The Curse of the Cole Women

Three generations of women struggle with a curse unfairly placed on their ancestor in this gothic story of magic, queer love, and mother-daughter relationships, perfect for fans of Spells for Forgetting and Practical Magic. The Cole women are cursed. Each generation will birth a daughter, lose their love, and, as surely as the tide beats against the rocky shore, take her own life by giving herself to the sea. For generations, the Cole women have lived as outcasts, maintaining a lighthouse on a small island off the coast of New Hampshire. Ever since their ancestor was accused of witchcraft and cast into the sea hundreds of years prior, the islanders have ostracized the Coles, distrusting their rumored magic and their control of the lighthouse. Despite their mistreatment, the Cole women are compelled to remain on the island because they know that if a Cole woman does not light the beacon on Juniper Island, anyone who is out at sea will be drowned. Out of guilt and obligation, the Cole women live out their solitary lives on the island, knowing someday their recompense for protecting the people from the sea will be to die in the sea themselves. Told in three interwoven timelines in the late twentieth century, The Curse of the Cole Women unravels the lives of three women who struggle with their relationships with each other as they contend with the reality of their fates—is it truly a curse, or is it generational madness that drives Cole women to the sea? Readers will be swept into this evocative and moving story about challenging misogyny, finding community, and struggling with fate.

Marielle Thompson writes Gothic fiction that merges magic, romance, mystery, and historical fiction, weaving in modern themes that center women’s voices and explore mental health. She holds two master's degrees in Romantic and Victorian literature and creative writing, respectively, both from the University of Edinburgh. Her debut, Where Ivy Dares to Grow (Kensington, 2023), is a Gothic time slip romance featuring dissociative disorder representation, based on her own experiences with the disorder. Her most recent novel, The Last Witch in Edinburgh (Kensington, 2024), is based on Scottish folklore and was featured and praised by several book influencers and industry professionals, including a starred review. Though born in New Hampshire, Marielle lived in Scotland for many years and now resides in Switzerland.