Lady Elizabeth Clifford is on the run in the newly settled area of Arnn, New York in 1670. She is accused of murder and has taken off into the thick woods. Her attackers have lost her, and are calling her a witch. So, Lady Clifford decides to settle into her patch of woods and become exactly what they called her. As time passes and Arnn becomes more settled, several people wonder into Witchwood and never return making Witchwood Hollow fully steeped in folklore. In 2001 15 year old Honoria, her brother and aunt and uncle move to Arnn in order to escape the City and the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed her parents. Honoria is drawn into the woods by some friends at her school; she makes it through and is continually drawn back by a feeling in the woods- something in Witchwood Hollow might be able to bring her parents back and Honoria would be willing to do it.

This young adult paranormal/ historical crossover drew me in from the beginning with the legend of Witchwood Hollow. The historical aspect and being able to learn about Lady Elizabeth Clifford and her motivations made this very interesting for me, although I am also a huge sucker for dual-time stories. Honoria's character was intriguing to watch as she learned about the Witchwood,, I was unsure if she was going to fall victim or be healed by it. From the historical end, the mystery of the Witchwood expanded as lost characters came together. This was a shorter read that I devoured in a shorter setting, but I think it would have still kept my interest if the lives of each of the lost characters was expanded upon. While the ending was very shocking, it was a little too serendipitous in some aspects . I do wish that I would have learned how the Witchwood reacted after everything.