The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill - by Rowenna Miller (Paperback)

About the Book

"On Prospect Hill, you can get nearly anything you want from the Fae-if you know how to ask and if you can pay the price. There is no magic on Prospect Hill-or anywhere else, for that matter. But just on the other side of the veil is the world of the Fae, and all their magic. Generations ago, the first farmers on Prospect Hill learned to bargain small trades to make their lives a little easier-a bit of glass to find something lost, a cup of milk for better layers in the chicken coop. Much of that old wisdom has been lost as the riverboats gave way to the rail lines and the farmers took work at the copper works and the cotton mill. Alaine Fairborn's family, however, was always superstitious, and she still hums the rhymes to find her lost shoe and ensure dry weather on her sister Delphine's wedding day. But when Delphine confides her new husband is not the man she thought he was, Alaine will stop at nothing to help her sister escape his abuse. Small bargains buy them time, but the progress of locomotives and factories hasn't given way to equitable laws for women. A major bargain is needed, but the price for sweeping change may be more than they're willing to pay"--

Book Synopsis

"A warm-hearted yet fierce fairy tale."―H. G. Parry

In the early 1900s, two sisters must navigate the magic and the dangers of the Fae in this enchanting and cozy historical fantasy about sisterhood and self-discovery.

There is no magic on Prospect Hill--or anywhere else, for that matter. But just on the other side of the veil is the world of the Fae. Generations ago, the first farmers on Prospect Hill learned to bargain small trades to make their lives a little easier--a bit of glass to find something lost, a cup of milk for better layers in the chicken coop.

Much of that old wisdom was lost as the riverboats gave way to the rail lines and the farmers took work at mills and factories. Alaine Fairborn's family, however, was always superstitious, and she still hums the rhymes to find a lost shoe and to ensure dry weather on her sister's wedding day.

When Delphine confides her new husband is not the man she thought he was, Alaine will stop at nothing to help her sister escape him. Small bargains buy them time, but a major one is needed. Yet, the price for true freedom may be more than they're willing to pay.

Praise for The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill:

"Brimming with folk magic and delightfully sinister hidden worlds. Truly enchanting."―Leslye Penelope

"A beautifully written tale of feminine power, sisterly devotion, and magic as old as the hills themselves."―Louisa Morgan

For more from Rowenna Miller, check out:

The Unraveled Kingdom
Torn
Fray
Rule

Review Quotes

"The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill weaves a heartfelt story of sisterly love with well-developed fairy lore, and depicts the growing spheres of power for women in the years before suffrage. Fans of Ami McKay's The Witches of New York and H.G. Parry's A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians will be enthralled."--Shelf Awareness

"Powerful ... masterful balance of the uncanny and the inhumanly strange with complex, realistic issues."

--BookPage

"Atmospheric ... a thoughtful meditation on sisterhood and priorities."--Publishers Weekly

"A cozy, atmospheric historical fantasy."--Paste Magazine

"It's impossible to resist the allure of this charming book. Its focus on the small, everyday things that can be made easier with a little luck and a little fairy grace really creates a lived-in world where you can smell the apple blossoms in the orchard and hear the rattle of wagon wheels on dirt roads."--NPR

"Miller seamlessly blends historical fiction and fantasy to create this enchanting tale of two sisters. The book is awash in period details as well as a vivid fantasy world, but Miller never loses sight of the sisters' relationship that sits at the heart of the story. Readers will be charmed by this tale of sisterhood, female strength, and the fae."--Booklist

"The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill is utterly spellbinding and full of wonder, a jewel of a book that explores the fierce and often complex bond between sisters, and the everyday folk magic woven into the stories we tell."--Francesca May, author of Wild and Wicked Things

"A bold story of sisterhood, societal expectations, and the lengths women may be willing to travel for love and freedom. Fans of Alix E. Harrow's The Once and Future Witches will find this fierce and folkloric tale a terrific read."
--Library Journal

"A deftly spun tale of folklore and sisterhood, of fairy bargains and family bonds. The magic lies not only in Rowenna Miller's spellbinding prose but also in the heart of her characters--women who are forging their own paths and coming into their own, within our world and beyond the veil. An enchanting story to savor."--Rebecca Ross, author of A River Enchanted

"A mesmerising, knotty tale of sisterhood, woven with the dark enchantment of fae bargains and the hard bargains a woman must strike to make her way in the world." --Cari Thomas, author of Threadneedle

"A richly woven and deftly atmospheric tapestry of family, sisterhood, motherhood, and women's ambition. The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill is brimming with folk magic and delightfully sinister hidden worlds. Truly enchanting."--Leslye Penelope, author of The Monsters We Defy

"Beautifully observed, steeped in folklore and rich with historical detail, The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill weaves a warm-hearted yet fierce fairy tale around the bonds of sisterhood and the choices facing women in a changing world. A true delight."--H. G. Parry, author of the Shadow Histories series

"From a whimsy of ribbon to a bit of bone and blood, two compelling sisters chafing at society's expectations take us down an ever-darkening path. A bold journey against restraints becomes frightening then ultimately thrilling, as we find the sisters' true power lies in their resolve to blaze a trail for women, undeterred by deceptive promises...from man or fairy! A powerful tale of finding sisterhood and self."--Willa Reece, author of Wildwood Whispers

"In The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill, the magic--and the danger--of the Fae is as close as the garden gate. It's a beautifully written tale of feminine power, sisterly devotion, and magic as old as the hills themselves."--Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

"A historical fantasy that gives equal weight to the historical and the fantastical, Rowenna Miller's latest grows from strong roots firmly anchored in history's realities, then unfurls its petals gradually into fantasy's full bloom. Like the intriguing Fae with whom the Fairborn sisters find themselves entangled in increasingly complex and desperate bargains, Miller promises a world richer and more rewarding than our own, and she delivers on that promise."--G.R. Macallister, author of Scorpica

About the Author

Rowenna Miller lives in the Midwest with her husband and daughters, as well as several cats, two goats, and an ever-growing flock of chickens. When she isn't inventing fantasy worlds, she teaches writing, trespasses while hiking, and gets into trouble with her sewing machine.