Near the end of 2009, I read my first Mary Sharratt novel, The Real Minerva. So when I heard she had a new book out, I grew very excited. One of my book blogging friends was kind enough to send me her copy, and it didn’t sit here very long, at all, before I was off and reading.
The first thing that grabbed me about Daughters of the Witching Hill is the voice. Ms. Sharratt starts us off in the voice of Bess, or Old Demdike, as the locals more commonly call her. And what a voice this woman has! It’s authentic (but then again, I’m hardly one of those people who knows enough to cry foul) and from the first sentence, it pulls you in. That’s it. This woman is indeed a witch; she’s hooked you just this easily.
The book eventually shifts to the narration from her granddaughter Alizon, and while her voice isn’t as compelling as Demdike’s, it’s still strong.
So is the story. Yes, it’s about three generations of women who are witches. Yes, it’s based on real people and events and yes, they are eventually persecuted and hung for being witches.
But you think you know everything from that? Hardly. Ms. Sharratt gives us interesting yin and yang balances in the form of Chattox, Demdike’s childhood friend. She gives us the goodness of Alice Nutter, who has her own rebellious ways that are every bit as dangerous as witchcraft. We have long-buried family ties and even a bit of political intrigue.
All of it’s believable, which is important since I really don’t know what is real and what isn’t. Ultimately, that doesn’t matter. What matters is the humanity Ms. Sharratt brings to these characters, to their situation. These are paupers, people so poor at times, they face starvation. We don’t often see their ilk in fiction.
But this is based on a true family. There’s no getting around the poverty. So… Sharratt has chosen to give them a dignity and tenaciousness that’s simply refreshing.
Definitely on my Top Reads of the Year (so far) list. Don’t miss this one.
