Review: Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (April 7, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 0547069677
• Source: Publisher

Beth Southerns is a poor beggar woman who lives in Pendle Forest in Northern England. Desperate to keep her family fed, she draws from the folk magic taught to her as a youth and begins  to heal the sick and foretell the future.  She draws her power and strength from Tibb, her familiar. As her ancestors taught her, she teaches her granddaughter Alizon in the family “trade.”

This family trade is a sensitive one and healers must tread lightly.  All it takes is one accusation for them to be cast out as witches. When Alizon uses her powers in a fit of anger, the  Southerns women are imprisoned and charged with witchcraft.

Daughters of the Witching Hill is more than just a mere tale of witchcraft. It is the story of an incredibly strong family of women, whose future is put in the hands of the local townspeople.  Friends become enemies and they are forced to survive by their own strength alone.

It is obvious that Sharratt did a great deal of research on this subject. The setting of the story was the author’s own backyard, giving her unique access to historical data. Daughters of the Witching Hill is based on the Pendle witch hunt of the early 1600s.  The author paints a very detailed portrait of the lives of these women. They were among twelve others who were imprisoned for their supposed crimes.  Nine individuals were ultimately hanged. These victims weren’t witches, but innocent bystanders in a war between old and new religion.

Sharratt’s prose was vivid and detailed.  It was easy to become engrossed in the setting. Sharratt portrayed extremely powerful and dedicated women, their dedication to family was paramount. There were so many levels to this story.  As I read it again in preparation for this review, I uncovered so many details that were missed in my first reading.  This is definitely a story that will stick with you.  This trait is the sign of a very talented author.    This book has encouraged me to find out more about this witch hunt, which took place before the infamous witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts.  Sharratt has given the characters a chance to be reborn and a long-forgotten story to be revitalized. I look forward to reading more of Sharratt’s work.

Following is a mini-documentary, narrated by Mary, that discusses the background of her new novel.

Please be sure to come back tomorrow to read a guest post by the author herself, and enter to win a copy of Daughters of the Witching Hill!