Fiction
Widdershins
by Helen Steadman
Description
'Did all women have something of the witch about them?'
Based on the little-known 1650 witch trials in Newcastle, England, which resulted in the biggest mass execution of witches in one day on English soil.
Unusually for ‘witcherature’, this book explores the development and make-up of the witchfinder as well as the witches.
Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane will soon learn that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world.
From his father's beatings to his uncle's raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witch-finder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft.
Inspired by true events, Widdershins tells the story of the women who were persecuted and the men who condemned them.
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Rights Information
All rights available.
Reviews
“Impeccably written, full of herbal lore and the clash of ignorance and prejudice against common sense, as well as the abounding beauty of nature, it made for a great read. There are plenty of books, both fact and fiction, available about the witch-trial era, but not only did I not know about such trials in Newcastle, I have not read a novel that so painstakingly and vividly evokes both the fear and joy of living at that time."- The Historical Novel Society
Author Biography
Dr Helen Steadman is a historical novelist. Her best-selling first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf will be published by Impress Books on 10 November, 2020.
Despite the Newcastle witch trials being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, they are not widely known about. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.
The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword.
Helen is now working on her fourth novel.
Aelurus Publishing / Impress Books
An independent publishing house with a small but passionate team, newly focused on the voices of the marginalised.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Impress Books
- Publication Date July 2017
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9781911293040 / 1911293044
- Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
- FormatPaperback
- Pages250
- ReadershipGeneral
- Publish StatusPublished
- Dimensions21 x 2 x 13.6 cm
- Biblio Notes- Based on the little-known 1650 witch trials in Newcastle, England, which resulted in the biggest mass execution of witches in one day on English soil. -Unusually for ‘witcherature’, this book explores the development and make-up of the witchfinder as well as the witches.
- Series Part1
