Set in 1612 Lancashire, the story follows noblewoman Fleetwood Shuttleworth, who is eighteen years old and pregnant for the fourth time. After discovering a letter from her husband’s physician predicting she will not survive the birth, she seeking out Alice Gray, a local midwife with an immense knowledge of herbal medicine. Their lives intersect against the backdrop of the Pendle witch trials, where neighbors accuse one another of sorcery. When Alice is implicated in the growing legal hysteria, Fleetwood risks her social standing and safety to prove the midwife’s innocence and secure her own survival.
Historical fiction readers who value atmospheric depictions of the Jacobean era will appreciate the tension between superstition and early science. The book appeals to those interested in the specific vulnerabilities of women across different social classes during periods of legal and religious persecution. Readers finish the story with a clearer understanding of how accusations of witchcraft were often used to control female autonomy and how domestic alliances formed a necessary survival strategy in a system built on institutionalized suspicion.
Balanced in tone; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2019
- Language
- EN
