![]() ![]() Hearn places actual historical figures (including Matthew Hopkins, "Witch-finder General") among her stellar cast and, through Nell's scenes, reveals prevailing attitudes toward religion: "The little church is full. Hearn effectively contrasts the sanctimonious minister and the creepy town "Watchers" ("women who like nothing better than a good hanging") with the magical, impish piskies and fairies that populate the countryside plus the knowledge of herbs and spells (offered with a liberal dose of humor) passed down to Nell. Patience reveals how she colluded to throw fits in order to conceal Grace's pregnancy and to damn Nell as a witch. The novel alternates between the dangerous times of the English Civil War during April 1645–January 1646, and the confessions of Patience Madden, the minister's "simple" daughter, from the New World in 1692. She pits 15-year-old Grace, the daughter of a hypocritical Puritan minister, against Nell, the granddaughter of a midwife and healer who has taken Nell as her apprentice. British author Hearn makes a memorable American debut with this tightly woven tale of a witch hunt. ![]()
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