BLOG TOUR: The Familiars - Stacey Halls

To save her child, she will trust a stranger. To protect a secret, she must risk her life...

Lancashire 1612

Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17 years old, married, and pregnant for the fourth time. But as the mistress at Gawthorpe Hall, she still has no living child, and her husband Richard is anxious for an heir. When Fleetwood finds a letter she isn’t supposed to read from the doctor who delivered her third stillbirth, she is dealt the crushing blow that she will not survive another pregnancy.

When she crosses paths by chance with Alice Gray, a young midwife, Alice promises to help her give birth to a healthy baby, and to prove the physician wrong.

When Alice is drawn into the witchcraft accusations that are sweeping the North-West, Fleetwood risks everything by trying to help her. But is there more to Alice than meets the eye?

As the two women's lives become inextricably bound together, the legendary trial at Lancaster approaches, and Fleetwood’s stomach continues to grow. Time is running out, and both their lives are at stake.

Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.

What did I think?

I think it is impossible to write a review of The Familiars that will even come close to doing it justice.  Even whilst I was reading it, I kept stopping to take a breath and gather my thoughts, often pronouncing out loud 'this is brilliant'.  The Familiars sweeps the board of positive adjectives; think of one and you could use it to describe this book: exceptional, outstanding, epic, awesome, fantastic, exquisite and brilliant to name but a few.  

To make this story even more exceptional, is the fact that the characters in the book were real people.  Stacey Halls brings them back to life with her beautiful and expressive writing and now they are immortalised in print.  Although the story itself is a work of fiction, I like to think that this is the true story of Fleetwood Shuttleworth and her midwife, Alice Gray; two women who saved each other's lives.  

I've always been intrigued by stories of witches and witchfinders.  These clever, caring women who were natural healers still helped people even when they were at risk of being branded a witch.  Whether for fame or fortune, they were hunted and rounded up, unfairly tried and hung.  With witchfinders scouring the length and breadth of the country, no town was left unscathed and The Familiars is set in 17th century Lancashire around the time of the Pendle witch trials, one of the most famous witch trials in England.

Aged 17 and already having suffered three miscarriages, Fleetwood Shuttleworth finds herself pregnant again.  Already frightened for the life of her unborn child, she finds a letter from her doctor to her husband which claims that she will not survive another pregnancy.  Determined to give her husband an heir, she enlists the help of a woman she finds in the woods, Alice Gray, to be her midwife.  With the help of Alice's herbs and tinctures, Fleetwood's unborn child grows stronger each day but then Fleetwood is dealt a crushing blow when Alice is arrested with the Pendle witches.  Only Alice can save Fleetwood's life in childbirth and only Fleetwood can save Alice from the gallows.

Oh my word!  The Familiars is most definitely my book of the year, if not the decade.  What an outstanding novel and what an exceptional debut!  It's so good that I bought a beautiful hardback copy after reading my advance review copy.  Stacey Halls is a natural storyteller; her writing is effusive, seductive and descriptive, breathing life into her historical fiction novel and making the characters almost pop from the page.  Stacey Halls is not only an author to watch, she's an author you MUST READ!!!  I've already got a copy of her next novel (The Foundling) on pre-order, although I'm not sure how she can eclipse the utter perfection of The Familiars. 

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Stacey Halls grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire, as the daughter of market traders. She has always been fascinated by the Pendle witches. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and moved to London aged 21. She was media editor at The Bookseller and books editor at Stylist.co.uk, and has also worked as a journalist for Psychologies, the Independent and Fabulous magazine. TV rights have been sold to The Bureau production company.

The Familiars is her first novel and her second, The Foundling, is coming Feb 2020. Say hello @Stacey_Halls on Twitter and @StaceyHallsAuthor on Instagram.

Themes include women and power, social history of witches. Stacey has done huge amounts of research and can speak eloquently on Gawthorpe Manor and her real life heroine Fleetwood. 

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BLOG TOUR: Sunwise - Helen Steadman

The sequel to Widdershins, when Jane’s lover, Tom, returns from the navy to find her unhappily married to his betrayer, Jane is caught in an impossible situation. Still reeling from the loss of her mother at the hands of the witchfinder John Sharpe, Jane has no choice but to continue her dangerous work as a healer while keeping her young daughter safe. But, as Tom searches for a way for him and Jane to be together, the witchfinder is still at large. Filled with vengeance, John will stop at nothing in his quest to rid England of the scourge of witchcraft. 

Inspired by true events, Sunwise tells the story of one woman’s struggle for survival in a hostile and superstitious world. 

What did I think?

Never a day goes by when I'm not excited about books, but I have to say that I was super-excited to get my hands on an early copy of Sunwise by Helen Steadman, the sequel to the superb Widdershins.  Although you could read Sunwise as a standalone, I recommend reading Widdershins first, not only because it is firmly fixed as one of my favourite books, but to fully understand the history between healer Jane Chandler and witchfinder John Sharpe.

