“This is a novel for our times. . . . The Witchfinder’s Sister [lays] bare the visceral horror of what a witch hunt truly is.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) “Vivid and terrifying.”—Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water“Connects nicely with such dystopian classics as 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale.”—Booklist Essex, England, 1645. With a heavy heart, … 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale.”—Booklist
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 years she has been gone, the boy she knew has become a man of influence and wealth—but more has changed than merely his fortunes. Alice fears that even as the cruel burns of a childhood accident still mark his face, something terrible has scarred Matthew’s soul.
There is a new darkness in the town, too—frightened whispers are stirring in the streets, and Alice’s blood runs cold with dread when she discovers that Matthew is a ruthless hunter of suspected witches. Torn between devotion to her brother and horror at what he’s become, Alice is desperate to intervene—and deathly afraid of the consequences. But as Matthew’s reign of terror spreads, Alice must choose between her safety and her soul.
Alone and surrounded by suspicious eyes, Alice seeks out the fuel firing her brother’s brutal mission—and is drawn into the Hopkins family’s past. There she finds secrets nested within secrets: and at their heart, the poisonous truth. Only by putting her own life and liberty in peril can she defeat this darkest of evils—before more innocent women are forced to the gallows.
Inspired by the real-life story of notorious “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins, Beth Underdown’s thrilling debut novel blends spellbinding history with echoes of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale for a truly haunting reading experience.
Praise for The Witchfinder’s Sister
“Entertaining and thought-provoking—with a valuable message for our own times.”—The Washington Post
“Highly recommended.”—Library Journal (starred review)
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4.5 rounding up to 5 stars. I very much liked this book—the writing is lovely and particular, feeling utterly appropriate to the time period and the experience of the narrator, Alice, while still being accessible to modern readers. The use of actual historical documents to start the chapters is a favorite technique of mine, ever since Margaret Atwood did it in Alias Grace. But what I liked best of all and what I think is most masterfully done is the way each relationship is portrayed with subtlety and nuance, the way the ease at which people can be manipulated into doing terrible things is explored, and the steady build of dread, as we wonder what, exactly, Matthew (the witch finder) has planned and how much manipulation he is capable of. This is a novel very much about the horror of how people with too much power and too great a belief in their own righteousness can be twisted into perpetrating evil acts. Chilling. A perfect October read.
I was drawn to this story while researching the persecution of witches in 17th century England. The story is written from the POV of a sister of Matthew Hopkins, the infamous self-appointed Witchfinder General, but while Alice is the author’s creation, the existence of a sister is perfectly feasible.
As to what role any real sister of Matthew Hopkins played in his “work”, history has no record but Beth Underdown has set up the perfect character in Alice to reveal how Hopkins might have operated, taking her information from what records do exist for the time when women were targetted by Hopkins for being witches, convicted and ultimately executed.
Alice is vulnerable in the society of 1645, when the book is set, being a widow and without funds. She finds herself with no option but to return to the village where she grew up and to her brother’s house, on whose charity she will now have to depend.
Alice’s horror of what she realises Matthew is up to is well portrayed, as is her fear of him and that for herself in a society cracking under the strain of the effects of civil war, never mind the pressure created by Hopkins’ activities.
As I reader, I felt the sense of terror that many must have felt at that time, with accusations of witchcraft being aimed at their neighbours, often fuelled by prejudice, personal dislike or self-preservation on behalf of the accuser. “Proof” was based on the flimsiest and bizarre of evidence, with little possibility of mounting a credible defence, and even though torture was officially unlawful, Hopkins had ways of eliciting a confession from his victims.
If you’re familiar with the history of Matthew Hopkins and the persecution of witches, as I am, you’ll recognise much of what takes place in the book (and if not, it’s an excellent way to glean the history of that period). But what you’ll get from this story is, through Alice, an emotional perspective, giving you a real sense of what living through such terrifying times might feel like.
A fascinating story, well told. Loved the little twist at the very end, too! 😉
4 stars for a realistic, if depressing, reconstruction of a time of hanging innocent women as witches.
This book is set from 1645 to 1648 in England, during the civil war. It is a time of fear and settling of old scores. Matthew Hopkins was a real person, and notorious for his activities as the “Witchfinder General.”
The narrator is his sister, Alice, invented by the author. At the end of the book his sister says that he killed 106 women. There are historical records of various witch trials, from which the author has based this book. The civil war is not a major part of the book, but it is always there in the background.
Some of the methods for determining if a woman is a witch are described:
Swimming– a woman is tied up and dragged into a pond. If she drowns, she was a witch. If she does not, she was innocent.
