When authors refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
There are only two shout-outs in all of The Witches, and both are timeless references, meaning they could have been written even in the 1800s and still would have been understood. For that reason, the shout-outs don't really place the story in any particular time or place, helping the book keep its fantasy feel.
Literary References
- "Three Blind Mice" (nursery rhyme) (9.28)
Historical References
- Ming dynasty (22.47)