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Title details for The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown - Available

The Witchfinder's Sister

by Beth Underdown
Lucy Brownhill
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
“This is a novel for our times. . . . The Witchfinder’s Sister [lays] bare the visceral horror of what a witch hunt truly is.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
“Vivid and terrifying.”—Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water
“Connects nicely with such dystopian classics as 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale.”—Booklist
Essex, England, 1645. With a heavy heart, Alice Hopkins returns to the small town she grew up in. Widowed, with child, and without prospects, she is forced to find refuge at the house of her younger brother, Matthew. In the five years she has been gone, the boy she knew has become a man of influence and wealth—but more has changed than merely his fortunes. Alice fears that even as the cruel burns of a childhood accident still mark his face, something terrible has scarred Matthew’s soul.
There is a new darkness in the town, too—frightened whispers are stirring in the streets, and Alice’s blood runs cold with dread when she discovers that Matthew is a ruthless hunter of suspected witches. Torn between devotion to her brother and horror at what he’s become, Alice is desperate to intervene—and deathly afraid of the consequences. But as Matthew’s reign of terror spreads, Alice must choose between her safety and her soul.
Alone and surrounded by suspicious eyes, Alice seeks out the fuel firing her brother’s brutal mission—and is drawn into the Hopkins family’s past. There she finds secrets nested within secrets: and at their heart, the poisonous truth. Only by putting her own life and liberty in peril can she defeat this darkest of evils—before more innocent women are forced to the gallows.
Inspired by the real-life story of notorious “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins, Beth Underdown’s thrilling debut novel blends spellbinding history with echoes of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale for a truly haunting reading experience.
Praise for The Witchfinder’s Sister
“Entertaining and thought-provoking—with a valuable message for our own times.”—The Washington Post
“Highly recommended.”—Library Journal (starred review)

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 25, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781524774028
      • File size: 305760 KB
      • Duration: 10:36:59

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 27, 2017
      This debut historical novel is a well-written dramatization of witch hunting in Europe during the 17th century. Based loosely on the life of a real English witch finder named Matthew Hopkins, the story is narrated by his sister, Alice, who, pregnant, must return to her brother’s household in the village of Manningtree after the death of her husband in London. As Matthew’s ward, Alice can only watch as her brother’s behavior spirals into fanaticism and cruelty. She knows childhood trauma informs his actions—not only was his face disfigured in a mysterious accident as a child, but he was denied the opportunity to follow in their father’s footsteps as a minister. As Matthew coldly and methodically goes about the business of “watching” several local women, keeping them awake and bound for hours on end while waiting for their devilish imps to appear, Alice becomes desperate to get to the bottom of what is compelling him. As the hysteria, and his influence, grows, Matthew is called to other communities, forcing Alice to accompany him. After witnessing his failure to stop one particularly unspeakable act, she finally rebels, and he turns on her. Though histrionic towards the end, this is an entertaining yarn for readers who can’t get enough of the subject matter.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Underdown's atmospheric historical novel follows Alice Hopkins through grief, warring loyalties, and difficult choices in seventeenth-century England, a period of witch-hunting. While narrator Roy McMillan drops in periodically to lend deep and somber tones as Alice's brother, Matthew, recites passages from his journal, the bulk of the narration is performed by Lucy Brownhill. Her range is impressive, as is her demonstration of Lucy's growth throughout the story as she attempts to heal old wounds and uncover family secrets. This is a bleak and often grim tale, but Brownhill's soft-spoken and purposeful narration maintains an even pace, keeping listeners rooted in the story without getting too absorbed in the sadness. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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