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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Not a reflection on the book, it's just not what I'm in the mood for right now.
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great book. Loved following Alice's story. Didn't realise that this book wasn't just fiction.
It has fats and data based on historic records, but the story of Alice being one of Matthews siblings is enhanced, ficticious.
Very interesting to read about the way that women were persecuted and see how prejudices and class affected beliefs. Obviously the 1500 and 1600s were far more barbaric for torture than we are now.
I liked how Alice who had objected to this persecution then went to live in a small unassuming village in America for a peaceful life, called Salem! The irony as Salem is now associated and renouwned with witchcraft.
It has fats and data based on historic records, but the story of Alice being one of Matthews siblings is enhanced, ficticious.
Very interesting to read about the way that women were persecuted and see how prejudices and class affected beliefs. Obviously the 1500 and 1600s were far more barbaric for torture than we are now.
I liked how Alice who had objected to this persecution then went to live in a small unassuming village in America for a peaceful life, called Salem! The irony as Salem is now associated and renouwned with witchcraft.
The Witch Finders Sister by Beth Underdown, audiobook narrated by Lucy Brownhill & Roy McMillon published by Penguin Books Ltd. Listened to using to using Listening Books a charity providing audiobooks for people who finding reading physical books more difficult via Libby. 4 stars.
It is 1645 Alice Hopkins husband has just died so Alice is returning home to Manningtree in Essex to where her brother Matthew lives.
There are few people that don’t associate Manningtree and the name Hopkins with the infamous witch trials that happened in the area. Over 100 women found guilty of witchcraft and then killed.
Not much is known of Matthew’s early life, so this is a fictional story told from the point of view of an older sister. Alice finds herself being drawn into Matthew's world and fears for the women she knows that they might end up in the rumoured great book that Matthew has of all the women’s names who are suspected of being witches.
Overall, an interesting story some of the things really did happen in today’s world it is difficult to imagine how this could happen, especially things like ‘swimming’ a person to see if they sink or float. If they sink, they are innocent and float they are a witch, I really can’t work out if I would have preferred to drown or live and face certain death. This is a very bleak period of history that happened not just here in Great Britain, but all over Europe and then to the New World of America. I am still hoping that those responsible are in a very special place where they too got to be tortured.
It is 1645 Alice Hopkins husband has just died so Alice is returning home to Manningtree in Essex to where her brother Matthew lives.
There are few people that don’t associate Manningtree and the name Hopkins with the infamous witch trials that happened in the area. Over 100 women found guilty of witchcraft and then killed.
Not much is known of Matthew’s early life, so this is a fictional story told from the point of view of an older sister. Alice finds herself being drawn into Matthew's world and fears for the women she knows that they might end up in the rumoured great book that Matthew has of all the women’s names who are suspected of being witches.
Overall, an interesting story some of the things really did happen in today’s world it is difficult to imagine how this could happen, especially things like ‘swimming’ a person to see if they sink or float. If they sink, they are innocent and float they are a witch, I really can’t work out if I would have preferred to drown or live and face certain death. This is a very bleak period of history that happened not just here in Great Britain, but all over Europe and then to the New World of America. I am still hoping that those responsible are in a very special place where they too got to be tortured.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Feels weird to say I enjoyed this one bc it was so tense, dark, and horrifying. But it was certainly compelling and I read it really quickly.
3.5
The Witch Finder’s Sister by Beth Underdown Alice Hopkins goes back home after the death of her husband and finds herself in the midst of Manningtree Witch Trials of 1645 with her brother Mathew Hopkins being the witch finder General.
.
The book revolves around actual events and it’s not known if Mathew ever had a sister but narrating the book from point of view of Alice, who sees how women are accused of Wichcraft, women who are widowed, eccentric, slightly independent, who show even a hint defiance or lead life that don’t fit in the conservative scheme of things are labelled witches and send to the gallows is a stroke of genius. How her brother’s views, personality and lack of anything remotely humane haunts Alice is a big part of the book.
