Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman
11 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Alice Hoffman, Book Reviews, Books, Can't wait Wednesday, reading, The Witches of Cambridge, Wishful Endings, writing
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is: The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman. I love this author so this is definitely a woohoo moment! Below is the cover (which I love) and description:
The brand-new series from the bestselling author of Practical Magic, following two brilliant young women in 1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, as they become immersed in a mysterious secret group of witches at Radcliffe known as the Lilith Society.
Once upon a time, women were drowned in the river and the only witnesses were the crows in the trees. The Puritans blamed Eve for the sins of the world. That was when we began to meet in the name of Lilith, Adam’s first wife—banished for refusing to do as she was told.
We Fly Together…
By the 1950s, Cambridge, Massachusetts feels far removed from the legendary witch trials that marked its early days as a colony. Ava, a bright young woman from a small town in Maine, arrives for her first year at Radcliffe College. There, she meets Lauren, her opposite in every way—the wild and brazen daughter of a wealthy and well-established Cambridge family. But the two have more in common than they think. Both are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches at Radcliffe dating back to colonial times. As they learn more about their legacy, Ava and Lauren form a close bond that is put to the test as they learn to navigate their new power, friendship, and love.
While Radcliffe seems like a safe haven, the shadow of McCarthyism looms large, an ever-present threat to the flourishing creative and intellectual life in Cambridge. And as girls from the Lilith Society begin to go missing, Ava and Lauren realize the witch trials of the past may not be as deeply buried as they once believed.
Expected publication: September 2026
Books and travelling with Lynn 
I’m so excited for this too!! I love when she writes about witches😁
Yes! Me too.
Lynn 😀
There are NUMEROUS books coming out in the 2nd half of 2026! Hoffman is another author whose book I need to look out for!
Yes, some great books to look forward to – and I’m very excited for a new Hoffman.
Lynn 😀
I agree that the cover of this one is stunning. I love a witchy book and have a fair few titles by this author on myTBR but somehow havent read any of them yet. I did start Practical Magic but having seen the movie half a dozen or so times I was thrown by how different it was 🙈 I plan to try it again sometime though and will have to add this one to my TBR if it isn’t already there.
Yes, to be honest, if I see the movie before reading the book I can’t ever make it work. I have the characters already there and it just doesn’t sit well, which is usually why I try to read the book first – that being said I still get frustrated then because of the liberties taken – you can’t win! haha.
Lynn 😀
I’ve had some work well for me that way around. Although the ones that havent do have a tendency to stand out (The Lovely Bones is another and tbh I loved the movie but didnt like that book at all). But yes so true, sometimes when you read the book first the movie changes end up frustrating you. So as you said you cant win sometimes 😂
Maybe this will be the first book I read by her!
Well in that case I hope it’s her best.
Lynn 😀