Description

ONE OF GRAZIA’S BEST BOOKS OF 2021

‘I loved it. Atmospheric and so good’ MARIAN KEYES
‘A dark, bewitching and captivating read that had my heart in my mouth by the ending’ JENNIFER SAINT, author of ARIADNE

Lancashire, 1620. Young Sarah Haworth and her family live as outcasts. They are ‘cunning folk’, feared by the local villagers by day, but called upon under cover of darkness for healing balms and spells.

Against the odds, love blossoms when Sarah meets Daniel, the local farmer’s son.

But when a new magistrate arrives to investigate a spate of strange deaths, his gaze inevitably turns to Sarah and her family. In a world where cunning women are forced into darkness by powerful men, can Sarah reckon with her fate to protect all she holds dear?

‘Fans of intensely atmospheric historical fiction will love this’ STYLIST
‘Elizabeth Lee’s debut novel is timely in its depiction of hysteria and persecution, and beautifully evokes a historical period poised between dark ignorance and long-overdue enlightenment’ OBSERVER
‘Wonderfully original . . . devastating . . . and fabulously atmospheric’ ELODIE HARPER, author of THE WOLF DEN

Publisher Review

I loved it. Atmospheric and so good. Elizabeth Lee's debut novel is timely in its depiction of hysteria and persecution, and beautifully evokes a historical period poised between dark ignorance and long-overdue enlightenment. * Observer * A dark, bewitching and captivating read that had my heart in my mouth by the ending. A Romeo & Juliet love story framed by witchcraft, magic, fear and intolerance. I loved it * Jennifer Saint * With a painfully unexpected ending, this is a story about loneliness, connection and female rage that fans of intensely atmospheric historical fiction will love. * Stylist * A haunting tale with a brutal twist. -- Emily Brand, author of THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF BYRON Witches and the dread they inspired are captured here with chilling deftness * Woman and Home * An impressive debut . . . anyone who roots for the underdog will fall for Sarah . . . beautifully relevant. -- Kate Mascarenhas Elizabeth Lee builds up a powerful atmosphere of menace, with danger lurking around every corner, until the mounting tension builds to boiling point. -- Charlotte Heathcote * Daily Express * This powerful story of forbidden love takes place during a time of persecution after the Pendle witch trials of 1612. At its heart is a wild young woman searching for what life can offer ... A tense and atmospheric ride. * Daily Mail * Beautiful, tense (at points breathless!) historical fiction with meticulously researched description. I loved it. -- Kate Sawyer, author of THE STRANDING Wonderfully original . . . devastating . . . and fabulously atmospheric too. -- Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN The pleasure of the novel lies in the tension between the familiar story of patriarchal injustice and a more complex investigation of supernatural belief and disbelief. It's a thrilling read. But, beyond the thrill, is the beauty of the language. Lancashire dialect and vocabulary are used to immense poetic affect, disarmingly evocative of time and place. The characters too, are well drawn and multi-faceted and its closure is both deeply satisfying and truly sad. A pleasure to read - with an undercurrent of genuine fear. -- Annie Garthwaite, author of CECILY A gorgeous gothic novel ... sure to be loved by fans of The Essex Serpent and The Mercies ... Elizabeth Lee has conjured an engrossing tale of young love and a shattering story of the intolerance that reigned during the long shadow of the Witch Trials. * Northern Life Magazine * Elizabeth Lee's historical debut is a powerful tale of love, loyalty and prejudice. * CultureFly * Rich and lyrical * Heat * Inventive. * Bookmunch *