Interrogation– a woman is tied to a chair and and asked questions about how she practiced witchcraft to kill a person or animal. This can go on for days. In between there is “watching” where she is watched for “imps”, creatures of the devil which might come to her. She is kept awake during this time.
Alice is forced by Matthew to participate in “watching.”
Thank You Maggie Oberrender of Random House Marketing for sending this book through the Goodreads giveaway program, 3 years ago.. I actually won Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen This book was sent to me in error. The publisher did correct its mistake and send me the right book. I was advised that I was under no obligation to read or review this book. So I put off reading it until now.
Really disappointed by this. A struggle to finish. I am interested in the era and the character of Mathew Hopkins. I couldn’t sympathise with any of the characters, and it was so slow. Not sure if we were meant to wonder if witchcraft was real or not, there were a few hints at this but they didn’t pay off.
You know it’s coming …. but it still haunts you…
This was a great read…a little scary 2 think of the things woman went through being accused of being witches in Salem …great book yaaaaa
Readers who love the Brontë sisters will adore The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown.
This unique novel is set in England in 1645. A civil war rages, destabilizing the country. Throughout history, evil men have manipulated the chaos of such eras in order to project their sadistic, psychotic delusions with impunity. These cowards often go unpunished because they choose to victimize marginalized individuals who are among the poor, physically different, mentally deficient–and of course, women. Some things never change.
The antagonist in this tale is a fictionalized version of the legendary Matthew Hopkins, Witch-finder General who hunted down and executed over two hundred witches. The protagonist is his fictional sister Alice who has recently been widowed and is penniless. She is forced to go to her loving brother for support. It is her only option.
The dark and brooding plot is extremely complex and convoluted. There are numerous surprises. It could be said the most important unraveling concerns Matthew’s past–a magical past that augurs his twisted behavior. And of course, there must be a mad woman locked away from the world.
This is not a tale of the supernatural, but a hint of it does creep in on a couple occasions. When Alice first spends the night at her brother’s inn, she cleans her comb and carefully places the hair into a fire, to be sure it cannot be used against her, magically. Is there a hint of witchfinder hibernating within her? At another time, a dark presence rubs against her as her brother enters their mother’s house. It is evident that both Alice and Matthew believe in the supernatural. Some readers might wish for more of this. However, such a turn might subvert the message that lurks in the subtext.
Underdown does a masterful job of creating a sense of place. Readers are gifted with a virtual tour of England in 1645, right down to the chamber pots. Every scene rings with authenticity. It is obvious that she is an expert on the era. Readers interested in period novels will not be disappointed.
Alice Hopkins might remind readers of Jane Eyre since she comes off as rather contained and a bit too calm in the face of danger. Like Jane Eyre, she knows her place, so this is to be expected. In addition, readers do not view her directly; instead, they read her journal which at times seems disjointed. Not to worry–at the end it all comes together and makes perfect literary perfect sense.
The Witchfinder’s Sister is more than a surprising, satisfying novel. It is a commentary on evil and how it can be institutionalized and made acceptable. Perhaps there is a tiny bit of the witchfinder in each of us, and we need to be reminded of the evil that lurks within, waiting for the right circumstances to render it acceptable.
Rougeski
Interesting narrative of the far reaching extent to which one person’s emotional deformatives drove and manipulated the witch hunts and trials in England.
Just ok
I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did.
I enjoyed this book . Had a surprise at the end
This book was well written. I couldn’t put it down.
Although the ‘witch hunting’ period of American history wasn’t very long it sure was tragic and hard to believe people could get whipped into a frenzy like that. Definitely a group hysteria example. The book moves quickly, you can sympathize with the sister (and the poor women who were targeted as witches. If you like books about this era, I’d recommend you give this book a try!
Wow, this was a horrendous story powerfully told. It is so well written that it had the feel of the Bronte sisters.
Got a sample of this book on my kindle, but didn’t have any of the author’s writing on it to see if I liked the writing. Wish they’d change the “sample” that is given out. I really enjoyed this book — this is witch hunting prior to Salem, MA that occurred in England. I think the setting was good, the characters were realistic. Really enjoyed the book
Too much was left out: why was he suddenly unable to pay Mary?
A well written account of one of the dark times in our history. I appreciated the inclusion of characters that were not supportive of the madness that gripped one individual to obsession with weeding out witches. Scary, sad, and supportive of the idea that anyone will very likely do anything given a particular set of circumstances.
It was beautifully written but the theme was grueling and tragic. I feel like I had a front tow seat to the atrocities done to women during the time of these cruel witch hunts.
Did not care for it! Did not like the characters.
I am soooo glad that I didn’t live in the 17th century…