Cunning Women: A feminist tale of forbidden love after the witch trials
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- Create Date：2021-07-14 08:51:17
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Elizabeth Lee
- ISBN：1786091178
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Summary
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ONE OF GRAZIA'S BEST BOOKS OF 2021
'[A] powerful story of forbidden love 。。。 a tense and atmospheric ride' Daily Mail
'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
'Witches and the dread they inspired are captured here with chilling deftness。' Woman and Home
'Timely in its depiction of hysteria and persecution， and beautifully evokes a historical period poised between dark ignorance and long-overdue enlightenment。' Observer
'A thrilling read。 But， beyond the thrill， is the beauty of the language 。 。 。 A pleasure to read - with an undercurrent of genuine fear' Annie Garthwaite， author of Cecily
__________________
When it is no longer safe to be a witch， they call themselves cunning。
Seventeenth-century Lancashire is a dark and mistrustful place。 Ten years after the notorious Pendle witch trials saw ten accused witches hanged， young Sarah Haworth and her family live as outcasts in a ruined hamlet。 The inhabitants of the nearby village despise 'cunning folk' like them， but their services - healing balms， herbal remedies - will always be in demand， and they have a way of coming to know all the village's secrets。
A chance meeting sees Sarah become acquainted with Daniel， a young man from the village。 In him， she sees a clever， caring man; in her， he sees not the strange， dirty outcast he knows he should， but rather the strong young woman coming into her own。
As they are drawn closer together， a new magistrate arrives in the area to investigate a spate of strange deaths befalling the villagers。 Inevitably， his eye falls on Sarah's family， and his hand carries a burning torch。 In the face of persecution， something as fragile as love seems impossible。。。
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'Wonderfully original 。 。 。 devastating 。 。 。 and fabulously atmospheric' Elodie Harper， author of The Wolf Den
'A haunting tale with a brutal twist' Emily Brand， author of The Fall of the House of Byron
'An impressive debut 。 。 。 beautifully relevant' Kate Mascarenhas
'Beautiful， tense （at points breathless！）' Kate Sawyer， author of The Stranding
'I'm delighted that there's already been a lot of buzz about this debut' Marian Keyes
ONE OF GRAZIA'S BEST BOOKS OF 2021
'[A] powerful story of forbidden love 。。。 a tense and atmospheric ride' Daily Mail
'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
'Witches and the dread they inspired are captured here with chilling deftness。' Woman and Home
'Timely in its depiction of hysteria and persecution， and beautifully evokes a historical period poised between dark ignorance and long-overdue enlightenment。' Observer
'A thrilling read。 But， beyond the thrill， is the beauty of the language 。 。 。 A pleasure to read - with an undercurrent of genuine fear' Annie Garthwaite， author of Cecily
__________________
When it is no longer safe to be a witch， they call themselves cunning。
Seventeenth-century Lancashire is a dark and mistrustful place。 Ten years after the notorious Pendle witch trials saw ten accused witches hanged， young Sarah Haworth and her family live as outcasts in a ruined hamlet。 The inhabitants of the nearby village despise 'cunning folk' like them， but their services - healing balms， herbal remedies - will always be in demand， and they have a way of coming to know all the village's secrets。
A chance meeting sees Sarah become acquainted with Daniel， a young man from the village。 In him， she sees a clever， caring man; in her， he sees not the strange， dirty outcast he knows he should， but rather the strong young woman coming into her own。
As they are drawn closer together， a new magistrate arrives in the area to investigate a spate of strange deaths befalling the villagers。 Inevitably， his eye falls on Sarah's family， and his hand carries a burning torch。 In the face of persecution， something as fragile as love seems impossible。。。
__________________
'Wonderfully original 。 。 。 devastating 。 。 。 and fabulously atmospheric' Elodie Harper， author of The Wolf Den
'A haunting tale with a brutal twist' Emily Brand， author of The Fall of the House of Byron
'An impressive debut 。 。 。 beautifully relevant' Kate Mascarenhas
'Beautiful， tense （at points breathless！）' Kate Sawyer， author of The Stranding
'I'm delighted that there's already been a lot of buzz about this debut' Marian Keyes
Reviews
Carolyn
，
Bleak but beautifully written。 A good addition to the feminist literature about the witch trials。Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review。
Siân PJ
，
