A Conversation with the Author
What prompted you to write this book?
I started writing this book as an escape. I was heartbroken—from a significant breakup, and the loss of my beloved grandfather—and I needed something that was just for me. I found relief and joy in creating this alternate, magical Minnesota where witches could walk among us, while still struggling with the very human worries of relationships, family, and responsibility.
I know what it’s like to feel torn between wanting to forge your own path in life and a sense of responsibility to family and doing what is expected of you (eldest daughter syndrome!). I wanted to explore that struggle, that tension.
Are any of the characters or places based on real life people or places?
While solidly fiction, the book borrows heavily from my upbringing and the people and places in Minnesota that are so important to me. Many of the emotions and the situations that Elisabeth, Mary, and Annie find themselves in as girls navigating the transition to womanhood are echoes of my own experiences and those of my friends growing up: wanting so badly to be seen, the thrill and danger of male attention, staying in relationships even though we didn’t know why.
Some of the characters’ names are in honor of real people, while the characters bear no resemblance to their inspiration: Jacob, Clara, Dorothy, Helene, and Watry are all family names; the Weseloh family is named for one of the sources I consulted for Western Minnesota history; the Ridder family is in honor of a Minnesota hockey family; and Sam and Mickey are named after two cats that were very special to my mother.
Kandiyohi is a real county in Western Minnesota, but Friedrich is a fictional town, lightly based on Spicer, Minnesota, where my family has had a cabin for 86 years.
What kind of research did you do?
It was important to me that Elisabeth’s 1968 rings true to readers. I spent a lot of time digging in the online archives of the Minnesota Historical Society, the Star Tribune archives, and the digital records of local chambers of commerce to confirm specific details, like how much a payphone cost in 1968, when private phone lines came to Kandiyohi County, and if stockings would have required garter belts. There are a few published histories of Spicer, Minnesota, and Green Lake that gave me invaluable details and inspiration—like the real-life fire that destroyed the supper club on Green Lake.
I also interviewed family members and friends of the family to flesh out the minutiae: How often would the Watry women have washed their hair? What would they eat for supper in the summer? How often would they visit relatives in another county? I’m grateful to those conversations for giving me a glimpse into another Minnesota past and for helping my story sing with truth.
What do you hope readers will take away from Elisabeth’s story?
Ultimately, I think Elisabeth’s story is one of learning to know one’s own heart, and honoring that. I hope readers will relate to her journey as she learns to trust herself and accept the help of others around her, and I hope readers will see the possibility of magic in everyday life, just there on the other side.
What are you working on next?
I’m working on a Christmas rom-com next, a contemporary Christmas love story. It’s in a very different, modern world than that of What We Sacrifice for Magic, but similar to this book, it’s set in a small town in Southern Minnesota. Watch for developments at www.ajdewerd.com and www.instagram.com/ajdewerd.
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