The Grace of Wild Things

Written by Heather Fawcett

Narrated by Aven Shore

An inventive and fantastical reimagining of Anne of Green Gables—with magic and witches!—that explores found family, loss, and the power of a girl's imagination, from the acclaimed author of The Language of Ghosts and The School Between Winter and Fairyland. Perfect for readers who loved The Girl Who Drank the Moon and Serafina and the Black Cloak.

Grace has never been good at anything except magic—not that anyone believes her.

While other children are adopted from the orphanage, nobody wants Grace. So she decides to make a home for herself by running away and offering herself as an apprentice to the witch in the nearby woods. After all, who better to teach Grace to use her magic? Surely the witch can’t be that bad.

But the witch is that bad—she steals souls for spells and gobbles up hearts. So Grace offers a deal: If she can learn all 100½ spells in the witch’s grimoire, the witch will make Grace her apprentice. But if Grace fails, the witch can take her magic. The witch agrees, and soon an unexpected bond develops between them.

But the spells are much harder than Grace expected, and when a monster from the witch’s past threatens the home Grace has built, she may have to sacrifice more than her magic to save it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9780063142657

Heather Fawcett

Heather Fawcett is also the author of the middle grade novels The School Between Winter and Fairyland, The Language of Ghosts, and Ember and the Ice Dragons as well as the young adult Even the Darkest Stars series. She has a master’s degree in English literature and has worked as an archaeologist, photographer, technical writer, and backstage assistant for a Shakespearean theater festival. She lives on Vancouver Island, Canada. Heather can be found online at heatherfawcettbooks.com. 

Reviews for The Grace of Wild Things

[vinniewaffle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A sweet and fun magical version of Anne of Green Gables, but still a story that stands for itself. Beautifully written, I can't wait to read more of Heather Fawcett!

[Becky Baumgartner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A delightful twist on Anne of Green Gables with plenty of nods to the best parts of the original as well as charming new all-Fawcett additions with the magical part of the story.

[Jenna Egbert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The description of Anne of Green Gables meets witchiness is a perfect comparison. Grace is an orphan who is also a witch. She finds a witch to live with in the woods. She makes a deal with the witch if she learns the grimoire. There are 100 1/2 spells to learn. Grace makes a best friend Serena and Serena helps Grace learn the spells. Grace is quite the talker and loves poetry.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the witchiness of the book. This book is a sweet book. The Anne series was one of my favorites growing up. Also, I loved the PBS version. Love this cover. This retelling is a lot of fun.