This book gives me conflicted thoughts。 I really did not like the first chapter and even considered not bothering reading the Cunning Women。 The character of Daniel and Sarah and my happily ever after desire kept me reading and turning the pages。 Annie was also a compelling character with much more of a story than the other characters。 Full review at https://pjsandbooks。wordpress。com/ This book gives me conflicted thoughts。 I really did not like the first chapter and even considered not bothering reading the Cunning Women。 The character of Daniel and Sarah and my happily ever after desire kept me reading and turning the pages。 Annie was also a compelling character with much more of a story than the other characters。 Full review at https://pjsandbooks。wordpress。com/ 。。。more
Fox
，
Review forthcoming on The Folklore Podcast website。
Parastou
，
I miss a good witchy book， the likes of 'Witch Child' and 'Discovery of Witches'。 And， when I saw this， I couldn't help but be enticed。 Though Cunning Women was entertaining and fast-paced， It didn't quite satisfy the itch！ And I can't tell why， it had everything you need from a witchy book:: coming into your power， a big romance， drama， danger from witch hunters。 It's all there， and yet。。。Maybe the characters fell a little flat， maybe I was frustrated by Daniel's raging emotions， and Sarah's ma I miss a good witchy book， the likes of 'Witch Child' and 'Discovery of Witches'。 And， when I saw this， I couldn't help but be enticed。 Though Cunning Women was entertaining and fast-paced， It didn't quite satisfy the itch！ And I can't tell why， it had everything you need from a witchy book:: coming into your power， a big romance， drama， danger from witch hunters。 It's all there， and yet。。。Maybe the characters fell a little flat， maybe I was frustrated by Daniel's raging emotions， and Sarah's matyr-like anger。 Maybe I just need to read Discovery again。 。。。more
Louise Cook
，
I adored this beautifully written and immersive book。 Full review to follow。
Emily Pallett
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I’ve finally got round to finishing this book and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again。 My heart is broken。This book is so full of passion， happiness， despair and terrible cruelty。I feel such admiration for the women in this book who were strong and powerful， and hatred towards those who judged what the did not understand， and lied to save their own skin。 It is sad that this likely did happen many years ago， that women were made to suffer for merely trying to survive。 I ended this book sobb I’ve finally got round to finishing this book and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again。 My heart is broken。This book is so full of passion， happiness， despair and terrible cruelty。I feel such admiration for the women in this book who were strong and powerful， and hatred towards those who judged what the did not understand， and lied to save their own skin。 It is sad that this likely did happen many years ago， that women were made to suffer for merely trying to survive。 I ended this book sobbing， but with hope that Sarah， Annie and their mam find a kinder life。 。。。more
Caroline Barrett
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I keep trying to read this but just can't muster the will to carry on。 It's probably a case of， "it's not you， it's me" - I've been in a massive reading slump where nothing is quite ticking the boxes for me atm。 Attempted 3 times， but failed to finish。 I keep trying to read this but just can't muster the will to carry on。 It's probably a case of， "it's not you， it's me" - I've been in a massive reading slump where nothing is quite ticking the boxes for me atm。 Attempted 3 times， but failed to finish。 。。。more
Laura
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I enjoy historical fiction and was looking forward to this tale of cunning folk， aka witches， in the 1600's。 Sadly I found the book very slow going until it suddenly sped up to a very rushed ending and I struggled to finish it， I don't like leaving a negative review but it wasn't for me。 Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review。 I enjoy historical fiction and was looking forward to this tale of cunning folk， aka witches， in the 1600's。 Sadly I found the book very slow going until it suddenly sped up to a very rushed ending and I struggled to finish it， I don't like leaving a negative review but it wasn't for me。 Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Rachel Hall
，
Elizabeth Lee’s debut novel is a stunningly atmospheric exploration of the lives of the Haworth family in 1620s Lancashire， where the events of the Pendle Witch Trials are still fresh in the memory of the local community。 Sarah Haworth， her widowed mother， brother and younger sister， Annie， live just outside of the fishing village they were once part of， in a hamlet left abandoned since the plague。 The death of Sarah’s fisherman father left them destitute and with mother， Ruth， considered to be Elizabeth Lee’s debut novel is a stunningly atmospheric exploration of the lives of the Haworth family in 1620s Lancashire， where the events of the Pendle Witch Trials are still fresh in the memory of the local community。 Sarah Haworth， her widowed mother， brother and younger sister， Annie， live just outside of the fishing village they were once part of， in a hamlet left abandoned since the plague。 