Losing his mother at birth, John Sharpe was left to a father who blamed him for his own mother’s death, and Dora Shaw, the midwife who had delivered him into this world. Neither was particularly preferable role models, as his father often beat John, and while Dora was an accomplished midwife, there were those who considered her abilities akin to those of a witch.
Jane Chandler is following in her mother’s footsteps, learning about the herbs and flowers of the world, and which could be used to revive health in those who lacked it. But there are those around her who would keep secrets from her, who would tell her not to eavesdrop and then speak in low voices so she could not hear. Jane is curious by nature, and if she wants to do something, the words of someone telling her not to only seem to spur her on, landing her in trouble more than once.
Following the stories of both these characters, we slowly learn who these people are, and how they are connected to the Newcastle witch trials, albeit their connections are very different. This book follows these two characters from the early years of their lives, for John, we see his life since his birth, and for Jane, since she was a child. As we watch these people grow up, it becomes very clear, very quickly, that they have different experiences in the world, which have led to very different viewpoints.
I adored Jane, she is a wonderful character and so incredibly kind. She is ready to rush to help anyone, no matter how much work it may cause for herself. There are those around Jane, as well, who help to give her the positive outlook on the world that she has—her mother in particular shows Jane how to grow into the kind spirit that she does.
John is a different character altogether. He had a difficult childhood, and when his uncle, a man of the kirk, takes him in, his life takes on a religious aspect as well. As he takes in his uncle's sermons, John tries to learn where he belongs, and what his role in this cruel world is. John is a character I can truly say I despised. He grows obsessed with witches, finding them and bringing them to justice, and his methods are not at all fair, nor are the results always true. John turns from an innocent boy, haunted by his father’s fists, into a man not unlike his father. He treats his wife terribly, and it was incredibly upsetting to follow his story as he abused so many, and that the women in this novel had little to no rights, as it was the time period. They were blamed for everything, even though most was not their fault, and anything they did could be twisted into a tale that could pronounce them as someone who consorted with the Devil.
Flipping between John’s chapters and Jane’s chapters, I found Jane’s turned into a small respite from the horrors of John’s, and yet, I was still kept on edge. There were things that Jane did, such as preparing herbs with her mother, and the ways she lived her life, that seemed perfectly natural but made me concerned for her after coming from a chapter about John. John taught me of all the terrible ways women were caught, tried, and murdered on suspicion of witchcraft, and I found myself finding the ‘witch’ mannerisms in Jane’s chapters. This made me hate John all the more, for he made me start searching, in the way that people did in history. If one man said someone was a witch, people were more than willing to believe it and find any excuse to prove it, even if there was no proof and the prejudice spread. John tried to spread this prejudice to me, and he was doing it through the words of a novel. This book is the kind that will play with your mind, and the realism depicted helps to twist your thinking, for you almost live the story among the characters.
I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Christine Mackie, and she has done a fabulous job of transporting you into this world. The calmness of her voice, contrasting the terrors of the story, built more tension than I could’ve imagined possible, and although I usually much prefer reading than listening to stories, the audio version of this novel has added something to this novel that affected me all the more.
As this book draws to a close, you are left thinking that, finally, you will be able to relax, with every string tied up and that the story will be concluded nicely. However, out of the blue, you are hit with a plot twist and a cliffhanger all in one. It throws everything off course, and you are left, with no more story to listen to, desperate to know what happens next.
If you are after a book to draw you in with the ambience of the words and trap you as if a spell has been cast, this is the one for you. And, if you want the tension to build even more, with the voice of Christine Mackie in your ears, grab the audiobook.
Dr Helen Steadman is a historical novelist. Her first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf was inspired by a group of Lutheran swordmakers who defected from Germany to England in 1687.
Despite the Newcastle witch trials being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, they are not widely known about. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hid-den histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.
The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive re-search and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook black-smith training, which culminated in making her own sword. During her archive research, Helen uncovered a lot of new material and she published her findings in the Northern History journal.
Helen is now working on her fourth novel.
I am so glad you enjoyed Widdershins (Widdershins, Book 1).
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting today's tour stop.
Mary Anne
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Hi Beatrice,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for hosting today's blog stop, and thank you for this brilliant and in-depth review - much appreicated!
Best wishes, Helen