Daughters of the Witching Hill

By: Mary Sharratt

Narrated by: Terry Donnelly

In Daughters of the Witching Hill, Mary Sharratt brings history to life in a vivid and wrenching novel of strong women, family and betrayal inspired by the 1612 Pendle witch trials.

Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow, lives with her children in a crumbling old tower in Pendle Forest. Drawing on Catholic ritual, medicinal herbs, and guidance from her spirit-friend Tibb, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future in exchange for food and drink. As she ages, she instructs her best friend, Anne, and her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft. Anne ultimately turns to dark magic, while Alizon struggles to accept the power she has inherited and dreams of a simpler life. But when a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate tricks her into accusing her family and neighbors of witchcraft. Suspicion and paranoia reach frenzied heights as friends and loved ones turn on one another and the novel draws to an inevitable conclusion.

©2010 Mary Sharratt (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

I loved this so much! Adding it to my favorites

I listened to this with the group, Witches vs. Patriarchy. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book! I did not expect to be so affected by it but as i was finishing it up this morning, i could've cried. My heart wept for all these people accused of dealing with the devil. I'm in the southern U.S. so I'm not (yet) familiar with the history of this witch trial. The story is that of the Pendle Witches. It is so beautifully written. The characters are flushed out people, not just names on a paper. They are good people, just trying to survive any way they can. Times are hard, there's famine, devastating rains and cold, cold winters. It was wonderful reading about Mother Demdike and her cunning. She's a blesser. By doing her blessings, she is able to feed & provide clothes for her family. It all goes wrong one evening when granddaughter Alison speaks out of anger to a peddler. He falls down and "half his body dies." Being an outsider, he cries witch and the charges are brought against Alison and her family. This is based on an actual historical witch hunt, you know there is no happy ending. By the time you get there, you love these people so the ending really hurts. I really loved this book and I's so glad i finally listened to it. It was read by Terry Donnelly and she did such an outstanding job. I loved the 13.5 hours i spent listening to her telling me this tale.

Thought-provoking

If you could sum up Daughters of the Witching Hill in three words, what would they be?

Compelling, enriching and satisfying.

What did you like best about this story?

It was a great look into how dangerous it was to be a woman who dared to have a voice and the terror of a witch hunt.

Which character – as performed by Terry Donnelly – was your favorite?

Bess Southerns

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The end was suspenseful

Great book but ...

The narration of the character Alizon, a teen, sounded much older than she should have. I read this book, loved it, but the audiobook did not do it justice.

So very sad...

I have to admit it was a bit slow, but methodical. It's almost like the author intended each page to linger in order for the reader to take in every little detail, and how I love the little details. The story is very sad, so if you are not into the realities of the injustices of the distant past, this book is not for you. But, I truly enjoyed it.

Awesome

Definitely do yourself a favour and use immersion reading, if you have. The voice made this excellently well written book come alive.