The death of Sarah’s fisherman father left them destitute and with mother， Ruth， considered to be “cunning” （a euphemism for witches） they eke out a meagre existence alongside a community that by turns shuns them for their wickedness and then seeks them out under cover of darkness for healing remedies and potions。 A red mark reveals that Sarah， like her mother， is a witch and her only hope lies in younger sister， Annie， being spared and maintaining a peaceful existence alongside a community that barely tolerates them。When Sarah is witness to an unassuming young man who later reveals himself to be farmer’s son， Daniel Taylor， soothing a horse， it is the beginning of a tentative friendship that slowly blossoms into romance。 Daniel sees past Sarah’s dirty and unkempt appearance and the malicious talk of the villagers， and Sarah sees in him his true potential and the strength to stand up and be counted。 Both know that as things stand marriage is out of the question， with Daniel’s father resentful of Ruth， and Sarah’s brother， ‘Devil-boy’ John， thieving and further raising suspicions when his angry victims fall prey to misfortunes and maladies。 Whilst Daniel has integrity and compassion many of the villagers do not， most notably aggressive farmhand and bully， Gabriel， who holds a fierce grudge against Sarah and is determined to exact revenge。 When a change of magistrate brings a rigorous zealot determined to root out evil to the village， his actions inflame the community and threaten to reveal the superficiality of their godly veneer， causing them to turn on the obvious common enemy。Vividly drawn with rich， descriptive prose and narrated partly by Sarah in the first-person and from Daniel’s third-person perspective， the characterisation is extraordinarily good and I was invested in not only the romance， but the fate of the entire Haworth clan from the off。 Essentially a tale of persecution with a potent message about societies intolerance to difference， it is an emotive story with an ending， unexpected and unpredictable as it was， that proved impeccable。 Cunning Women is a haunting novel full of characters who will live long in my memory and a story of a precarious love affair threatened by outside forces that bristles with tension。 A fantastic debut。 。。。more
Paola
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I'm always here for a tale of star-crossed lovers but set it in the 1620s during the witch trials and I will 100% inhale your book。 This had everything I enjoy about historical fiction， including the beautifully atmospheric prose。 Truly a stunning debut novel。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I'm always here for a tale of star-crossed lovers but set it in the 1620s during the witch trials and I will 100% inhale your book。 This had everything I enjoy about historical fiction， including the beautifully atmospheric prose。 Truly a stunning debut novel。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
John
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I enjoyed this well enough， unlikely plot， felt a bit like a young adult book。
Catherine
，
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review。I was very excited about Cunning Women and loved the premise。 It's set in 1620s Lancashire， after James I had published Demonology and when God-fearing communities suspected anyone different of being witches。 Sarah and her family are healers， who live away from the village and suffer their judgement while selling them healing salves and poultices on the side。 When Sarah meets Daniel， son of the wealthie Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review。I was very excited about Cunning Women and loved the premise。 It's set in 1620s Lancashire， after James I had published Demonology and when God-fearing communities suspected anyone different of being witches。 Sarah and her family are healers， who live away from the village and suffer their judgement while selling them healing salves and poultices on the side。 When Sarah meets Daniel， son of the wealthiest man in the village， she starts to imagine another life for her and her family。 I love stories about witches - I recently read AK Blakemore's The Manningtree Witches， set in a similar time， and adored it - but for me， this book really fell flat。 It was essentially just a love story that happened to be set in 1620s Lancashire。 And though that's not really what it sells it as， I would've been able to get on board because I do love romance novels。 But the romance in this book is instantaneous and inexplicable - Sarah and Daniel see each other for a moment and then are obsessed with each other for the rest of the novel， for no apparent reason。 It felt unrealistic and therefore I couldn't get on board with it and so didn't care about it - and as that was the driving force of the novel， I really started to struggle。I also found the plot weak - there's a ridiculous part where the main character puts on the outfit of a milkmaid （so a clean dress and a bonnet） and no one recognises that it's her！ Even people who have seen her up close。 Other than this， there isn't too much plot to speak of， and I found picking the book up quite a struggle。 Reading it definitely began to feel like a chore。This book certainly wasn't for me， and I wouldn't recommend it to others either。 If you're looking for something witchy， I definitely recommend The Manningtree Witches。 This novel is compared to The Essex Serpent on the blurb， which isn't a fair comparison （they aren't alike at all）， but The Essex Serpent is also another book you should read instead of this one！ 。。。more
