The Witches: Summary & Key Insights

The story begins through the eyes of a young boy who has come to stay with his formidable but wonderfully loving grandmother. She is unlike any other grown-up he knows—filled with strange tales and warnings that most adults would dismiss as nonsense. But his grandmother insists she knows, from personal experience, that witches are real. Not fairytale nonsense, but the real thing, and they are the most dangerous creatures alive.

She explains, in that no-nonsense Norwegian way of hers, how to tell a witch apart from an ordinary woman. The differences are subtle: wigs that hide bald heads, gloves to conceal claws instead of fingernails, blueish tinge in the eyes, and a peculiar way they smell—a witch can sniff out a child from across the street, for they find the scent of human youth disgusting. These details weave a mixture of horror and fascination into the boy’s imagination. He listens raptly, learning the first truths about how the world hides its darkness right in plain sight.

It is during these moments that he also learns one of life’s earliest hard lessons: adults will not always protect you simply because they do not believe the danger exists. His grandmother’s openness is an act of love, preparing him for a world far stranger than anyone suspects. Together, they forge a bond built on trust and daring honesty, one that will sustain them through the extraordinary events ahead.

The boy’s parents die suddenly in a car accident, leaving him to live permanently with his grandmother. Though heartbroken, the boy finds a fierce comfort in her embrace. She is tough yet tender, pragmatic yet full of imagination, and the two grow inseparable. They return to Norway, her homeland, where the air smells of sea and pine, and where stories of witches feel close to the bone.

His grandmother, fiercely protective, warns him constantly: keep your eyes open for women wearing gloves, keep your distance from the odd ones who seem too curious about children. Her experience has made her wary. Still, she fills his days with warmth, food, and affection. When she falls ill one winter, the boy becomes her caretaker in small ways—fetching things, telling her stories in return. The rhythm of their life is full of mutual devotion. When doctors suggest that a warmer climate might help her recover, they travel to England for a seaside holiday. Neither knows that this trip will draw them directly into the heart of the witches’ greatest gathering.