“Despite their differences, all witches share one very important, very powerful characteristic that sets them apart from other magic users: They are not bound to this world. This allows them to do small things such as make a broom fly, and, at the very height of their power, allows them to part the veil separating the various planes of existence and move between worlds in the blink of an eye.”

The third-person narrator accomplishes important worldbuilding in an organic way. Because the narrator is not a character in the story, they can freely describe the rules of Verity’s fantastical reality and magical capabilities without disrupting the narrative. In this passage, the narrator explains just how witching powers work, offering the reader valuable insight into the protagonist. This passage also foreshadows the sacrifices Verity will make when she gives her flying powers to Earl to save Foxfire.

“She rather liked it. Finally, a challenge. It was one thing to be faced with a bit of trouble and have all the time in the world to plan and fix it. It was another to have to react, to grab hold of a gut instinct and hope it was the right one, with the wrong one meaning not just failure but destruction.”

Verity’s eager investment in her new life in Foxfire instigates the novel’s theme of Self-Exploration amid a Small-Town Community. Life and work in Foxfire is not what Verity anticipated, but she meets the challenge with courage and determination. She is happy “to plan and fix” whatever problems she encounters in Foxfire because she is trying to prove herself. As a witch in training, Verity is eager to establish a sense of self so she might gain autonomy over her life, and her love of having time to “plan” and “fix” develops her character as deliberate and thoughtful, disliking “gut instinct” as a problem-solving method.

“Gilly stood there clearly weighing things. She looked from Verity to the gramophone to the wall filled with odds and ends and back again. It might sound silly to you, perhaps, not to immediately trust in the young witch who eagerly showcased that she had arrived in good faith. If so, congratulations. You have never felt betrayal or the consequences of other people deciding your fate for you.”

The narrator breaks the fourth wall in this passage of direct address to the reader to provide perspective on Gilly’s experience and Foxfire’s history. The use of the first-person direct address calls the reader to attention, and asks them to imagine themselves in the characters’ positions, which heightens readerly investment. This passage also contributes to the novel’s theme of Navigating Community Hurt, Need, and Healing, as Verity has yet to learn why Foxfire doesn’t immediately accept her.

“After another long moment where Gilly took in the verdant garden that stretched around the old house, she said, ‘My gramophone, the moving things around, pulling a bedroom out of a hat. All of that was truly something. But this. Verity. You really don’t know what this could mean for us. We’ve been so cut off, not just from towns and shops, but from our own land. People have died hungry. This. This is truly a gift. Thank you.’”

The gratitude Gilly shows Verity in this scene ignites their connection and foreshadows the longevity of their relationship. Gilly has been cautious around Verity and skeptical of her pure-hearted intentions, because Foxfire knows how people can use magic for evil. In this moment, Gilly is realizing that Verity truly wants to help, simply from the good of her heart, and she is the first person in town to extend this trust to Verity. The passage speaks to the novel’s theme of the Use of Power for Good Versus Evil; Gilly is realizing the former is possible.

“She could’ve climbed up that mountain road and sung a little ditty about, well, whatever witches would sing to repair a broken bridge, but she didn’t. She was scared. Something was up there in the hills—Earl, most likely—and it hadn’t wanted her near that bridge. At least that’s what she assumed, since whatever had worked against her on that first night hadn’t shown back up while she’d been living in the town proper. It watched from the mountain.”

The narrator’s remarks on Verity’s fears humanize her character. Because Verity is a witch, she wants others to believe in her powers and to accept her for what she has to offer. However, Verity is just a young girl at heart. At this juncture of the novel, she is still fearful of taking risks without knowing more information, which speaks to her lack of belief in herself or understanding of her true powers, even beyond magic.

“Mae didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t lean back either. That’s when the witch realized that this was an invitation to a front porch gossip session, and Verity knew there was no better way to learn what one needed to know than in a front porch gossip session. […] she was being invited in despite Mae clearly knowing she didn’t have anything to offer.”

Verity’s porch conversation with Mae Miller furthers the novel’s theme of navigating community hurt, need, and healing. When Verity first arrives in Foxfire, she is surprised that she is not immediately welcomed into the community. In this scene, she is learning that she must be patient before earning the townspeople’s trust. In listening to Mae’s story and abiding by the unspoken terms of their “front porch gossip session,” Verity is proving herself. Despite her distrust of witches, Mae is also giving Verity a chance in this scene.

“You may have heard the maxim that if you are not moving forward, you’re moving backwards, which implies that there are only ever two directions. That every cause either compels one forward or repels one away. That there is no in-between, but that is not true. There is a third option. Abiding. When one comes to a fork in the road, it is presented as though the only options are left or right, but to stay is also a choice.”

The third-person narrator uses an omniscient pedagogical tone in this passage to offer the reader a life lesson. Throughout the novel, the narrator interrupts the story to make commentaries on human relationships or life in general. In this moment, the narrator again uses direct address to remark on the notion of choices. The passage has a fabled quality, illustrated by the use of the classic metaphor of a “fork in the road” for a moment of decision. This passage deepens the novel’s thematic resonance, while also providing insight into Verity’s character and why she makes the decisions she does.