Charlotte Moyle
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I can't say I wasn't hoping for a happy ending！ It took me a while to get into， I suppose a good slow representation of life in rural England in 1620s Lancashire。 However as the story progresses， you feel for the characters and the troubles they have。 That ending was so sad to read， but beautifully written。 A lovely， albeit sad read， about cunning folk and witchcraft during the English witch trials。 I can't say I wasn't hoping for a happy ending！ It took me a while to get into， I suppose a good slow representation of life in rural England in 1620s Lancashire。 However as the story progresses， you feel for the characters and the troubles they have。 That ending was so sad to read， but beautifully written。 A lovely， albeit sad read， about cunning folk and witchcraft during the English witch trials。 。。。more
Kat
，
What is the difference between a Cunning Woman and a Witch？ How can you make a honest life for yourself when everyone condemns you for your family name？ How can you trust when those who seek you out for aid won't acknowledge you in the light of day？This is a book about love， acceptance， intolerance and power set in one small village and told from the perspectives of two very different characters。 Sarah is the eldest daughter of the village cunning woman， shunned and poverty stricken。 Daniel is t What is the difference between a Cunning Woman and a Witch？ How can you make a honest life for yourself when everyone condemns you for your family name？ How can you trust when those who seek you out for aid won't acknowledge you in the light of day？This is a book about love， acceptance， intolerance and power set in one small village and told from the perspectives of two very different characters。 Sarah is the eldest daughter of the village cunning woman， shunned and poverty stricken。 Daniel is the only son of the local farm owner the richest man in the village。 Following them as they go about their lives one summer we get a snapshot of life in an English village in the 1600s。 What happens to a village when a stranger comes and starts asking questions？ Who will turn on who when sin and witchcraft are mentioned？I've loved books about witches and witchcraft since I was in my teens， reading those which are firmly in the fantasy category as well as those that would be considered historical fiction。 This book seems to me a romance set to the backdrop of witchcraft accusation as well as a comentry on the imbalance of power between men and women， rich and poor。 Witchraft seemed to me to take a backseat to these issues。 Lee highlights the dangers that women of the time faced， how they were vulnerable to the accusation of men， particularly those without a husband to protect them。 Through the minor character of Phyllis we see how society and the law blame and ostracise women for the actions of others beyond their control。 [TW rape， suicide and death] 。。。more
Demelda Penkitty
，
Seventeenth-century Lancashire is a dark and mistrustful place。 Ten years after the notorious Pendle witch trials saw ten accused witches hanged， young Sarah Haworth and her family live as outcasts in a ruined hamlet。 The inhabitants of the nearby village despise 'cunning folk' like them， but their services - healing balms， herbal remedies - will always be in demand， and they have a way of coming to know all the village's secrets。Cunning Women is beautiful to read and the cover stunning to look Seventeenth-century Lancashire is a dark and mistrustful place。 Ten years after the notorious Pendle witch trials saw ten accused witches hanged， young Sarah Haworth and her family live as outcasts in a ruined hamlet。 The inhabitants of the nearby village despise 'cunning folk' like them， but their services - healing balms， herbal remedies - will always be in demand， and they have a way of coming to know all the village's secrets。Cunning Women is beautiful to read and the cover stunning to look at。 What I liked most about this book was the origional and fresh voice of Sarah， who narrates her chapters in the first person narrative。 In her mid teens， Sarah has experienced so much of the harshness of life already。 Hunger and fear are everyday visitors to her and her family， with her mother relying on her healing powers and charms， her younger sister who she adores and brother Jack， who can’t get work because of who he is。 This is a slow-burning but thoroughly mesmerising read and the story brims with menace and chill as we expect the worst for the Haworth family。 Cunning Women is a book that will stay with me for some time。 Elizabeth Lee captures the essence of this period so very well， where there is still a fear of the unknown and misunderstood， and where communities close ranks on those they see as outsiders。 With dark yet beautiful prose， underpinned with tension， this really is a bewitching debut read。 。。。more