Jane should be happy with her life now that John Sharpe has left Newcastle and headed to Berwick to terrorise innocent women there.  Jane is married with a beautiful daughter, who is the image of her father, and has another baby on the way but she feels great unease while John Sharpe remains free to roam the country hunting witches.  John isn't the first face from Jane's past to appear though, as her sweetheart Tom, who Jane thought had died at sea after being press-ganged, returns home to find Jane married.  My heart went out to this pair who were clearly meant to be together but devious minds would go to any lengths to keep them apart.

Helen Steadman's writing is exceptional and I adore the authenticity of her books, as I learned about some fascinating customs in this amazing historical fiction novel.  Sunwise describes the harvest tradition of the corn dolly which was made to preserve good fortune for future crops and was also an ancient symbol of fertility.  The way that Helen Steadman weaves the corn dolly custom into the story is breathtaking; it literally stole my breath as I gasped out loud at the brilliance of her imagination.  I will certainly never underestimate the power of the corn dolly.

Based on true events, Sunwise is exceptionally well researched whilst still ensuring that the reader's eyes are firmly glued to the page as the threads of the fictional story begin to unravel.  With the threat of John Sharpe hovering over Jane like a black cloud, it's only a matter of time before they meet again.  Jane is the 'witch' that got away from John Sharpe last time they met, but will the luck of the corn dolly save Jane from his evil clutches once again?

I didn't just read Sunwise; I lived and breathed it.  It's authentic, gripping and extremely compelling reading; if you're looking for something fresh and original in historical fiction, then look no further.  I am still recommending Widdershins to friends, but with the addition of Sunwise Helen Steadman has created a perfect pair.  Read one, and you'll be compelled to read them both; I can't predict the future but I know for sure that I will be recommending Helen Steadman's books for a very long time to come.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Helen Steadman lives in the foothills of the North Pennines, and she particularly enjoys researching and writing about the history of the north east of England.  Following her MA in creative writing at Manchester Met, Helen is now completing a PhD in English at the University of Aberdeen to determine whether a writer can use psycho-physical techniques to create authentic fictional characters (Helensteadman.com)

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BLOG TOUR: Widdershins - Helen Steadman

I have a real treat for you today.  A fabulous guest post from Helen Steadman along with my review of Helen's truly exceptional novel Widdershins.

How a 'personable and good-like' woman escaped the hangman's noose in the Newcastle witch trials

While carrying out research for my novel, Widdershins, I became intrigued why one woman was first found guilty of witchcraft at the 17th century Newcastle witch trials, but after the witch-finder was revealed as a fraud she was then set free. The woman was not named, but she was described by John Wheeler as a 'personable and good-like' woman, from which we might infer that her good looks saved her.

In his deposition, John Wheeler states that thirty women were brought into the town- hall. The witch-finder stripped them and then thrust pins into their bodies. Using this technique, he found twenty-seven of the thirty guilty.

In discussion with Lt. Col. Hobson, who was present, the witch-finder claimed that he knew whether women were witches or not based purely on their looks. When he began testing the aforementioned 'personable and good-like woman', Lt. Col. Hobson intervened and said 'surely this woman is none, and need not be tryed'. However, the Scottish witch-finder said she was a witch because the town had said she was a witch and that she must be tried.

According to Wheeler, the witch-finder then, 'in sight of all the people, laid her body naked to the waste, with her cloaths over her head'. He then drove a pin into her thigh, but she did not bleed. According to Wheeler, fright and shame had caused all her blood to contract into one part of her body. Of course, bending double would make the blood rush to her head. The woman was declared to be guilty and a child of the devil.

Wheeler says that Lt. Col. Hobson had 'perceived the alteration of the foresaid woman, by her blood settling in her right parts' and he insisted that the woman be tested again. This time, her clothes were pulled up to her thigh, and he required that the witch-finder push the needle into the same place. This time, under the close supervision of Lt. Col. Hobson, 'it gushed out of blood' and the witch-finder cleared her and said she was not a child of the devil.

Shockingly, despite the fact that the Scottish witch-finder was clearly a fraud, and one prepared to send innocent women to a terrible death, he was still allowed to collect his wages and move on to further, even more lucrative work in Berwick. Even more shocking, fifteen(or sixteen) of the people he'd found guilty were still executed for witchcraft.

Source

John Wheeler's deposition in Ralph Gardiner (1849 [1655]) England’s Grievance Discovered in Relation to the Coal Trade. North Shields: Philipson and Hare. Ch. 53.


So, after that enlightening guest post, shockingly based on actual events, let's see what I thought of Widdershins.

'Did all women have something of the witch about them?' 

Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane will soon learn that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world. From his father's beatings to his uncle's raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witch-finder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft. Inspired by true events, 'Widdershins' tells the story of the women who were persecuted and the men who condemned them.

