Leave A Window Open

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna is a very charming contemporary fantasy novel that I adored.

As the novel opened, I sank into its’ pages, cocooned with love, and enchanted by the tale to the very end.

The setting is mainly at Nowhere House in Norfolk, which “was… a place made up of fractured pieces that, somehow, had come together to make something whole and wonderful.” It is a house that has become a home to its’ various inhabitants from all sorts of different walks of life. Love is the glue that binds them all together.

Into this atmosphere comes Mika, a young woman who has been hurt throughout her life. For her safety when she was young, a variety of nannies were employed – the result has been isolation and a lack of love. Mika draws away from feelings, knowing that hurt will follow (in her experience). “Mika has been so deeply hurt that she has taught herself to run before she can lay down roots… all you can do is leave a window open… so that one day, if [she chooses], [she] can come back.” Mika is crying out to be loved and to know that there are people who will love her and want her to love them too. “It’s leap of faith to love people and let yourself be loved.”

We learn about the desire not just for a house but for a home. “I want one place I can be myself. I just want a home.” We all long to belong and be loved.

We see the value of kindness. “Niceness is all about what we do when other people are looking… Kindness is what happens when no one is looking.” There are many characters who practice kindness.

All the characters were very charming. The reader loves to see the love and care that exist amongst them all. We long to see not just the children flourishing but the adults too.

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches was a departure from my usual genre. Having delved into the world of fantasy existing amongst normal life, I certainly intend to read more of this genre. I am looking forward to subsequent books in the series.

JULIA WILSON