#beth underdown

(Artwork is “Coven” by  Sadist-Ka.)

“Why do people go to these places, these places that are not for them?

“It must be that they believe in their night vision. They believe themselves able to draw images up out of the dark.

“But black wells only yield black water.” 

― Helen Oyeyemi, White is for Witching (2009)

“These last months, I have learned that the acknowledged history that belongs to the daylight, that is not the only history. Turn over the stone and you will find another history, wriggling to escape.”

 ― Beth Underdown, The Witchfinder's Sister (2017)

Relevant to both titles above, here is a reading recommendation list from Sublime Horror that’s perfect for the season: “Witches in fiction, a reading list chosen by Professor Marion Gibson.”

This is another seasonal reading list from Margaret Kingsbury at BuzzFeed News: “13 Witchy Books That Will Keep You Spellbound.”

Last, Erika W. Smith offers these suggestions for Cosmopolitan: “24 Witch Books That Belong on Your Bookshelf.”

And here’s one more quote for your day:

“And therein lies the most alarming aspect of the Salem witch crisis—if Salem is not aberrant then it cannot be comfortably consigned to the past. Within this slippery historical continuum of behavior, precedent, practice, and response, witchcraft in North American religious and intellectual life becomes less safe to think about. This lack of safety, this persistent reminder of the inhumanity that a small community and its learned and trusted government can show its own members, lingers among us, a threat of what wen could at any time still become.” 

I have a soft spot for Gothic novels and I was clearly intrigued by the beautiful cover of this new release. It has been a while since I read a good, chilly dark read, so I was looking forward to seeing what this one had in store.

Ivy Boscawen has lost her son Tim in the war and her grief is bringing back memories of another dead boy from years before. She has always suspected that the fire at Polneath was no accident and that someone is keeping a dark secret about what actually happened that night. Ivy is determined to delve into the past and uncover the truth, once and for all.

The descriptions of deep grief and the haunted nature of carrying it around constantly is depicted perfectly and I was taken aback at how well it was handled. Ivy thinks about Polneath a lot but just like her walks around it, she has never really returned to it. She has never really explored the clues as to what was going on or getting justice for William, who lost his life. It’s only the extreme pain of her son’s death that forces her to finally step over the threshold.

I enjoyed trying to figure out who was really responsible for the fire and I was still being surprised by revelations that came out towards the end. Agnes was a maid at Polneath, who appeared to be planning on fleeing from the house, on the night of the fire. While I was sure that she had something to do with it, I didn’t grasp the full details of what was going on there and I loved that it wasn’t obvious.

Underdown does an amazing job of conjuring typical Gothic images such as the suffocating, cloying terror of a fire and an empty shell of a house that has been emptied by flames and despair. It’s almost as if the horrors of what has happened will never truly leave it and I knew that Polneath is forever scarred. 

The Witchfinder’s Sister – Beth Underdown

What’s it all about?:

THE MOST THRILLING HISTORICAL DEBUT OF 2017

Based on the shocking true story of the infamous witchfinder Matthew Hopkins, this haunting and gripping novel is perfect for fans of The Miniaturist, Sarah Waters and The Essex Serpent.

‘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…

3 ½ Stars Rounded Down

Having had an interest in witch trials for as long as I can remember, I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of “The Witchfinder’s Sister.”  Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.

Parts of the book were interesting, as well as horrifying, and the characters were intriguing.  The problem is the other parts were just so slow and dull that it cancelled out the good parts in my mind.

If “The Witchfinder’s Sister” sounds like something you may like, then by all means give it a try.  It may be that the problem with the story was me.

The Witchfinder’s Sister proves some things never change

BOTTOM LINE: An interesting glimpse into history   Genre: Historical Fiction Publication Date: 25 April 2017 Source: Publisher via NetGalley Synopsis from the Publisher: “Essex, England, 1645. With a heavy heart, Alice Hopkins returns to the small town she grew up in. Widowed, with child, and without prospects, she is forced to find refuge at the house of her younger brother, Matthew. In the five…