Helen
，
Set in 1620s rural Lancashire， not long after the Pendle witch trials， Cunning Women tells the story of 17 year old Sarah Haworth who lives with her widowed mother， brother， and younger sister in a ruined cottage in an abandoned plague-hamlet。 Made destitute by the death of the father， the family were forced to move here， living in isolation and abject poverty。 They are despised by the nearby villagers who roundly abuse them by day， but then secretly seek out Sarah’s mother’s healing balms， herb Set in 1620s rural Lancashire， not long after the Pendle witch trials， Cunning Women tells the story of 17 year old Sarah Haworth who lives with her widowed mother， brother， and younger sister in a ruined cottage in an abandoned plague-hamlet。 Made destitute by the death of the father， the family were forced to move here， living in isolation and abject poverty。 They are despised by the nearby villagers who roundly abuse them by day， but then secretly seek out Sarah’s mother’s healing balms， herbal remedies， and charms under cover of darkness。For Sarah’s mother is a “wise” or “cunning” woman。 As well as the power to heal， she also has the power to curse， and Sarah fears that it is her destiny to follow this same path， because of a birthmark on her side which she thinks is the Devil’s mark of ownership。 One day， Sarah crosses paths with Daniel， a shy and unassuming farmer’s son， and despite their many differences their friendship turns to love， but then a new magistrate arrives in the area。 He sets about ruling with a rod of iron， and a community already riddled with ignorance， superstition and intolerance， changes to become a much more dark and dangerous place。 Can their love survive society’s expectations and the pull of their apparent destinies， amidst the growing climate of persecution and intolerance？This is an extremely well-researched and written historical novel。 As it explores the themes of prejudice and superstition， ignorance， jealousy and revenge， it really hooks you right in。 The story-telling and the plotting are well handled – there is a great use of tension and atmosphere - and the writing is beautiful， so much so that some of the sentences are so brilliantly written that you have to read them again。 The characterisation is good too， especially the way in which Sarah and Daniel are seen to grow and develop into the people they are meant to be， finding their own feet and their own voices。 You desperately want Sarah and Daniel’s almost Romeo and Juliet-like relationship to survive， and you root for them to the very end of the story， which， to avoid spoilers is perhaps best described as unexpected。 This bittersweet historical novel is absolutely perfect for anyone who enjoyed Stacey Halls’ The Familiars， and is a cracking read。 Recommended。 。。。more
Camila
，
A great read that I think fell short of what it could have been。 Cunning Women follows Sarah who lives on the fringe of society with her family， cast aside due to rumors of witchcraft。 This is at the height of witch trials in 1600s England。 We learn early on that they do seem to have the 'cunning'， although at times the book makes it difficult to really know if it's real or not。Then the story focuses mostly on Sarah and Daniel （a local farmer's son） and their burgeoning love story。 In the backdr A great read that I think fell short of what it could have been。 Cunning Women follows Sarah who lives on the fringe of society with her family， cast aside due to rumors of witchcraft。 This is at the height of witch trials in 1600s England。 We learn early on that they do seem to have the 'cunning'， although at times the book makes it difficult to really know if it's real or not。Then the story focuses mostly on Sarah and Daniel （a local farmer's son） and their burgeoning love story。 In the backdrop， an increasingly intolerant village and society widens the gap between them。 There are those who help them secretly， those who detest them and those who actively plot for their demise。 It's a harsh look at mob mentality and fear of others。Where I think it fell short is that it didn't really explore more the idea of the 'cunning'， that's what it's called after all。 Sometimes it came in the form of dreams， but again blurring the line between reality and fiction。 Potentially this was deliberate。 Also I loved how much more well-defined the women characters were throughout， but the men sometimes lacked depth （even the brother and the love interest）。I've rounded down from around 3。5 stars。 I'd recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction and books with some witchcraft。*This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – all opinions are my own。* 。。。more
Penny
