It was also interesting to read about Mary’s voyage to the New World and the – again, described in minutia – details of the ship, the appalling cramped living conditions as well as the psychological outlook of the passengers (a mixture of hope and of anxiety about this new life in the New World) and the eventual struggle for survival once they arrive. Its opening pages when Mary was still in England were absolutely entrancing as Mary described the horror suffered by her grandmother, with her torture in the hands of the Witchfinders described in minutia. There are many interesting aspects about Witch Child. Together, they form a household and as time pass, their hope to start a new, free life is thwarted by prejudice and the growing suspicion from their Puritan neighbours. On the way there, she befriends a middle-aged woman named Martha as well as an apothecary and his son. Rescued from the same fate by an anonymous benefactor, Mary is given free passage on a ship to Salem in the New World where she hopes to start anew. Or rather: the grandchild of a witch who had just been horrendously tortured and hanged in front of Mary’s eyes. It starts with an admission and an account of a terrible event: Mary is a witch.
Witch Child is her story, in her own words written in her diary.
Woven into its threads are hidden pages of a 17th century diary belonging to a young girl named Mary. In modern times, a colonial quilt is found. Plus, I always wanted to read a Celia Rees novel and when I came across this at a church sale, I bought it. Why did I read this book: I love books about witch hunting especially when in historical context like this one. How did I get this book: Bought (for 50p at a church sale). Stand alone or series: Stand alone but there is a sequel called Sorceress How long can she hide her true identity? Will she ever find a place where her healing powers will not be feared?
Mary narrowly escapes a similar fate, only to face intolerance and new danger among the Puritans in the New World. Hidden until now in the pages of her diary, Mary’s startling story begins in 1659, the year her beloved grandmother is hanged in the public square as a witch. Welcome to the world of young Mary Newbury, a world where simply being different can cost a person her life.
Publication date: First published in 2000 Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult,
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