“It was not the first time in her life she wanted to do a stupid thing, but it was the first time in her life that she acknowledged to herself that the thing she wanted to do was stupid. The witch understood that the smart thing to do would be to take Tacita, get on her broom, and get as far away from the forest as she could. But there was something inside her that had awakened that first night when she’d touched down in Foxfire.”

Verity’s decision to make a foolish choice conveys how she is beginning to change. The moment furthers the novel’s theme of self-exploration amid a small-town community. Although Verity knows she might be risking her safety, she is ready to face the challenge. When she first arrived in town, she was hesitant to make the wrong choice, but now she is ready to prove herself, a newfound belief in herself exemplified by her comment that “something inside her […] had awakened.” Her desire to test her powers captures how Verity’s challenges in Foxfire will contribute to her self-discovery journey.

“Each new day and each new spell brought with it more questions about Tacita. How did Verity save her? Did she see anyone else? Had she tried to save anyone else? What was her plan to bring everyone else back? For her part, Theresa was keeping her daughter at home, which spared her experiencing the jealousy of her neighbors.”

In this passage, the narrator inhabits the point of view of the town, revealing how they see Verity and her decision to save Tacita. Since rescuing her new friend, Verity has faced nothing but ridicule, judgment, and questions. The string of questions in this passage affects a badgering, relentless tone, which conveys the town’s desperation for answers and Verity’s sense of powerlessness in the face of these questions.

“Selfishly, she was tired of feeling as though she were losing. The trust of the town. This weird war of attrition being waged by a foe in the hills she still hadn’t technically seen. The faith of her friend. Her own sense of self-worth, which had been defined for the longest time by her ease of success. All of it. She was tired of feeling like she was playing at a disadvantage.”

Verity’s time in Foxfire challenges her as a person, which fuels the novel’s theme of self-exploration amid a small-town community. In this passage, Verity is feeling defeated. She has tried to win the town’s favor and defeat their enemy, but to no avail. Worried that her magical powers are no match for her unprecedented circumstances, Verity begins to question her self-worth, which is still, at this point in her character arc, dependent on her magical abilities. The tests she faces in the valley will challenge her to seek self-worth outside the context of her enchantments and charms.

“The truth was that Verity didn’t actually know if she could, which meant she didn’t know if she was lying. The idea of failure never entered her mind, however. She would succeed because she believed he could. What was magic after all but having the gall to believe you could tell the world around you how it ought to be and then watching as it did as it was told?”

Verity’s magical powers are a symbol for her determination, courage, heart, and distinct identity. Although Verity knows she is still training to be a witch, she is gradually learning to claim the powers she does have. In this scene, she declares that she will help Gilly reunite with her family even though she doesn’t know if she can; her assertion captures her desperation to prove herself (both to herself and others) and her desire to live a meaningful life.

“Verity sang. Her powerful voice filled the space, a reverberation slightly rounding out the end of each word as though the words themselves trudged through the air in a syrupy echo. Closing her eyes and reaching within, she found the spark of power within her, the part of her that was a star, a candle flame, a dark forest.”

The narrator’s use of descriptive language enacts Verity’s experience in this scene. Verity’s singing is compared to “a syrupy echo” and her power is compared to “a spark,” “a star,” “a candle,” and “a forest,” images that capture both nature and the element of fire. These metaphors capture the scope of Verity’s magic and illustrate the power of Verity’s relationship with the natural world. She seeks to be in communion with the environment, rather than attempting to control it.

“Earl’s head had a crown of sorts growing out of it made of antlers and branches and thorns. The goats that weren’t goats. The deer that weren’t deer. The land itself. The…other things in the woods. It was like he had grafted pieces of each of them to his body.”

This description of Earl’s physical appearance captures his profoundly evil character. Until this scene, Verity has no sense of what Earl looks like. Seeing him in person for the first time horrifies her because his appearance is evidence of all the creatures he has killed or harmed. His appearance is a physical manifestation of the destruction of self that results from power being used for evil.

“Besides, if he ever came back, his kind of magic would only work if new deals were struck, which wouldn’t happen. This could work. The language was clear enough, and she wasn’t about to come back to town empty-handed.”

The narrator inhabits Verity’s consciousness in this scene to convey Verity’s desperation to help Foxfire as soon as possible. Verity doesn’t entirely understand the terms of the bargain she is making with Earl during their first meeting, but she is eager to rid the region of him once and for all. She wants a quick fix and thus convinces herself that she is making the right decision and acting in the interest of the people. She will later learn that her decision endangered Jack and Tacita Tarry, among others, illustrating how she is still learning how to wield her power with wisdom.

“Perhaps this was not her spell but still her doing, her deal. She thought of cows, of hungry bellies, of the very land itself which had turned on its people. These were the consequences of dealing with Earl, consequences she had not considered. Consequences she assumed if anyone would pay them, she would.”

Verity’s habit of self-blame captures her earnestness, while the concrete images of “cows” and “hungry bellies” underscores the urgency of their need. Whenever Verity makes a mistake or hurts someone, she berates herself. She feels responsible for others’ fates and is desperate not to repeat the abuse Earl caused Foxfire and the surrounding region. When she realizes Jack has been hurt by her choices, she struggles to reconcile with the consequences of her actions. A moment such as this one conveys Verity’s pure heart.