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Witchcraft & the persecution of "wise women "， the frenzy of the Pendle Witch Trials， it all fascinates me。 It was therefore a real pleasure to have a book about "cunning women" combined with a love story for a change。Sarah's mother is a witch but Sarah is torn between her skills & sense of destiny & her wish to lead a comfortable life with the young man she's fallen in love with。 The couple devise a plan for Sarah to be accepted as a member of staff at the farm， the family just accepting her as Witchcraft & the persecution of "wise women "， the frenzy of the Pendle Witch Trials， it all fascinates me。 It was therefore a real pleasure to have a book about "cunning women" combined with a love story for a change。Sarah's mother is a witch but Sarah is torn between her skills & sense of destiny & her wish to lead a comfortable life with the young man she's fallen in love with。 The couple devise a plan for Sarah to be accepted as a member of staff at the farm， the family just accepting her as a new dairymaid。Sarah and her family are feared & ostracised by the village （despite the villagers seeking herbal remedies for tricky situations）。 Brother John has no magical powers but is feared by the villagers。 The arrival of a new magistrate with religious fervour whips up fear of witchcraft further with ultimately disastrous consequences。Excellent historical fiction， depicting the religious climate of the time as well as the routines & traditions of rural life。 。。。more
Cristina
，
3。5 stars
Emma
，
This book lured me in with beautiful descriptions of nature ， landscapes and with the added element of heart warming love family and friendship i new i had to read it 。 However unfortunately the writing felt like it was very drawn out and i was always waiting for something that wasn't predictable to happen 。 i kept reading enjoying the lyrical descriptions but the actual story fell flat for me and i failed to see the big 'twist' i was expecting and had been lead to believe would happen。 i was di This book lured me in with beautiful descriptions of nature ， landscapes and with the added element of heart warming love family and friendship i new i had to read it 。 However unfortunately the writing felt like it was very drawn out and i was always waiting for something that wasn't predictable to happen 。 i kept reading enjoying the lyrical descriptions but the actual story fell flat for me and i failed to see the big 'twist' i was expecting and had been lead to believe would happen。 i was disappointed by the characters and there decisions in the story and became a little confused as to why they chose to make such choices 。 as for the ending although predictable i felt it was the only out come to finish the book quickly 。 this could of been a wonderful forbidden 'love' story however i feel it was just lacking everything it needed to engage its reader。 it almost left me feeling angry but this book may be foe you even tho it wasn't for me ！ 。 。。。more
Petra Redmond
，
Cunning Women by Elizabeth LeeIt’s 1620 and the community of a Lancashire fishing village are still wary after the Lancashire witch trials。 Part of the village has been abandoned after its inhabitants are wiped out by the plague。 The Haworth family， destitute and desperate after the death of husband and father， have moved into an abandoned ‘plague’ house。 Where they might have once been viewed as ‘normal’ villagers， their poverty means that they have to find any means to feed themselves。 Theft， Cunning Women by Elizabeth LeeIt’s 1620 and the community of a Lancashire fishing village are still wary after the Lancashire witch trials。 Part of the village has been abandoned after its inhabitants are wiped out by the plague。 The Haworth family， destitute and desperate after the death of husband and father， have moved into an abandoned ‘plague’ house。 Where they might have once been viewed as ‘normal’ villagers， their poverty means that they have to find any means to feed themselves。 Theft， begging and prostitution are among the ways they survive， and this alienates them further from the god-fearing villagers。 The mother and eldest daughter， Sarah， are Cunning Women。 They use old country lore and botanical knowledge to make healing balms。 But the mother， fiercely protective of her maligned children， sometimes takes her cunning powers further， wishing harm on those who cross her family。Sarah， the eldest daughter， fights hard against what she believes is her destiny， that is， using her cunning for bad as well as good。But when she and her family are constantly accused of any wrongdoings in the village， she finds it hard not to succumb to her darker nature。Daniel， the farmer’s son is as wary as any of the villagers about the Haworth family。 But he sees something different in Sarah and falls in love with her。 They contrive a plan so that they can be together， disguising Sarah as a milk maid from another part of the county。But as the suspicion grows against the family， Daniel too， finds himself disbelieving what seems， on the surface， to be the truth。Whenever you read anything about witch hunts， be they ancient or modern， the overarching themes are always mistrust， fear of difference， ignorance and the sheep-like obedience of the masses。Cunning Women didn’t necessarily break any new ground with its approach to the witch hunts of the seventeenth century but does cement the prejudices against those who are deemed the current ‘undesirables’ in society。I enjoyed the book a great deal as it flowed perfectly， was an easy read and a subject matter that’s fascinating。* Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Deb
