The Winter Witch

I love learning more about women's experiences and their impact on history. The Winter Witch caught my eye with its beautiful cover, its promise of witchy things and its connection to Canadian history. This story was inspired by the experiences of Les Filles du Roi (King's Daughters) in the late 17th century. These 768 young women immigrated to New France (Quebec), sponsored by King Louis XIV to marry male colonists and promote settlement in Quebec. 

The story follows two sisters, Marthe and Elisabeth, who come to New France fleeing a scandal and hoping to find peace and a new life in the new world. The story begins with their treacherous and tension-filled journey across the sea as the sisters make connections with other women on the ship. Through the sisters' dual perspectives, readers better understand the ruthless power of the Church; how it used fearmongering and threats of witchcraft to manipulate the general population, and in particular women, whose lives were already limited by societal expectations.

This book had great intentions and premise but fell flat on its delivery for me. It was a slow-moving story whose plot was a little too simplistic. The era and historical aspects were interesting and I enjoyed the complicated bond between the sisters, but Elisabeth's obsession with her old life soon became tiresome. I wanted more depth to the characters, including the 'witch'. 

J'adore Montreal et Quebec! I absolutely love those cities and visit as often as I can, and I enjoyed recognizing street names in Old Montreal within this story. What I take away from this story is the power of sisterhood and female friendship and another interesting nugget of lesser-known Canadian and Women's history. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the complimentary digital and trade paperback copies of this book which were given in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Jennifer Chevalier

Genre: Historical Fiction

Type & Source: ebook & trade paperback from publisher

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada

First Published: Jan 27, 2026

Read: Jan 8-14, 2026

Book Description from GoodReads: Two sisters set sail on a bride ship from Normandy hoping to leave a curse behind them and find better lives in the wilds of 17th-century Quebec, only to meet a mysterious witch who forces them to confront the truth about magic—and their past. For fans of Emilia Hart, Sarah Penner, Alix E. Harrow, Ami McKay, and Roberta Rich.

Élisabeth Jossard boards a bride ship to New France with her sister Marthe, forced to start a new life after a scandal in her village in Normandy. She’s harbouring a dark secret and hopes that by coming to Montreal—the holiest place in the world, she’s been told—the saints will hear her pleas and lift the curse that plagues her.

When Élisabeth’s prayers go unanswered and she is unable to banish the spirit she believes is tormenting her, Marthe encourages her to turn to a powerful witch for help, the enigmatic stowaway Jeanne Roy. But Jeanne has secrets of her own, and when she refuses to help, Élisabeth’s resentment kindles a dangerous fire.

Inspired by the tales of Canada’s Filles du Roi, The Winter Witch examines how lies, arrogance, and ignorance can lead to witch hunts in any society.