“I’d heard of wise women, who could give you a cup or something and make you bleed so your stomach went flat again.’
Witch books are my jam this summer. When The Familiars popped up in my Goodreads recommendations, I was there with bells on.
The Familiars is set during the notorious Pendle Witch Trials in Lancaster. James I is on the throne and local officials are looking to cement their loyalty. Eight women are accused of being witches and brought for trial.
In the middle of chaos is Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a 17 years old, newly married and in charge of her own household for the first time. She and her husband are having difficulties getting pregnant and the couple have suffered multiple miscarriages. When the book opens, Fleetwood is again pregnant. To her horror, she has discovered a letter from a doctor, to her husband, stating that she will die when she gives birth. This letter drives Fleetwood to desperate measures and in the direction of the Pendle Witches….
The Familiars is a compelling read full of brilliant characters and magic. Its charm is in its main character and her wilfulness to do the right thing. It also manages to turn the story of the Pendle Witches into one of female friendship. There is magical realism here, the message that we are more than what society makes us.
