Just Finished Reading: The Manningtree Witches by A K Blakemore (FP: 2021) [290pp] 

Essex, England 1643. She was trapped and she knew it. With a dead father, an aging mother and a life of the ragged edge of the village her options where few to none. Trapped. There was one, possible, way out if she could somehow manage it. The town clerk, John Edes, had taken a shine to her and was teaching her to read. He might, just might, be her means of escape. But he was increasingly busy these days with the incomers. Two strangers had taken up residence in an abandoned tavern and looked to be staying for a while. They were both clearly gentlemen, educated, well-dressed. They were also in Manningtree for a purpose. They were looking for witches and seem to have found one. An aging widow with a wooden leg was accused of casting a harmful spell. Under examination she had confessed and had accused others of being in a coven. It was a great victory for witchfinder Matthew Hopkins – his first breakthrough of the crusade. For Rebecca West it was something quite different. Her mother, Anne West, had been named as a witch. It was only a matter of time before someone named Rebecca too. Her mother gave her just one piece of advice – survive, no matter what you need to do. But what price would the feared witchfinder general demand of her? How far would she go to protect her own young life? 

I briefly studied the European witch craze in university for an essay I was working on and read a handful of books on the subject to help me formulate my arguments. One thing that was very clear from the outset was that the English witch craze was a very different beast both in extent and in result. Although witches certainly were discovered and ‘dealt with’ in various ways in England (although they were hardly ever burnt at the stake which was a common misconception) the number of witches arrested, tried and executed was minute compared to our European neighbours. However, especially in the Civil War period where this story takes place, the breakdown of law and order and of society as a whole allowed so-called ‘witchfinders’ like Hopkins to do their work largely (at least to begin with) unopposed. 

I could definitely see, almost from the outset, why this impressive debut novel won the Desmond Elliott Prize in its publication year. As a first novel it was outstanding. The prose used throughout was excellent and often beautiful. I was not surprised at all when I discovered that not only was the author a published poet but an award winning one too. It certainly shows in her writing. Her feeling of time and place was completely immersive and her characterisation, most especially of Rebecca West (a new fictional favourite), was very good indeed. I found out later that much that took place in the book is based on real events which made me even more impressed at how the author weaved her tale in-between known historical events without (as far as I can tell) inventing anything too outlandish or out of context. She certainly never at any point came close to ejecting me from the narrative with ahistorical or anachronistic insertions. Indeed, the language and idioms used throughout made things more ‘real’ if anything. Although the English used in the novel had been modernised for the reader there was enough 17th century words and ideas sprinkled through the text (some of which I’d heard before, some I picked up with context and some I was tempted to Google but let the narrative flow instead) to make it sound realistic in the historical and geographical context of the novel. That alone was an impressive feat. Overall, this was a very impressive and often quite lovely read despite its subject matter. I shall definitely be looking out for her next novel. Definitely recommended and if you want to know what REALLY happened in Manningtree (yes, it's a real place!) and with Matthew Hopkins stay tuned....