“Georgia, 1822. Dr. Aubrey Waycross puts his faith in science, not superstition. So when he moves to a remote mountain town, he’s dismayed to see the townsfolk reject his scientific blood-letting methods in favor of potions and witchcraft. And with a rabid panther stalking the area, he’s running out of time to convince the citizens of the error of their ways.

Confronting the trio of spell-peddling sisters, he’s stunned to find their herbal remedies may contain the missing ingredient he needs for a cure. But with the local pastor hellbent on driving them out and the youngest sister unwilling to share her mysterious abilities, he worries he could lose the sick to madness and death.

Can Dr. Waycross discover the right combination of science and sorcery to save the townspeople?”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this eBook through Kindle Unlimited to read.

Story (4/5): This story alternates perspectives between Dr. Waycross and the Winter sisters. Dr. Waycross came to this small mountain town to start his career and learn more about rabies (there is a rabid panther in the area). Meanwhile the Winter sisters have practiced midwifery in this town for a long while until a conflict with the town pastor drove them out.

I enjoyed learning about all the crazy scientific cures Dr. Waycross brings to this town and also about all the traditional medicines the Winter sisters use. There is a bit of magic here because the youngest sister can cure people of deadly illness (and even death) with just her touch. This was an intriguing little story that was on the slower side but still enjoyable.

Characters (5/5): Dr. Waycross was an interesting look at doctors of the era, I enjoyed that he was open minded enough to realize that some of the Winter sisters’ herbal remedies were much more effective and less painful than his bloodletting and blistering. The oldest sister, Rebecca, is also a fairly amazing character. She is patient and caring and willing to blend her remedies with Aubrey’s in order to benefit the town and help its people despite the issues the townsfolk caused her and her family. All of the characters are fascinating and really well done.

Setting (4/5): This was an intriguing look back into the 1820’s frontier life. I loved learning about the medicine of the time and the struggles of the town to become a significant place on the map were interesting as well. I really enjoyed this historical setting and thought it was well portrayed.

Writing Style (4/5): For the most part I enjoyed the writing style here. The story is a bit slow and does have a tendency to flit willy nilly between different characters. However, it made for a cohesive story and I loved the blend of historical elements and strange fantasy that presented itself with the youngest sister’s healing powers. In general this was easy to read and engaging but could have used more consistent pacing.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this and am glad I read it. I enjoyed a lot of historical aspects here and engaged with the characters really well. There are some good small mysteries that keep you intrigued and you can’t help but wonder what will become of the town, the sisters, and the doctor. It is a more deliberately paced novel but in the end I enjoyed it and plan to take a look at Westover’s other novels. I would recommend it to those who are intrigued by frontier life and the medicine of that time and don’t mind a bit of magical realism in their stories.

Review – The Winter Sisters by Tim Westover (4/5 stars)

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