，
Set in a small Lancashire village in 1620， this very promising debut follows the story of Sarah， who alongside her mother， brother and little sister Annie live in desperate poverty and face a daily struggle to survive。 The potions and salves that Sarah and her mother make as ‘cunning women’ are in demand by villagers， who despite shunning the family in day light hours， secretly visit them under cover of darkness to buy their wares。 This being the era of King James and his witch hunts， Sarah and Set in a small Lancashire village in 1620， this very promising debut follows the story of Sarah， who alongside her mother， brother and little sister Annie live in desperate poverty and face a daily struggle to survive。 The potions and salves that Sarah and her mother make as ‘cunning women’ are in demand by villagers， who despite shunning the family in day light hours， secretly visit them under cover of darkness to buy their wares。 This being the era of King James and his witch hunts， Sarah and her mother， who both carry a ‘witches mark’ live in constant fear of being denounced as witches and her brother John is thought of as a ‘demon’ by the villagers。 Once Sarah meets the kindly Daniel， a farmer’s son and a new magistrate is appointed to the village， the tension builds and the ensuing events are gripping and totally engrossing。 With well defined characters and rich in atmosphere and vivid detail I really enjoyed this powerfully written book and will look forward to the author’s next。I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers Random House UK， Cornerstone， Windmill Books for the ARC in return for my honest review。 。。。more
Melanie Caldicott
，
This book interested me as I enjoy historical fiction and find the witch trials a fascinating part of our history。 Yet， I just did not connect with this book。 I found the prose patchy and hard to engage with。 I wasn't able to connect with the characters and just felt the writing lacked depth。 It was quite slow-paced which I normally enjoy， but this just didn't compel me to keep reading。 I also didn't feel transported to the time and place in the book and wasn't able to immerse myself in the book This book interested me as I enjoy historical fiction and find the witch trials a fascinating part of our history。 Yet， I just did not connect with this book。 I found the prose patchy and hard to engage with。 I wasn't able to connect with the characters and just felt the writing lacked depth。 It was quite slow-paced which I normally enjoy， but this just didn't compel me to keep reading。 I also didn't feel transported to the time and place in the book and wasn't able to immerse myself in the book。 Not a great read for me I'm afraid。Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Marianne
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A love story set in rural C17th England。 A young girl， whose widowed mother scrapes a living through witchcraft， falls for a village boy， the heir to his father's farm。 She is torn between her desire to escape from poverty and her loyalty to her family- especially her young， sickly sister。 When the old magistrate leaves his post in disgrace for the rape of a village girl， a new man takes charge who is determined to hunt out all vice and to serve the greatest penalty upon it。 There is a strong su A love story set in rural C17th England。 A young girl， whose widowed mother scrapes a living through witchcraft， falls for a village boy， the heir to his father's farm。 She is torn between her desire to escape from poverty and her loyalty to her family- especially her young， sickly sister。 When the old magistrate leaves his post in disgrace for the rape of a village girl， a new man takes charge who is determined to hunt out all vice and to serve the greatest penalty upon it。 There is a strong suggestion that the 'witchcraft' practiced by the girl's mother would not be required if men behaved in a respectable fashion; the curses she sets upon the villagers are born out of the unjust way her family have been treated。 The women in this story have to cope with a society in which they are second class citizens- all too easily abused， accused and left to deal with the consequences。This is an easy read with an interesting historical context and likeable characters 。。。more
Abbie
