Witchcraft for Wayward Girls – Grady Hendrix

Set in the sweltering summer of 1970, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls follows 15-year-old Fern, who is sent to Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida—a secretive home for unwed pregnant girls. Under the strict rule of Miss Wellwood, Fern bonds with other teens like Rose, Zinnia, and Holly, each grappling with fear, shame, and societal rejection. When a librarian introduces Fern to an occult book on witchcraft, the girls seize newfound power to challenge their oppressive reality.
Grady Hendrix weaves a chilling tale that blends historical fiction with supernatural horror, exposing the cruelty of a society that silences and controls young women. The novel dives into themes of bodily autonomy, systemic misogyny, and the cost of rebellion, juxtaposing the girls’ desperate hope with visceral body horror.
The story critiques the era’s lack of sex education and the trauma of forced adoptions, highlighting parallels to modern threats against reproductive rights. Hendrix’s prose captures the raw panic of adolescence and the primal urge to survive, even as the girls’ rituals spiral into darker consequences.
With nods to 1970s pop culture and meticulous research, the book immerses readers in a world where power dynamics are flipped, and the line between victim and villain blurs. The audiobook’s narrators amplify the tension, though some listeners may find the occult chants unsettling.
A gripping mix of heartbreak and horror, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a rallying cry for agency and a haunting reminder of history’s shadows.