Reading Group Discussion Guide for What We Sacrifice for Magic: A Novel

This reading group guide for What We Sacrifice for Magic includes an introduction, discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A with author Andrea Jo DeWerd. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Introduction

Perfect for fans of Practical Magic and The Lager Queen of Minnesota: A coming-of-age novel following three generations of witches in the 1960s, this enchanting and heartwarming debut explores the importance of family and the delight and heartbreak of discovering who you truly are.

It’s 1968, and the Watry-Ridder family is feared and respected in equal measure. The local farmers seek out their water charms, and the teenagers, their love spells. The family’s charms and spells, passed down through generations of witches descending from the Black Forest, have long served the small town of Friedrich, Minnesota.

Eldest daughter Elisabeth has just graduated high school—she is expected to hone her supernatural abilities to take over for her grandmother, the indomitable Magda. She’s also expected to marry her high school sweetheart and live the rest of her life in Friedrich. But all she can ask is, why her? Why is her path set in stone, and what else might be out there for her?

She soon discovers that magic isn’t the only thing inherited in her family. That magic also comes with a great price—and a big family secret. The more she digs, the more questions she has, and the less she trusts the grandmother she thought she knew. Who is Elisabeth without her family? She must ultimately decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for her family, for their secrets and their magic, or risk it all to pave her own way.

Navigating the bittersweet tension between self-discovery and living up to familial expectations, What We Sacrifice for Magic is a touching look at coming into one’s own.

Questions for Discussion

1. What We Sacrifice for Magic is set in the small town of Friedrich, Minnesota, in 1968. Why do you think the author, Andrea Jo DeWerd, chose this time and place for the setting? What would be different if this were set in a larger town or city? Would the events of the book be possible in a contemporary setting?

2. Friedrich is a place where magic takes place in everyday settings, and the county, for the most part, has long accepted their local witches. How does DeWerd portray magic in both the everyday and extraordinary situations?

3. How do the witches and magic in What We Sacrifice for Magic compare to the witches in other books or pop culture? What surprised you about the system of magic and the way the Watry women use magic?

4. There are several mother-daughter relationships portrayed in the Watry family. Who has the best relationship, in your opinion? Which mothers “get it right”?

5. What role does Cousin Mildred King play in the events of the book? When Cousin Mildred drops her surprising comment on Elisabeth (“You were right to choose this one.”), what do you believe her intentions were? (p. 46) Was she being malicious? Oblivious? Something else?

6. “All magic comes with a price, my darling. You know that,” Magda says to Elisabeth (p. 100). What is the price each character pays for their magic? Elisabeth? Mary? Helene? Does Magda pay a price for her magic?

7. In Magda Watry’s realm, the men are secondary to the women. How do Elisabeth’s father, Jacob, and John each handle their supporting roles? 

8. Is there a villain in the story? If so, who? Explain your reasoning.

9. How does Elisabeth explore her emerging sexuality? What relationship does this play to her Catholic upbringing? 

10. What appeal does Nick hold for Elisabeth? How is Elisabeth’s relationship with Nick different from her relationship with John? What would you have done if you were in her situation, romantically?

11. How is each character affected by Elisabeth’s disappearance? Think about John, in particular, and Mary. How do they each react to her return?

12. Helene tells Elisabeth and Mary, “My only purpose in this world has been to protect you girls” (p. 255). Do you think Helene made the right choice in how she protects her daughters? In how she acted toward Elisabeth? Why or why not?

13. Describe Elisabeth and Mary’s relationship. Do they treat each other fairly? Why does Mary forgive Elisabeth, in the end? 

14. Discuss the epilogue and where we leave the Watry-Ridder family. Who gets a happy ending, or close to it? Does each character get what they deserve? Why or why not?

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.instagram.com/ajdewerd. 

Enhance Your Book Club

1. Listen to the musical inspiration behind What We Sacrifice for Magic. Check out the playlist that transported the author to Elisabeth’s 1968 while writing and revising the book at https://www.ajdewerd.com/book-clubs/listen.

2. Time to play the casting director! Who would you cast for each character in the film or TV adaptation of What We Sacrifice for Magic? Share your picks with your book club.

3. Make some traditional Minnesotan recipes for your book club meeting, inspired by the warm, hearty meals in the Watry-Ridder kitchen. Search BettyCrocker.com (a Minnesota institution) or the Star Tribune for Short Rib Goulash, Classic Beef Stroganoff, or Magda’s favorite, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, or read on for the author’s recipe for Helene’s Classic Tater Tot Hot Dish!

Recipe: Helene’s Classic Tater Tot Hot Dish

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef (substitute ground turkey thighs)

• 16 ounces mushrooms, washed, dried, and quartered (shiitakes preferred, but any mushrooms will work)

• 1/2 large white or yellow onion, minced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 16 oz frozen peas

• 1 can of Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup

• 8 oz sour cream

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 24 ounces frozen Ore-Ida Tater Tots

• Sea salt to taste

• White pepper (substitute fresh ground black pepper) to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• Over medium-high heat, brown the beef, mushrooms, onion, and garlic together in a large casserole pot (Dutch oven). 

• I use a Staub 4-quart Dutch oven. You can also use a large skillet and transfer to a greased, 9x12 baking dish, but I like using one pot to save on dishes later.

• Season the meat mixture with salt and white pepper or freshly ground black pepper.

• When everything is browned and the juices have evaporated, remove from heat.

• Place peas on top of the beef mixture. Season the peas with salt and pepper.

• Stir in the condensed (undiluted) mushroom soup, sour cream, and Dijon with a spatula. Mix well to combine and pat down lightly into an even layer.

• Place tater tots on top of the mixture, covering the top entirely. 

• Bake in the center of a 400-degree oven for 35-45 minutes until the tater tots are golden brown and crispy on top. Season with sea salt.

• Let cool for 5 minutes, scoop and serve.

• Tag me @ajdewerd in your Hot Dish pictures!