Fear and superstition have never made great companions but this has gripped the small town of Cleftwater East Anglia in1647. Master Makepeace and the ‘judiciary’ have been given the task of rounding up the women, young or old to purge the village on the orders of the Puritans of the age.
Whilst this book is disturbing for the dangerous mix of cruelty and false accusations against village women, it more confronting when you are aware it is based on the true historical accounts from 1645-1647 as terror gripped the English counties.
Martha Hallybread bears witness to cruelty and degradation when she’s called to search the women and keep watch in amongst inhumane circumstances.
Martha has her own cruel experiences of life but has come to know a life of dedicated servitude to one family for forty years. Living with a muteness, she is loved and respected within her village and uses her finely honed skills to carry out midwifery care of the local women. But is a fine line between dim thinking and the superstitions of the day that seem to be void of any rational thought. Martha must be careful with her herbs, physick garden and understanding of medicinal care. Eyes are watching…
Every little oddity, maiming or death is an opportunity for the finger to be pointed.
Martha must rely on her own wit and loyalties are tested as the village endures the barbaric purging – but what secrets of her own is she hiding and at what cost?
Witching Tide is well suited for fans of historical fiction, patriarchal society and Medieval totalitarian regimes. Martha’s character is a constant, stable steadying hand in amongst cruelty.
Those that read Phillipa Gregory’s Fairmile series will appreciate this debut novel too.
Moa Publishing – Hachette NZ
ISBN 9781869715250