Hello Readers,
This is a reread for me as I read the book back when it
was released back in 2018. Slightly younger me didn’t realise that Fleetwood
Shuttleworth and Alice Grey were real women who were alive during this complex
time of being a woman.
What do I mean by a “complex tome of being a woman” well
this book takes place in Lancashire during the hysteria of the Pendle Witch
Trials in 1612. The plot flows with a steady pace and fans of historical
fiction will not be disappointed by this fast paced read. This novel brings the
complexities of that dark time in history to life through the story of a young
woman.
Fleetwood Shuttleworth is the mistress of Gawthorpe Hall who
has been unable to produce an heir for her husband. Until her path crosses with
Alice Grey, a young midwife. Who Fleetwood begs to help her have a healthy
baby. Witch hunting fever is sweeping across this corner of England. When Alice
is accused of being a witch, Fleetwood makes desperate attempts to save her.
I don’t think I can do justice trying to explain my
thoughts on the emotions that Stacey manages to conjure while reading this
book. Stacey has created a brilliant historical fiction using real character. This
book is more about the perception of witchcraft and how easy it was to accuse a
woman. It’s an area of history I have a love hate relationship with as I find
the time period perfectly complex but the anger and sorrow, I feel for what people
endured.
Stacey manages to explore the powerlessness many of the
women faced during this complex time and it was eye opening. This wasn’t my
first visit in books to the time of the witch trials but there something that
hits me harder as an adult and that is the thought of people being condemned to
death over rumour.
Slight detour for some of the context about how silly the
witch trials actually were and how it was a complex time to be a woman. Can you
imagine living in a world where one dirty look or slight falling out with a
friend can lead to your death and your family being shunned. Some fun reasons
women were accused of being a witch Slamming the church door (Sarah Cloyce), A
child’s testimony (Pendle witch trials) and Someone claimed to have seen a
flock of birds’ land on your head one time (Martha Corey).
If you love historical fiction you have you to read this
book.
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