What did I think?

Widdershins is an absolutely exceptional book, based on real events that took place in the North East of England, where I live.  The story is told from the perspective of two outstanding main characters: John Sharpe and Jane Chandler.  As we watch these two youngsters grow up several miles apart, we see them evolve into adults whose stories are destined to fatefully intertwine in Newcastle upon Tyne.

John Sharpe who was brought into the world in Scotland by local midwife, Dora, who unfortunately couldn't save his mother.  John was born with a set of teeth which gave his father the perfect excuse to blame John for his mother's death, when he wasn't blaming Dora of course.  Dora took John for safekeeping and brought him up until his father died and John was sent to live with his Uncle James.  Uncle James plants poisonous seeds in John's young mind that grow into deadly vines dripping with hatred against innocent women who use herbs to help people's ailments.

Jane Chandler lives in a small village near Shotley Bridge on the banks of the River Derwent, 15 miles outside of Newcastle upon Tyne. Both Jane's mother, Annie, and local woman Meg, are well-known healers who prepare remedies for the sick.  Some of the children call Meg a witch, but Jane and her friend Tom hold Meg in high regard and it's not only Meg who knows that Jane and Tom are destined to be together.  For Jane, however, the course of true love doesn't run smooth.  Jane's future has her destined to cross paths with John Sharpe and his deadly witch pricker in a breathtaking showdown where only one of them will survive.

Reading Widdershins is like having a time machine into the past as Helen Steadman completely immerses us in the 17th Century.  I could almost smell the herbs in Jane's village and the foul stench of the Tyne as Jane and her mother queued to get through the town wall.  I absolutely adored the authenticity of the regional dialect as words that are part of our Northern heritage are used and I realised that sadly so many of them have been lost over time.  There really isn't a word out of place in this exceptional book.

Widdershins is an immersive and compelling debut, I was completely transfixed from start to finish.  It's a mark of a good book when I am so absorbed that I almost forget to drink my morning cup of tea!  Top marks for an exceptional debut that was written for Helen Steadman's master's degree.  A recommended read and one I will most definitely read again.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Witchfinder's Sister - Beth Underdown

'The number of women my brother Matthew killed, so far as I can reckon it, is one hundred and six...'

1645. When Alice Hopkins' husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives.

But home is no longer a place of safety. Matthew has changed, and there are rumours spreading through the town: whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in which he is gathering women's names.

To what lengths will Matthew's obsession drive him?

And what choice will Alice make, when she finds herself at the very heart of his plan?

What did I think?

We've all heard of the Salem witch trials but we often forget that similar witch-hunts were going on in Britain, led by Matthew Hopkins in Essex.  In the days before plucking and waxing, woe betide any woman with a furred brow or hairy lip as they may find themselves being labelled as a witch.  Many unfortunate women in The Witchfinder's Sister are unfairly accused of being witches and maybe there is one real witch in the story - will Matthew's methods of detection identify her?

Alice thought she had escaped the strange ways of her brother, Matthew, when she married Joseph and they set up home in London, however, Joseph's sudden death sees her return from London to Manningtree.  Alice is carrying her own precious secret, a secret that she knows she can't keep hidden for long, not when Matthew has eyes and ears in the whole town.

Matthew has strange secretive meetings at the house and Alice overhears enough to make her fear for the safety of her mother-in-law Bridget.  Bridget has been close to the Hopkins family for many years, and knows more than she is willing to let on about the terrible scarring Matthew has on his face.  Matthew was told that he crawled into the open fire as a baby but Alice finds out the truth that Bridget has kept hidden for many years.  Will it be too late to save Bridget from Matthew's witch-hunt?

There are so many interesting stories within The Witchfinder's Sister that it's a guaranteed page-turner.  Alice's story is tragic and poignant but as his sister she's known Matthew since he was born so she knows how he works.  My heart went out to the poor women who were tried as witches, made even more poignant by the fact that the characters in the book were real women who were tried by Matthew Hopkins in the Essex Witch Trials.

Reading The Witchfinder's Sister is like having a secret window into the 17th Century.  It is so impeccably researched and filled to the brim with interesting facts that are so cleverly woven into the fiction, almost hidden in plain sight if we choose to see them.  Never has a fiction book had me racing off to google both during and after reading it.  I was absolutely gobsmacked at the origins of 'hocus pocus' and I was delighted to see Alice having beer for breakfast!

The Witchfinder's Sister is a stunning debut by Beth Underdown.  Her wonderful descriptive writing style naturally draws the reader into the story and seems to take on such authenticity of the period that I really felt as if I was there watching the trials unfold.  The ending was jaw-droppingly brilliant and, although a very good end to the book, I for one would love to see the story continue. 

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.  I am delighted to release my review as part of the blog tour.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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