The subject matter becomes difficult at times and fills you with rage, the book in itself is great! Though the writing could have been better but this being the author’s debut made for a good one
The Witch Finder’s Sister by Beth Underdown Alice Hopkins goes back home after the death of her husband and finds herself in the midst of Manningtree Witch Trials of 1645 with her brother Mathew Hopkins being the witch finder General.
.
The book revolves around actual events and it’s not known if Mathew ever had a sister but narrating the book from point of view of Alice, who sees how women are accused of Wichcraft, women who are widowed, eccentric, slightly independent, who show even a hint defiance or lead life that don’t fit in the conservative scheme of things are labelled witches and send to the gallows is a stroke of genius. How her brother’s views, personality and lack of anything remotely humane haunts Alice is a big part of the book.
The subject matter becomes difficult at times and fills you with rage, the book in itself is great! Though the writing could have been better but this being the author’s debut made for a good one
Absolutely fascinating read on what is the darkest times of the civil war when anything a look a word even a whisper could be seen to be witchcraft. Absolutely marvellous. Loved it
You’ve heard of Salem, but have you heard of Manningtree? This book follows the fictional sister of the real Matthew Hopkins, England’s self-proclaimed Witchfinder General, who prowled the towns of East Anglia in the mid 1600s, hunting witches. When Alice Hopkins returns home following her husband’s death, she is horrified to find that he has become influential thanks to his ruthlessness in tracking witches. When Alice tries to intervene, suspicious eyes turn to her, and when she tries to understand the root of her brother’s rage, she discovers family secrets that had been hidden for decades.
My favourite part of this book was the writing, which was full of tension and suspense. The tone and first person narration really made the characters and story feel real, and the atmosphere of fear and suspicion was palpable. To top it all off, this book had the only final sentence which made me literally GASP IN SHOCK.
Alice was a fascinating protagonist who you can get behind. I liked that she and the other characters all had a detailed backstory without their pasts taking over the plot. The author was brilliant at making characters’ pasts relevant to the story rather than just background information, and was also great at bringing characters together in interesting and believable relationships. I particularly liked the friendship that formed between Alice and one of the women suspected of witchcraft.
I love reading about little known parts of history and this book was fantastic at bringing the Manningtree witch hunts to life. I loved the excerpts of real historical texts, and also the author’s note at the end of the book which set out which parts were true and which were fiction. Generally, I loved its insight into how women were accused of witchcraft for all sorts of reasons, such as mental illness, birthmarks, promiscuity, or just having pissed off the wrong person.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and how it was both a gripping story and informative. I loved the atmosphere and how it chilled me to the bone, Alice’s brains and the other smart women that made up its cast.
I received a copy of this in exchange for a review via Netgalley.
My favourite part of this book was the writing, which was full of tension and suspense. The tone and first person narration really made the characters and story feel real, and the atmosphere of fear and suspicion was palpable. To top it all off, this book had the only final sentence which made me literally GASP IN SHOCK.
Alice was a fascinating protagonist who you can get behind. I liked that she and the other characters all had a detailed backstory without their pasts taking over the plot. The author was brilliant at making characters’ pasts relevant to the story rather than just background information, and was also great at bringing characters together in interesting and believable relationships. I particularly liked the friendship that formed between Alice and one of the women suspected of witchcraft.
I love reading about little known parts of history and this book was fantastic at bringing the Manningtree witch hunts to life. I loved the excerpts of real historical texts, and also the author’s note at the end of the book which set out which parts were true and which were fiction. Generally, I loved its insight into how women were accused of witchcraft for all sorts of reasons, such as mental illness, birthmarks, promiscuity, or just having pissed off the wrong person.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and how it was both a gripping story and informative. I loved the atmosphere and how it chilled me to the bone, Alice’s brains and the other smart women that made up its cast.
I received a copy of this in exchange for a review via Netgalley.