Mary Sharratt

Companion in the Cave: Daughters of Witching Hill

Friday, September 30th, 2011 | Mary Sharratt | 2 Comments

I have been writing a great deal about the first draft and living in the Cave. But like all writers, I do not go into the Cave alone. I have my characters with me of course, and we are always working on the novel of the moment. But I also bring other voices with me for those times when I am quiet and resting, for the times when my own work is lying fallow for the night.

One of my companions in the Cave this week was Mary Sharratt’s beautiful novel, Daughters of Witching Hill.  Ms. Sharratt transported me into another world, and I am grateful. 5 out of 5 stars for this amazing novel.

Description from Amazon.com:

Daughters of the Witching Hill brings history to life in a vivid and wrenching account of a family sustained by love as they try to survive the hysteria of a witch-hunt.

Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow living in Pendle Forest, is haunted by visions and gains a reputation as a cunning woman. Drawing on the Catholic folk magic of her youth, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future. As she ages, she instructs her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft, as well as her best friend, who ultimately turns to dark magic. When a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate, eager to make his name as a witch finder, plays neighbors and family members against one another until suspicion and paranoia reach frenzied heights.

Sharratt interweaves well-researched historical details of the 1612 Pendle witch-hunt with a beautifully imagined story of strong women, family, and betrayal. Daughters of the Witching Hill is a powerful novel of intrigue and revelation.

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