Widdershins - (The Newcastle Witch Trials Trilogy) 2nd Edition by Helen Steadman (Paperback)

About the Book

Inspired by real witch trials, Widdershins tells the story of the women who were persecuted and the men who condemned them. Based on the little-known Newcastle witch trials of 1650.

Book Synopsis

Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane will soon learn that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world.

From his father's beatings to his uncle's raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witchfinder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft.

Widdershins tells the story of the women who were persecuted and the men who condemned them. Based on the little-known Newcastle witch trials, where fifteen women and one man were hanged for witchcraft on a single day in August 1650.

Review Quotes

Impeccably written, full of herbal lore and the clash of ignorance and prejudice against common sense, as well as the abounding beauty of nature, it made for a great read. There are plenty of books, both fact and fiction, available about the witch-trial era, but not only did I not know about such trials in Newcastle, I have not read a novel that so painstakingly and vividly evokes both the fear and joy of living at that time.

- SALLY ZIGMOND, HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY

'A dark and wonderful novel, rich in historical details, herbal lore, traditions and superstitions. Steadman's clear-eyed storytelling and colourful period voice give life to a vibrant cast of characters drawn against the backdrop of tragic historical events. A compelling and memorable tale!'

- LOUISA MORGAN, A SECRET HISTORY OF WITCHES

'Infused as it is with aromas of rosemary, fennel and lavender, even the healers' herbs do not mask the reek of the injustice that sits at the heart of Widdershins. Powerful and shocking.'

- WYL MENMUIR, THE MANY

'A compelling tale of two young people whose destinies are intertwined, a witch hunter and a witch. But is she really a witch? This meticulously

researched account of a bigoted man's inhumanity to women in the seventeenth century will make the modern reader grateful to have been born in an enlightened age.'

- MARI GRIFFITH, THE WITCH OF EYE

'A compelling and nuanced account of the clash of cultures that claimed so many lives. Steadman's carefully interwoven narrative conjures a world of herbal lore, folk practice and belief and convincingly portrays the psychological and ideological forces that form a perpetrator, and the social structures that sustain him.'

- HELEN LYNCH, THE ELEPHANT AND THE POLISH QUESTION

This is an emotional and uncomfortable read, which frankly made my feminist blood boil. Inspired by the Newcastle witch trials of 1650, it powerfully challenges our lingering stereotypical views of witchcraft.

- LISA BOTWRIGHT, OPTIMA MAGAZINE