Description

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‘Historical fiction at its very best’ – Waterstones’ Guide to Kids’ Books
‘Prolific, erudite and consistently brilliant … breathtaking’ – Guardian
‘Powerful, absorbing and unusual’ – The Bookseller
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An updated edition of this outstanding historical novel, in a stunning new package to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its publication.

When Mary sees her grandmother accused of witchcraft and hanged for the crime, she is silently hurried to safety by an unknown woman. The woman gives her tools to keep the record of her days – paper and ink. Mary is taken to a boat in Plymouth and from there sails to the New World where she hopes to make a new life among the pilgrims. But old superstitions die hard and soon Mary finds that she, like her grandmother, is the victim of ignorance and stupidity, and once more she faces important choices to ensure her survival.

With a vividly evoked environment and characters skilfully and patiently drawn, this is a powerful literary achievement by Celia Rees that is utterly engrossing from start to finish.

Publisher Review

I've saved the best for last. The prolific, erudite and consistently brilliant Celia Rees is justly renowned for her dizzyingly inventive plots, redolent of everyone from Angela Carter to Shakespeare. Sovay and Witch Child are two of her best-known books in the younger market, but she has written countless more, all equally breathtaking * Guardian * This is a powerful, absorbing and unusual novel * The Bookseller * The sort of historial novel eleven and twelve year olds will gobble up at a sitting * Nina Bawden * A gripping, thrilling novel that transports you to a time of paranoia and witch hunts. Witch Child and the sequel Sorceress are historical fiction at its very best * Waterstones' Guide to Kids' Books * Celia Rees herself, has always been a formidable force in the world of YA [...] It's important, as well as tremendously good entertainment. [...] I will always put Celia and her books on the top rung of YA. The best books are not always those published in the last few months * BookWitch * Celia Rees is one of Britain's foremost writers for teenagers * Playdays and Runaways *