Daughters of the Witching Hill - Mary Sharratt

Daughters of the Witching Hill - Mary Sharratt (2010)

You know you think you have read so much on a subject, that any new book seems to rehash stories you have heard before. You know, like how you've read eleventy books on vampires, angels, serial killers, the Plague, Tudors and all other popular genres. Well witches, and witch trials have all been retold a thousand times, that is hard to find a fresh voice.

Daughters of the Witching Hill tells the tale of both Bess Southerns and her granddaughter Alizon, living in the Pendle forest in the UK. Bess starts having visions, and uses her spirit and her Catholic past, to guide her in healing and treating neighbours. However, some use their ablilites to harm others and all too soon rumours of witchcraft fly through the countryside.

Based on a true even of 13 bought to trial for witchcraft, this was one story I was unable to put down and was pleased to turn in at night and read more pages. It's focus was more on the womans stories with only a small amount of pages allocated to the trial, which is just the way I like my novels. To much of lawyer/court speeches and I am quickly bored and skipping pages.

I think I may even need to give this one a 4/5, for I am at a loss to find fault with it, and would happily recommend to all as a great read. I liked the characters and could sympathise with them, what would you do if you were widowed and poor in the same time period? How would you feed your family and survive? What skills would you use?

Have a lovely weekend.