WITCH CHILD
On writing Witch Child….
How long does it take to write a book? If you begin from the first insight it can be a very long time. I studied American History at university and remember thinking about those first settlers, surrounded by vast forests, on the edge of an unexplored continent, an ocean from home. No wonder fear grew among them and resulted in Salem. Many years later, I was reading about 17th century witch persecutions in England and I began to speculate. What did that mean to be a witch?
I thought of it as a kind of shamanism. It occurred to me that Native Americans were a shamanistic people. The beliefs and skills which would have condemned a woman to death in one community would have been revered in the other. That got me thinking: ‘What if there was a girl who was a witch. What if she went to America, thinking that she’d be safe there?’
“Every now and then one reads a book which stirs up the deepest of feelings and continues to cause ripples and this book is just such a one”
“An intelligent and exciting story”
“Young readers will be enthralled. Rees’s vivid narrative brings confidence and feeling to her subtle unfolding of events. A strong sense of the past is conveyed with deft touches”
“her absorbing and suspenseful story has a carefully constructed sense of time and place, and resonances for today”
More reviews…
“It’ll have you gripped” - Mizz
“an exciting well-told tale” - Observer
“a superbly plotted and gripping historical novel” - Sunday Herald
“This is a bold book written with compelling bravura” - Literary Review
“Mary’s story is a triumph of survival” “has an ‘irresistible urgency” - Guardian
“A wonderful novel that will excite and enthral. It’s sure to become a modern classic and a worthy parallel to Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’” - Teenterrain.com
“The meticulously researched historical detail is seamlessly woven into the story; the plot thunders along at a well-judged pace; and in Mary, Rees has created one of the most rounded, strong and fascinating characters in recent fiction. I found this book so completely involving that I finished it in one enraptured sitting” - Irish Times
“This is an unusual and, in more senses than one, a bewitching novel” - Teen Titles
“Rees’s outstanding fiction carries both historical and psychological conviction” -Books for Keeps
“A compelling novel for KS3” - TES
“A haunting tale. This is an excellent production, with three fine readers” - Independent on Sunday review of the audio book