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A review by christinecc
The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Witch Trials, but not as you've read them before.
It's no secret that 17th century witch trials have made their nest in Western pop culture for quite some time. By word association, "witch trials" point to Salem, Massachusetts or some other location populated by Puritans in the New World. Well, the Puritans came from somewhere, and that somewhere was England a little earlier in the same 17th century, where "The Manningtree Witches" takes root.
The story is one we know well by now: a particularly unpleasant, self-important, and deeply dishonest man arrives in a town where some women (most of them middle-aged or elderly) have dared to be less than desirable. The man, named Matthew Hopkins, is devout, at least in appearance, and what's more, he was educated at Cambridge. What lies in his mind when he jumps at the chance to point out the devil at every corner? Specifically corners where women such as Rebecca West's mother dwell.
A.K. Blakemore's writing is the book's saving grace. While I appreciated the characters drawn in realistic, grounded terms where people have acne, bad hair, hangovers, and no more than one pair of shoes to their name (if that), what kept me absorbed was the prose that wavered on the edge of mud and nightmares. Our protagonist Rebecca, hounded by her own as well as her neighbors' paranoia, can see there is no escape, and we know it too. Her thoughts are the real treasure of the story, and how she comes to realize the darkness in the heart of Matthew Hopkins, but also the darkness in those she loves. There is even darkness in her own heart, and she must struggle with it alone, without a friend to help her shed light.
Recommended if you want a psychological take on the mid-17th century English witch trials, or if you're interested in the complicated nature of mother-daughter relationships drawn with sincerity.
Thank you to Catapult and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's no secret that 17th century witch trials have made their nest in Western pop culture for quite some time. By word association, "witch trials" point to Salem, Massachusetts or some other location populated by Puritans in the New World. Well, the Puritans came from somewhere, and that somewhere was England a little earlier in the same 17th century, where "The Manningtree Witches" takes root.
The story is one we know well by now: a particularly unpleasant, self-important, and deeply dishonest man arrives in a town where some women (most of them middle-aged or elderly) have dared to be less than desirable. The man, named Matthew Hopkins, is devout, at least in appearance, and what's more, he was educated at Cambridge. What lies in his mind when he jumps at the chance to point out the devil at every corner? Specifically corners where women such as Rebecca West's mother dwell.
A.K. Blakemore's writing is the book's saving grace. While I appreciated the characters drawn in realistic, grounded terms where people have acne, bad hair, hangovers, and no more than one pair of shoes to their name (if that), what kept me absorbed was the prose that wavered on the edge of mud and nightmares. Our protagonist Rebecca, hounded by her own as well as her neighbors' paranoia, can see there is no escape, and we know it too. Her thoughts are the real treasure of the story, and how she comes to realize the darkness in the heart of Matthew Hopkins, but also the darkness in those she loves. There is even darkness in her own heart, and she must struggle with it alone, without a friend to help her shed light.
Recommended if you want a psychological take on the mid-17th century English witch trials, or if you're interested in the complicated nature of mother-daughter relationships drawn with sincerity.
Thank you to Catapult and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.