Such an iconic classic fantasy story. I wish more people were aware of it. Hopefully this republish from Penguin will help the book reach more people!

This started very slowly, very English, and I kept wondering when the blurbed part about being a witch would show up. When it did, in the final third of the novel, the book flourished. Due to some presentational issues for the digital version, this read more slowly than I imagine it would in published form, but I imagine it is a more breezy read from start to finish in the bound edition. Will certainly be buying and return to regularly as the ending section is so strong and remains very modern after 100 years.

How have I never read Lolly Willowes before this week? Although it's a classic, it has some unexpected elements, including some witchcraft and magical realism.

I'm a huge fan of Coralie Bickford-Smith's work, and her cover design for Lolly Willowes is (unsurprisingly) gorgeous.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC! I'm looking forward to collecting even more clothbound classics from this collection.