Witch: (noun.) a person, especially used for a woman, who professes or is supposed to practice magic or sorcery. A woman who is supposed to have evil or wicked magical powers. Witches wear black robes, dark makeup and pointed hats. Which, if you ask me, might be the perfect outfit to read these amazing, well written, interesting historical fiction books about, you guessed it, WITCHES!
Let’s get wicked!
- Witch Child by Celia Rees
After seeing her grandmother accused and hanged for witchcraft, Mary hurries into safety with an unknown woman. Mary sails to the New World where she hopes to make a new life among the pilgrims. With the vivid environments and characters skillfully written, Celia Rees captivates you from start to finish.
- The Witches of New York by Ami McKay
Beatrice leaves her village to answer a job ad that reads “Respectable Lady Seeks Dependable Shop Girl. Those averse to magic need not apply.” Although she doesn’t know it yet, Beatrice has a great spiritual gift that would place her in grave danger. Nothing can prepare her for the evils lurking in the darkest corners of the city.
- The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
A chilling, detailed, fast-paced historical thriller that follows the story of a boy that nearly drowned in the river and has a crude tattoo on his shoulder. Hangman Jacob Kuisl investigates if witchcraft is at play.
- The Witch’s Trinity by Erika Mailman
Famine strikes a small town in Germany, soon after a religious order of men claims the town is under the spell of witches. Güde suffers from visions that defy explanation and worries about her mind—certainly she has outlived all her peers but one, Tierkinddorf. After Güde witnesses something in the woods she doesn’t know if it was real or imagined, she only knows that if the friar hears of it, she may be damned.
- Deliverance From Evil by Frances Hill
This book brings to life the Salem witch trials during which over 150 people were arrested and many hanged. Frances Hill has a deep historical understanding of the event and, complemented by her brilliant writing, this becomes an extraordinary novel of hysteria.
- Corrag by Susan Fletcher
The massacre of Glencoe happened in February 1692 when 38 members of the Macdonald clan were killed by soldiers they had been hospitable to. Corrag is condemned for her involvement in the massacre. She is accused of witchcraft and murder, and now awaits her death. Although the era of witch hunting is coming to an end, Charles, an Irish propagandist, hears about the crime and questions her on the events of that night. He seeks information that will condemn the Protestant King William, rumored to be involved, and hopefully reinstate the Catholic James.
Honorable mentions: A Break With Charity by Ann Rinaldi, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé, Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, and The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown.
If historical fiction is not your genre… These books will change your mind. On top of that, you are totally on theme with the fall season. Plus, who doesn’t like a good witch moment?
So, get yourself excited to make the perfect poisons to drink and read the day away. Cheers!