This was sent to me as an ARC by the publisher but the review is my own.
In the England of the 1640s, witch hunts began to be conducted, some led by the historical Witchfinder, General Matthew Hopkins. A man who made it his mission in life to track down and destroy witches hiding among the people of rural places like Manningtree. But what if we found ourselves in possession of evidence of what led this man to such actions, what could we learn. Underdown has written a book that reveals the terrifying reasons that might have existed.
Alice Hopkins, after suffering a terrible loss has returned to her childhood home, to her brother Matthew. Her prospects lie entirely on his acceptance of her, but where once they were close now time has changed the boy she knew into a man whose superficial scars seem to run deeper than she could ever have guessed. Now a man of wealth and local influence, he has also become a persecutor of witches, keeping a book full of names of women suspected of this heinous crime. No one is immune to Matthew's need to rip out this wickedness and with powerful men behind him giving him the authority to continue his inquiries, there seems no end to his work.
This summer, my brother Matthew set himself to killing women, but without ever once breaking the law.
As Alice begins to come to grips with the depth of her brother's atrocities she begins to understand that her family's history may be the root cause of his cold actions. As she tries to guide her brother away from his line of pursuit, Alice realizes that she will have to make a choice between her inner beliefs and the safety of blending into Matthew's world. Coming to terms with the suspicions and doubts of those who believe Matthew is doing the work of God and being seen as a willing bystander to his actions by the very women standing accused, Alice must make a decision as to what she must do and what she must sacrifice.
As she unravels the stories behind her family and the women being judged, we come to see how the small vagaries of life could led to accusations that could destroy lives. How decisions made could cause the greatest harm in the name of good and how monsters lurk among us although sometimes they wear the faces of those we most love. She will come to learn that sometimes in order to set things right you must find it in yourself to be far crueler than you ever thought you could be.
As a fictional account of a historical event you will be haunted by this story long after you have finished reading it. Alice will become the reflection you are afraid to face, the dark place within yourself that you only dare to explore in the light of day. What would you have done or said? Underdown dares you to find out.
In the England of the 1640s, witch hunts began to be conducted, some led by the historical Witchfinder, General Matthew Hopkins. A man who made it his mission in life to track down and destroy witches hiding among the people of rural places like Manningtree. But what if we found ourselves in possession of evidence of what led this man to such actions, what could we learn. Underdown has written a book that reveals the terrifying reasons that might have existed.
Alice Hopkins, after suffering a terrible loss has returned to her childhood home, to her brother Matthew. Her prospects lie entirely on his acceptance of her, but where once they were close now time has changed the boy she knew into a man whose superficial scars seem to run deeper than she could ever have guessed. Now a man of wealth and local influence, he has also become a persecutor of witches, keeping a book full of names of women suspected of this heinous crime. No one is immune to Matthew's need to rip out this wickedness and with powerful men behind him giving him the authority to continue his inquiries, there seems no end to his work.
This summer, my brother Matthew set himself to killing women, but without ever once breaking the law.
As Alice begins to come to grips with the depth of her brother's atrocities she begins to understand that her family's history may be the root cause of his cold actions. As she tries to guide her brother away from his line of pursuit, Alice realizes that she will have to make a choice between her inner beliefs and the safety of blending into Matthew's world. Coming to terms with the suspicions and doubts of those who believe Matthew is doing the work of God and being seen as a willing bystander to his actions by the very women standing accused, Alice must make a decision as to what she must do and what she must sacrifice.
As she unravels the stories behind her family and the women being judged, we come to see how the small vagaries of life could led to accusations that could destroy lives. How decisions made could cause the greatest harm in the name of good and how monsters lurk among us although sometimes they wear the faces of those we most love. She will come to learn that sometimes in order to set things right you must find it in yourself to be far crueler than you ever thought you could be.
As a fictional account of a historical event you will be haunted by this story long after you have finished reading it. Alice will become the reflection you are afraid to face, the dark place within yourself that you only dare to explore in the light of day. What would you have done or said? Underdown dares you to find out.