“She was excited. This was promising. Faraway cities would always be there, now, once the bridge was rebuilt and Foxfire rejoined the world. If things went well, perhaps Gilly would want to open a storefront somewhere else, somewhere bigger. Which meant more work and travel and…options. Tacita was going to have options for the first time in her entire life.”

This passage has a hopeful tone that echoes Verity’s state of mind. After sending Earl into the mine, Verity is convinced that good times are coming to Foxfire. Her conversation with Tacita about the future only fortifies her more. Verity is so desperate to fix things for Foxfire, that she latches onto any shred of positivity she can find, including helping Tacita achieve her goal of leaving Foxfire.

“Mae very well could have a point. It had occurred to her the moment she saw Tacita bleeding, the moment the girl had complained about a pain in her chest. Earl said he wanted to leave the valley. Did his leaving take the magic keeping her alive with him? Had him claiming the deals were fulfilled meant he no longer had to keep up his end?”

After Tacita falls sick from her heart wound, Verity interrogates every decision she has made. The questions she asks herself in this passage affect a worried, critical tone. Verity is learning what it means to use her powers wisely and is furious with herself for acting with so little foresight. The passage furthers the novel’s theme of the use of power for good versus evil, while underscoring Verity’s good moral character.

“Perhaps the witch had been wrong, she thought. Perhaps these people were worth more than her magic. Perhaps she was being selfish. Yes, she was being manipulated, and she knew that, but right now the town below her was being swallowed whole and what was her one spark of magic when compared to all those lives?”

Amid another fight with Earl, Verity has a revelation. The use of anaphora—three successive sentences beginning with the word “perhaps”—creates a contemplative, searching tone, which mirrors Verity’s thoughts. She is weighing her choices as she tries to decide the best way to defeat Earl and save Foxfire. She soon realizes that her powers are more disposable than her new friends’ lives.

“There had been no option. Earl’s contract magic kept her in the most danger. Had he not been distracted, had he a mind, had Tacita been there in his line of fire, a twitch of his staff could have ended her life. How could she ever explain? How could Tacita ever believe her?”

Verity fears that her choices to face off with Earl again have jeopardized her connection with Tacita because she is unaccustomed to reciprocal relationships. The lengthy, run-on question she asks herself when she reunites with Tacita after the battle enacts her worry and fear of losing Tacita. The moment conveys how unfamiliar Verity is with unconditional love and how desperately she wants belonging and acceptance. Tacita will forgive her and help her understand that belonging to a place or person doesn’t mean never making mistakes, ushering her into a new maturity in her relationships.

“Each time she reached inside to pull from her spark of power, she was reminded of how small it had become, how hard even simple spells were these days, and how long it took for that internal well to replenish. The witch wouldn’t have had it any other way. There hadn’t been a choice, or, rather, there had been, but she’d made the right one.”

Verity’s decision to give up some of her powers to Earl fuels the novel’s theme of the use of power for good versus evil. Although this sacrifice is one of the hardest choices Verity has ever made, it helps her understand herself better. She can no longer negotiate her relationships in Foxfire using her magic and must maintain her place in the community via honesty, sacrifice, and generosity. Making this decision reiterates Verity’s willingness to let go of her pride for the sake of others.

“Their skeleton is a pathway between our world and worlds beyond, their spirits a tunnel through which power can be summoned and re-formed and laid out upon the earth. The spark of power inside of them, inside all things, is merely their access point of connection, allowing them to come and go as they please. As verity enacted this ancient rite of communion, her diminished spark increased ever so slightly.”

Verity’s communion with the moon and night sky conveys how power is an energy derived from the natural world. For a time, Verity struggles to orient to life without her powers. In this scene, she is actively remembering that she can rediscover her soulish identity (and thus her spirit) by spending time in nature. She is learning that to have power does not mean to control others without thought, but to act as a vehicle for change and good.

“But now, she was selective. Discerning. And smart enough not to do it alone, to draw from the natural world around her that held its own secrets and connection to the source of all things. It wasn’t simply a drawing of energy from the trees around her, it was a homing in on the property of strength from the hardwoods that gave a basis for the work so that it was not feeble, so that it could hold.”

Sacrificing some of her magical powers to Earl offers Verity a chance to grow. This passage thus contributes to the novel’s theme of self-exploration amid a small-town community. Verity can no longer make things happen with a simple spell but must now work at her spells. This new challenge inspires Verity to be more discerning, careful, and wise with her magical powers, reminding her that power is a gift and a responsibility.

“Her words were genuine, summoned up from a place deep inside her. Confession is its own kind of magic. True words, true names, true actions, they all have the power to twist fate if said in the right way at the right moment.”

Verity’s honesty in her conversation with Earl reiterates her purity of character. The passage also explores how magic and power can take many forms—one of them being human honesty. Verity’s words have magic because they are genuine and real. She is not trying to hide the truth or manipulate Earl and thus creates goodness and change.