The Once and Future Witches

Another of the novel’s protagonists, Agnes is the middle child in the Eastwood family and is identified with the Mother aspect of the Last Three. She is described as the most attractive sister, “with hair as shining and black as a hawk’s eye” and is also “the strongest of the three. The unflinching one, the steady one, the one that knew how to work and keep working, tireless as the tide” (11). She is the ultimate survivor, doing whatever is necessary in the name of self-preservation. Because Agnes is so risk-averse, she initially rejects magic and simply wants to live a normal life.

Giving birth to her daughter and stepping into the role of a mother makes Agnes realize that some things are worth fighting for. When Hill offers her the chance to save herself and betray her sisters, she refuses. Agnes also overcomes her fear enough to open her heart to Lee. Unlike her previous suitors, he proves that some men are worth trusting. By the end of the story, Agnes creates a happy family life with Lee and Eve, and she continues to advocate for labor rights and to spread magic.

The third major protagonist of the novel, Bella is the oldest sibling and is considered the wisest. Tall and angular, her hair has begun to gray prematurely “like owl feathers: soft and dark, streaked with early gray” and she is known as “The quiet one, the listening one” (18). Because Bella loves books and knowledge, she works as a librarian. She is the first of her sisters to connect to magic through the words of a children’s rhyme and manages to raise the tower in St. George’s Square, inciting the main events of the novel.

Bella’s life is complicated by her identity as a lesbian in a society that does not tolerate any sexuality beyond heterosexuality. Previously, Bella was harshly punished by her father when he discovered her romantic relationship with another girl. Fortunately, Bella finds a kindred spirit in Quinn, and the two women are able to forge a stable life partnership while navigating their quest to restore magic to the world. Bella fulfills the Crone role of the Last Three. As such, the task of preserving magical lore falls to her. After bringing back the tower, she makes it her life’s mission to reconstitute the knowledge of witchcraft for future generations. 

Cleo Quinn is a reporter for the only Black newspaper in New Salem. She is described as tall, attractive, and highly charismatic. Quinn is more comfortable with her sexuality than Bella and takes the time to draw the latter out. She is willing to help Bella in her initial research to ferret out the hidden clues to magic in stories and rhymes. Through Quinn and other Black characters, Harrow explores the dynamics of multiracial social movements, defining successful feminist movements as necessarily intersectional.

Initially, Quinn’s loyalties are divided. She wants to help Bella but feels constrained by her ties to the Daughters of Tituba. By the end of the novel, she finds a way to bridge the gap between the two organizations and also forges a long-term relationship with Bella. The two unite to make the restoration of magic their life’s work. 

The antagonist of the novel, Gideon Hill initially appears as a middle-aged, nondescript conservative politician intent on becoming mayor of New Salem. In reality, he is a male witch corrupted by power. He has managed to survive for centuries by stealing the lives of others and inhabiting their bodies until they wear out. He is the most formidable foe that the Eastwood sisters face because Hill wants to steal all magical power for himself and destroy any witches who oppose him. Although Hill’s powers are considerable, Juniper’s willingness to sacrifice herself for the love of her family finally defeats him and banishes his soul forever. Through Gideon, Harrow explores the corruptive nature of power and challenges patriarchal systems, suggesting that no oppressive social dynamic can be a part of fair and impartial governance. 

August Lee is a union organizer who possesses some knowledge of male magic. He is in his late twenties with a shock of blond hair described as a haystack. While he is willing to help the female witches of New Salem, he initially doesn’t believe they have enough power to do “real” magic. After Agnes proves him wrong, he devotes himself to her cause and ends up falling in love with her. Lee risks everything to save Eve and work a spell to keep the Eastwoods from burning. He embodies the principle that not all men are power-hungry monsters. By the end of the novel, he becomes Agnes’s lover and Eve’s surrogate father.