Being a Witch, and Other Things I Didn’t Ask For

Raya’s burgeoning psychic and time-travel powers could freak anybody out. But they’re downright scary when you’re afraid you’re coming down with the mental illness that stole your mother and put you in care.

Emotionally wounded, she’s spikey and keeps people at bay. Her unbridled emotions accidentally fling her to 1645 England amidst their deadliest witch trials, along with an equally smart-aleck talking cat. Her modern clothes and inexplicable sudden appearance bring her under suspicion of the historic “Witch-Finder General”, Matthew Hopkins.

Despite people trying to help her come home, she sticks her fingers in it again and transports to 1645 Istanbul, where life is leaps and bounds ahead of England’s. There she meets extraordinary historical figures as well as ordinary people. She starts to let family-type love in. Only through mending her heart does she have a chance of coming home.

“Raya’s bittersweet memories of her mother are absolutely heartbreaking and serve as an important touchstone for readers who may have experienced similar trauma. The author’s talent for balancing real-world issues with adrenaline-pumping exploits through time (including a perilous sojourn to 17th-century Istanbul) is impressive, as are her richly detailed descriptions of various people and places.”
Kirkus Starred Review – Verdict: Get it.