Maritime modern gothic fiction sees Free Press Book Club get spooky

Vanessa F. Penney (KAI SMITH PHOTO)

THE Free Press Book Club is leaning into spooky season with its October pick, The Witch of Willow Sound. Author Vanessa F. Penney will join the book club meeting Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. to read from her novel and answer questions from readers, the Free Press and co-presenters McNally Robinson Booksellers.

Penney was born in Newfoundland, raised in rural Nova Scotia and is based in Dartmouth, where she works in the non-profit sector. The Witch of Willow Sound is her first novel.

Published in September 2025 by ECW Press, The Witch of Willow Sound follows Phaedra (Fade) Luck’s journey to find her missing aunt, Madeline Luck. When Fade arrives to the secluded, forested area of Willow Sound where Madeline lives, she finds her aunt’s once quaint cottage has fallen into disrepair; the wood is rotting, it’s damp and the vibes are very off.

The Witch of Willow Sound: A Novel. By Vanessa F. Penney. ECW Press, 320 pages, $25

As Fade searches for more information about her aunt and where she could have gone, the local townsfolk are not exactly keen on her presence, let alone her questions. For decades, they labelled Madeline as a witch and blamed any tragedies or misfortunes on her, including an impending hurricane.

With the help of Nish, a PhD historian and expert of East Coast folklore, Fade uncovers family secrets and learns more about her literal and figurative roots than she ever dreamed.

Described as a “modern gothic tale,” The Witch of Willow Sound is a dark but beautiful read that not only explores complicated family dynamics and the wisdom passed down by women specifically, but also the true historical treatment of marginalized children and the relationships with First Nations communities in the region.

Penney will join Free Press copy editor Ariel Gordon, McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Joanna Graham and Free Press audience engagement manager Erin Lebar for the virtual book club.

Free Press Book Club

Copies of The Witch of Willow Sound are available to purchase at McNally Robinson Booksellers; there’s no cost to join the book club or virtual discussion. Video of the meeting will be available for replay on the Free Press YouTube channel following the event.

The Free Press Book Club is free to join; for more information, including upcoming picks and how to join the mailing list, visit wfp.to/bookclub.