The Familiars
by Stacy Halls
Published by Mira
on February 19, 2019
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
Length: 344 pages
Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor's letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance, she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft.
Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women's lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom. Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.
Rich and compelling, set against the frenzy of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, this novel explores the rights of 17th-century women and raises the question: Was witch-hunting really women-hunting? Fleetwood Shuttleworth, Alice Grey, and the other characters are actual historical figures. King James I was obsessed with asserting power over the lawless countryside (even woodland creatures, or "familiars," were suspected of dark magic) by capturing "witches"--in reality mostly poor and illiterate women.
My Thoughts:
Fleetwood Shuttleworth is with child but finds a letter from her doctor stating that she will die in childbirth. Determined to give her husband an heir, she finds a young but experienced midwife named Alice Grey to aide her. Meanwhile, the local magistrate is investigating claims of witchcraft in the area and when Fleetwood's midwife is accused and arrested, she must do whatever it takes to save the life of the woman who has promised to do the same for her and her child.
I enjoy reading historical fiction novels about witch trials but this one stood apart a bit. It's set just as the Pendle Witch Trials are building but is more about a young wife who is desperate for someone to help her give birth with the witch trials merely an interference to that.
Her husband hides the fact that she will die in childbirth and so when she finds out on her own she is determined to find a way to live, and why he would hide it. Alice Grey seems like a godsend and they quickly build a friendship between them but when they are tricked and Alice is carted off to prison as a witch, Fleetwood has to make an important choice; to obey her husband or save her friend, and herself.
To be honest, this book made me kind of ragey. We are introduced to Fleetwood as she is learning of this great secret that is being kept from her. She worries for her position as a wife and for the position of her child, and with good reason. No one really seems to care if she lives or dies so she takes that into her own hands, only to be met with force and farce. She and the other women in this story repeatedly come up against abuse, prejudice, and injustice. It was kind of infuriating to read but still a well-written and worthwhile debut novel!
I enjoy reading historical fiction novels about witch trials but this one stood apart a bit. It's set just as the Pendle Witch Trials are building but is more about a young wife who is desperate for someone to help her give birth with the witch trials merely an interference to that.
Her husband hides the fact that she will die in childbirth and so when she finds out on her own she is determined to find a way to live, and why he would hide it. Alice Grey seems like a godsend and they quickly build a friendship between them but when they are tricked and Alice is carted off to prison as a witch, Fleetwood has to make an important choice; to obey her husband or save her friend, and herself.
To be honest, this book made me kind of ragey. We are introduced to Fleetwood as she is learning of this great secret that is being kept from her. She worries for her position as a wife and for the position of her child, and with good reason. No one really seems to care if she lives or dies so she takes that into her own hands, only to be met with force and farce. She and the other women in this story repeatedly come up against abuse, prejudice, and injustice. It was kind of infuriating to read but still a well-written and worthwhile debut novel!
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