Vroege Recensenten

Beautifully narrated by Christine Mackie from British TV series, Downton Abbey.

The Widdershins Series is a two-book series inspired by the 1650 Newcastle witch trials, where sixteen people were executed on a single day in England. The series includes Widdershins (book 1) and Sunwise (book 2). Together, they tell the story of Jane Chandler, an English midwife who uses plants to heal people, and John Sharpe, a Scottish witchfinder who wants to rid the world of witchcraft. In a small English village gripped by superstition and fear, two destinies collide in these absorbing historical novels based on true events. 

Recommended for anyone who has enjoyed Stacey Halls' The Familiars, Beth Underdown's The Witchfinder's Sister, AK Blakemore's The Manningtree Witches, Elizabeth Lee's Cunning Women, Louisa Morgan's A Secret History of Witches, Jeanette Winterson's The Daylight Gate, Madeline Miller's Circe, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, or Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches.

The Historical Novel Society said of Widdershins: “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.”

The Historical Novel Society said of Sunwise: “The novel is rich in fascinating details: Jane’s remedies and the village customs, partly Christian, partly pagan. Ancient names for plants and festivities, both seasonal and Christian, add colour to the narrative. Jane’s story is based on true events, and Jane represents the many women whose healing gifts made them victims of superstition and violence.