Slewfoot are what ultimately left me bewitched. Easily a new top favorite of mine.