This month, the creative “Fun Gals Book Club” held a Witches’ Tea and invited Michelle Hébert to attend and discuss her book Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.
The “Fun Gals Book Club” began on September 16, 2020, during the Pandemic via Zoom as a way to offer a social gathering. In the past few years, they have been focusing on our wonderfully talented local authors. Lesley Crewe, B.R. Meyers, and Donna Jones Alward are big favorites of the “Fun Gals,” and Rhonda, the founder of the “Fun Gals Book Club,” has a soft spot for debut authors. Rhonda conducts extensive online research through local publishers, the library, and various email subscriptions to identify potential books for their book club picks. She tries to have the year’s selections ready for August. They used to run all year, but now their season runs from September to June. Eight of the ten selections are local female authors who are invited to join in on their discussions.
Rhonda picked Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by Michelle Hébert, based on the synopsis that mentions tarot cards and spirits. She felt it was a good fit for their Witches’ Tea, and it certainly did not disappoint. Rhonda noticed that many books they read describe food, and thought it would be fun to center potlucks around that when possible. They have already done a few, and look forward to continuing the fun. Rhonda loves a good theme and figured they could have fun incorporating the two whenever possible for their book club meetings.
On special occasions, such as Christmas and Halloween, the “Fun Gals” have a potluck meeting at someone’s home. When Laura saw a Witches’ Tea Every Little Thing She Does is Magic on Rhonda’s book club selection list, she jumped at the chance to host it. Laura joined the “Fun Gals Book Club” in February of this year. Shortly after she joined, they read Crow by Amy Spurway. Rhonda shared a list of the food from the book, which included the recipe for Effie Fortune’s Top-Secret Broc-O-Glop, with the book club members. See https://dartmouthbookexchange.ca/the-novel-crow-by-dartmouth-author-amy-spurway/ for the recipe. That was the first time, since Laura had joined, that they included the food from the book club selection as part of their meeting.
Named by the Toronto Star “A Top 20 Summer ‘Must Read’” for 2024, Everything She Does is Magic is “a darkly humorous family saga set in Nova Scotia about a young woman coming of age in a family that believes it’s cursed.
Kitten Love’s family is haunted by the memory of her teenaged aunt, Nerida, who died just days before Kitten’s birth in 1970. Her mother, Queena, believes the family is cursed, and she’s determined not to let disaster strike again. She won’t let Kitten out of her sight ― especially to visit the beaches that surround the town. She’s built a bomb shelter to protect against Soviet attack, and she’s desperate to protect her husband, Stubby, from the fatal and mysterious Love Heart. Kitten thinks she knows how to defeat their magic. But when protection spells and clues from tarot cards aren’t enough to save Stubby, Kitten turns her back on the things that make her life magical, and Queena turns her back on reality. She preserves everything as it was the day Stubby died in 1987 ― from the gold shag rug in the bathroom to the Duran Duran posters in Kitten’s room. Kitten, herself, is forbidden to change. Kitten tastes freedom when she falls in love and moves to British Columbia, but reinventing herself without the curse is harder than she expects. Tragedy and her own reliance on magical thinking eventually lead her back home to Queena, her brother Thom, and Aunt Bunny, who are equally stuck in their pasts. When tarot cards begin mysteriously showing up in her room, warning of a betrayal and encouraging an unlikely romance, she’s certain someone is watching her. Could the heartbreak that almost destroyed Kitten’s family be the very thing that helps them move on?
A darkly humorous family saga woven around tarot cards and a mixtape of ’80s songs, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic is a heady mix of music, ghosts, love, and nostalgia.”– Back of the book
One of the book club ladies was excited because Every Little Thing She Does is Magic suggested lots of sweets. “Just about everything mentioned in the book was sweet: sugar donuts, Deep ‘n’ Delicious cake, Vachon cakes, Devil’s Food Cake, fruit roll-ups, Tootsie Pops, chocolate croissants …
There was a funeral, so egg salad sandwiches and asparagus finger sandwiches (both on white bread with no crusts) and crumb-topped casseroles were also mentioned.
There was frozen pizza with cut-up hot dogs on top and meatloaf (which Kitten didn’t eat). The boys ate chips and Cheezies almost every night in front of the TV, beer and wine coolers were mentioned, along with perpetual tea.”- Laura
In the book, Kitten performed a love spell for Tiny, where she hollowed out a pink candle that she had stolen from the Advent wreath at her church, stuffed rose petals inside, and wiped lavender on the outside. There is also a black candle there because Kitten mentioned one in the book, even though she didn’t use it specifically.
The apothecary jars with the hibiscus and hydrangea petals in them represent the flowers and herbs that Kitten grew or collected as a teenager for use in her spells and potions. On one of the tables in the living room, Laura had a deck of tarot cards since that was Nerida’s form of communication in the book.
For the book club members, Laura made up little Witch’s Ladder bracelet kits. They included the chant and on the back, the passage from where Tiny gave Kitten a bracelet. The cords were the colours described in the book, and Laura included a small black feather, the agate and quartz beads mentioned in the book, a tiny charm, and clear beading wire to put the beads and feather on as it was being wound through the bracelet.
Also, in the treat bags was a piece of blue seaglass, which Kitten gave to Ed for good luck for his job interview.
What the “Fun Gals Book Club” thought of Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by Michelle Hébert
~The masterful weaving of timeline, character development, and magic created an entertaining atmosphere. It was in retrospect that the deep implications of actions and consequences, and the overwhelming lack of control over one’s own life, are seen as major contributors to mental health. A must-read on so many levels. – Laura S.
~Escape into a world of magic, witchcraft, and a dysfunctional family drama. I enjoyed the book; it was a light read that kept you wanting to turn the pages. You don’t have to believe, but it’s an engaging ride. -Linda G.
~Captivating from start to finish. -Patricia P.
~Once I picked up “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” it was hard to put down. A favorable read touching on difficult and important topics, which many find uncomfortable discussing openly. Michelle’s writings immersed my mind, allowing me the privilege to pleasantly appreciate her compassion, knowledge, and wit. -Rhonda D
What Michelle Hébert thought of the Witches’ Tea:
~A local book club read “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and invited me to a Witches’ Tea to discuss it! They offered food my characters ate in the novel… crustless church lady sandwiches, cheezies, Pop Tarts…even meatloaf! It was really clever and well done. We had such a fun discussion about all things witchy and woo-woo, and the host gave everyone a kit to make a witch’s ladder bracelet, like the one Tiny made for Kitten. Such fun!
The “Fun Gals Book Club” is a private group for ladies. They meet monthly, mid-morning at Open Book Coffee on Strawberry Hill, Halifax, on the second Thursday from September to June. To join, please send an email to fungalshalifax@gmail.com
