House of Spells and Secrets was born the moment I stumbled upon the story of Biddy Early, a 19th-century healer from Ireland with a life that practically glows with myth and mystery.
Born Bridget Ellen Connors, Biddy lived in County Clare during a time shaped by poverty, superstition, and colonial pressure. Despite all odds, she carved out a life that defied every expectation and social norm. (She was married four times—often to younger men. I mean, legend.) She was an herbalist, healer, and spiritual intuitive, known for her deep connection to the land and her mysterious blue bottle, which many believed held otherworldly knowledge or power.
That bottle was the inspiration for the vial Rowan finds in my story.
Biddy never learned to read or write, which is why the book of curses and cures in my novel is fictional. But her wisdom came from older, deeper places passed down through generations, whispered by the land, and carried in her bones.
People came to her when no one else could help. When the doctors failed, when the priests had no answers, and when illness, grief, or plain old bad luck dug in, Biddy was the one they turned to.
Despite her healing gifts, Biddy’s power made her dangerous in the eyes of the Church and local authorities. In 1865, she was actually charged under the Witchcraft Act of 1586—one of the few Irish women ever to face trial under that law. Wild, right? Thankfully, the case was dismissed. But the message was pretty clear: a woman who knows, heals, and refuses to follow the rules? She’s a threat.
There’s something about Biddy’s presence in Irish history that still feels electric. She exists in that liminal space, which I see as a place between myth and reality.
When I first read about her, something inside me stirred to life. I couldn’t stop thinking about how fiercely she lived, how unapologetically she took up space in a world that didn’t know what to do with women like her. She was revered… and feared.
Biddy Early is remembered as a wise woman, a healer, a rebel…and a spéirmhná, which is a poetic Irish term that translates to sky woman or sky girl. I love this. It speaks to someone untethered by the rules of the world, someone who listens to the wind and walks between realms. Someone who is both grounded and celestial. It’s beautiful. It’s Biddy.
This book is not Biddy’s story, but it is absolutely inspired by her essence. Her spirit runs through every chapter. The legacy of women like Biddy—those who listened to the land, who healed with their hands, who carried ancestral knowing in their very being—echoes in every word of this story.
For me, House of Spells and Secrets is more than a novel. It’s a spell of remembrance. It’s a small act of honoring a woman history nearly forgot and it’s a quiet vow to keep her story—her magic—alive.
This is me saying, Biddy, I see you. I carry you. And through this story, you live on.
With love and magic,
If you’re as fascinated by Irish folklore, wise women, and stories that walk the edge of magic and myth, I’d love for you to explore House of Spells and Secrets. It’s a story inspired by legacies like Biddy’s, stories that are woven with magic, sisterhood, ancestral threads, and truth that dares to be remembered.
Learn more about the book here.
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© 2026 Melissa Bourbon