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It's 1620 England， Sarah and her family are banished to live on top of the hill of a tiny village。 The villagers are scared of the family's 'cunning' abilities。 One day Sarah meets Daniel and both their lives are changed。 As they start to develop feelings for each other， they are desperate for acceptance， but will they find happiness before the village turns on Sarah's family completely？Okay， so I definitely had mixed feelings on this。 I enjoyed this from a romance point of view and was definite It's 1620 England， Sarah and her family are banished to live on top of the hill of a tiny village。 The villagers are scared of the family's 'cunning' abilities。 One day Sarah meets Daniel and both their lives are changed。 As they start to develop feelings for each other， they are desperate for acceptance， but will they find happiness before the village turns on Sarah's family completely？Okay， so I definitely had mixed feelings on this。 I enjoyed this from a romance point of view and was definitely rooting for Daniel and Sarah。 That being said， I was expecting more from the witch side of the plot。 This was never really explored。This is very slow paced， but the second half and ending I really enjoyed。Also， I hope Gabriel burns eternally in hell 😊Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for providing me with a copy to review。 。。。more
Ella （The Story Collector）
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The Haworth family are outsiders， living on the outskirts of their village and selling salves and tinctures to get by。 However， this is in the wake of the slaughter of witches at Pendle and the outskirts of life are a dangerous place to be。 Shunned and avoided by the God-fearing community in the village， Sarah Haworth meets lonely farmer’s son Daniel and begins to see the possibility of a better future with him。 But can their bond stand up to the judgement and distrust of a community terrified o The Haworth family are outsiders， living on the outskirts of their village and selling salves and tinctures to get by。 However， this is in the wake of the slaughter of witches at Pendle and the outskirts of life are a dangerous place to be。 Shunned and avoided by the God-fearing community in the village， Sarah Haworth meets lonely farmer’s son Daniel and begins to see the possibility of a better future with him。 But can their bond stand up to the judgement and distrust of a community terrified of sorcery and sin？Cunning Women is a historical witch-hunt story with a twist – the Haworth women really are witches， marked by the devil。 Known as ‘cunning women’ rather than witches， they manage to survive without direct persecution but are still shunned by the local community。 Beyond that， this is basically a love story。 It’s slow-paced and took a while to really get going， but it’s well written and engaging nonetheless。I struggled a little to really connect with Sarah or her family。 They were mostly quite frustrating because it seemed like they could have survived quite well if they’d only listened to Sarah and done as she told them instead of insisting on cursing those who wronged them， etc。 I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I’ve enjoyed some of the other witch-trial books I’ve read and I wasn’t entirely convinced by Sarah and Daniel’s romance， but I ended up emotionally invested enough to be quite upset by the ending。I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nèngath
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I wish I could give this brilliant， bewitching novel all the stars in the sky。 This tale of folk customs， dark superstitions and feminine power is filled with violence。 Some scenes turned my stomach， but I loved this from beginning to end。
Amalia Gkavea
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190 pages。 That's how long I waited。 Waiting for something - anything - to happen。 And in the meantime， I had to put up with awful， awful dialogue， detrimental plotlines， same-old-same-old ''witches are cool'' cries sprinkled with pseudo-modernised undertones and silly characters。 And some ''Devil is an influencer'' vibes。 Thank you but no！ There is so much better Historical Fiction out there。。。''Forbidden love''。。。Please！Whoever dared to compare this to The Essex Serpent in the book's blurb has 190 pages。 That's how long I waited。 Waiting for something - anything - to happen。 And in the meantime， I had to put up with awful， awful dialogue， detrimental plotlines， same-old-same-old ''witches are cool'' cries sprinkled with pseudo-modernised undertones and silly characters。 And some ''Devil is an influencer'' vibes。 Thank you but no！ There is so much better Historical Fiction out there。。。''Forbidden love''。。。Please！Whoever dared to compare this to The Essex Serpent in the book's blurb has never even heard Sarah Perry's name。。。。 Many thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gem Elizabeth Elizabeth
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Cunning Women is the powerful reckoning of a young woman with her wildness， a heartbreaking tale of young love and a shattering story of the intolerance that reigned during the long shadow of the Pendle Witch Trials， when those who did not conform found persecution at every door。
LilyRose
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