Fictional book review: The Manningtree Witches (2021) by A.K. Blakemore.

Hello blog readers, I hope everyone is having a good March. If I am honest, I am finding things a bit testing at the moment but I keep on going, hoping some goodness is coming. Today I am treating you to a review of The Manning Tree Witches (2021) by A. K. Blakemore.

Set in 1643 England, this dark tale is filled with fear and suspicion when the witchfinder general arrives in Manningtree. With strong convictions from the Puritans swarming around, the women of Manningtree do not know who to trust. Questions are being asked and those being asked do not know what to say. The main question on everyone's lips - is she a witch? But this sinister novel forges a villain, not in the "witches" but rather in that of patriarchy. Here this novel challenges whether it is good women vs so called "witches" or rather "women" vs "men". Can one man truly be trusted? This novel demonstrates the puritanical patriarchy present in the 17th century, amongst the worries of witches while injecting it with a contemporary feminist view. This is why I like the novel. I often read something and ask myself who is good and who is bad. I considered this strongly in Blakemore's The Manningtree Witches.

Another reason I liked this novel is because of how she highlights the women of Manningtree of whom over 300 women were tried of being a witch. What Blakemore, has done is she has shone a light, on these forgotten women to tell the story that they could not.

Now I must confess that when it comes to reading, I am not normally a fan of historical novels. But I am interested in witches and I chose to read this novel with an open mind. While it was not my favourite I have read, it certainly was a very good novel that gave an honest and refreshing look into the past. For me, it deserves a 7/10.




Until next time,


Thomas.

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