Cunning women and hedgewitches have always been a part of life, although their skills haven’t always been understood. This superstition mixed with politics and religion is a powder keg waiting to explode. In The Familiars, Stacey Halls writing brings the legend of the Pendle witch trials to life. I love a story that weaves fact and fiction!

The connection between Fleetwood and Alice is complex. Fleetwood, having led a lonely life is craving the closeness a friendship brings. She feels alienated at Gawthorpe Hall with what she perceives as the servants laughing at her and being ‘told off’ by husband Richard. Her desperation in wanting to give Richard an heir is palpable as is the fear of her impending death. Alice appears to be a godsend but neither of them figure on the magistrate …

I was so drawn into these characters’ lives. I found myself backing Fleetwood wholeheartedly (loved watching her strength and endurance come through) and felt such rage at the magistrate. I thought Jennet was portrayed really well.

I enjoyed the pace, atmosphere and Stacey Halls writing style.

Fleetwood in church on Easter Sunday feels:

My head felt light, as though I was an hourglass needing to be tipped upside down.

Perfect analogy and fitting for the time period.

There is a twist – one I didn’t expect! This made me re-think how I felt about one of the characters.

Some people are unable to relinquish power and make a final push to gain just a little more notoriety. Some people attempt the impossible and persevere. In The Familiars we see the most noblest of actions as well as the most abhorrent that humanity is capable of.

I wonder where Stacey Halls will take us with her next novel and watch with interest.

A recommended read from me.

I love a good historical novel and as soon as I read the synopsis of Stacey Halls debut novel I knew it was something I was desperate to read. It promised many themes that I’m interested in: fictionalised historical events, women’s rights and witchcraft. I requested it on NetGalley and was approved very quickly, wasting no time in getting started.

The Familiars tells the story of Fleetwood, a name that took a while for me to warm to, and her midwife Alice. It is set in the midst of the Pendle Witch Trials of the 17th Century in Lancaster and bases the majority of the characters on real people, taking just enough artistic licence to weave a personal story around true historic events.

Fleetwood is lucky in comparison to a lot of the women she encounters in the novel thanks to her husband Richard’s wealth and the connections he has. This doesn’t mean that she is never in danger of being caught up in the trials, but it does mean she’s not such an easy target. It also does not mean she is happy; she lives a very lonely and isolated life, serving the same purpose as many women of her time – to produce an heir. Fleetwood has a very interesting conversation with her own mother about having a daughter and the decisions that parents make about marrying their daughters off, and there are revelations here that are quite shocking.

At the beginning of the novel the reader finds out that Fleetwood has miscarried several times and has found out that she is pregnant again. When she meets Alice wandering on her land she quickly befriends the woman, soon finding out that she has skill in midwifery. Fleetwood depends on Alice, not only to help her carry to term but also as a friend, and when Alice’s family get caught up in the trials Fleetwood swears to do anything she can to help her get released. Because the reader follows Fleetwood, we don’t actually see much of the true life squalor the accused women are subjected to because of her class, but through her friendship with Alice we do get to hear about a small amount of it.

Interestingly Halls does not just present the difficult situation of women in this period, but also the struggle of men, both against society and religion. Without giving too much away Fleetwood makes quite a startling discovery about a secret Richard is keeping, however after hearing his explanation the reader can’t help but feel that he is restricted by society too, only in a much quieter way. The novel is told in the first person so it’s hard to know more about who Richard is away from Fleetwood but I found him quite an interesting character too.

For a debut novel the writing is really strong. I was completely whisked away to another time and place.

The Familiars gripped me by the throat in the first few paragraphs and held me by my very breath until the final page. I felt as if it was my own life and family at stake as I read, and cheered the characters’ successes even as I wept with their disasters.

The story is a fictional tale of very real women and events, and those familiar with the history of witch trials will recognise the import of the Lancastrian location, specifically the mentions of Pendle.

I know something of the witch trials and their unedifying history, but Stacey Halls effortlessly smacked the breath out of me with the reality of how very helpless the women were at the time; at the mercy of any man or woman with a grudge and a lack of conscience, but also of well-meaning but fearful family and neighbours with their own axes to grind, wheat to measure and families to think of.

And yet, even as I read about the precariousness of the female position and how fragile her place in the world could be, I also saw the strength, the perseverance, the creativity and determination. Faced with death, Halls’ women cling to life with every fibre, and not just for themselves but for their loved ones and for each other.

I finished the book with a better appreciation of the terrible struggles women, rich and poor, faced in the past (and present!) and with a fervent respect and love for the immense strength and love of women individually and together in friendship.

More than the insightful themes, historical education and emotional impact, this was simply a fantastic story. It contains mystery, heartbreak, peril, intrigue, action and imagination. I couldn’t put it down and can heartily recommend that you pick it up!



A young woman was kneeling a few yards away, staring at me. Every line of her was alert with an animal tension. She was shabbily dressed in a homespun wool smock with no pinafore, which is why I did not see her straight away among all the green and brown. Flax-coloured hair spiralled down from her cap. Her face was long and narrow, her eyes large, their colour unusual even from a distance: a warm gold, like new coins. There was something fiercely intelligent, almost masculine, in her gaze, and though she was crouched down and I standing, for a moment I felt afraid, as though I was the one who had been discovered.

– Stacey Halls, The Familiars

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

As a Lancashire resident I was interested in this novel set at Gawthorpe Hall in Burnley and about the Lancashire witch trial of 1612. Our lead character Fleetwood Shuttleworth 17 years old and pregnant for the fourth time is fearful of losing another baby after reading a doctors note saying she would not survive another pregnancy. While out one day she meets a young girl Alice Gray who claims to be a midwife and will help her to keep her baby and thus produce an heir for her husband.Richard Shuttleworth.

This is a fiction novel based on fact which is easy to read but the story of Fleetwood is rather fanciful as I don't think even then that a heavily pregnant woman would be riding miles on horseback to try and change the fate of one young girl. The power of Roger Nowell - another name we know - is evident in the book.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to meeting Stacey at events in Lancashire Libraries.

Although this was a little slow to start, I found it to be very immersive and thoroughly entertaining. It tells the story of Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a 17 year old wife living at Gowthorpe House and praying that she survives her pregnancy. When she encounters a mysterious girl in the woods, she takes her on as a midwife amongst talk of witchcraft in the local town of Pendle. Based on true events, Halls has clearly done her research and the period flourishes feel authentic without bogging down the narrative flow. It is always welcome to see a story told from the point of view of women set in a time period when so many female voices went unheard or were systemically silenced and I think that Hall has done a great job at highlighting the issues surrounding this whilst also giving her protagonist the agency to act in her own right. Both Fleetwood and Alice are well drawn characters with nuance and depth and the friendship between the two women was the core of the story. This is a narrative very much rooted in the real world and those expecting a tale full of witchcraft and spells will probably be disappointed. What the book does so well is show that the motivations behind most witch trials also had very little to do with witchcraft and spells. All in all, this was a compelling and fascinating narrative that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in the period.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received a copy of The Familiars from NetGalley and Readers First in exchange for honest reviews.

Seventeen year old Fleetwood Shuttleworth is pregnant for the fourth and final time, if the note addressed to her husband stating her imminent death is anything to go by. Navigating new dynamics in her marriage with her lying, secretive husband, and the accusations that her new midwife, Alice, is a witch, Fleetwood struggles to keep her unborn baby alive and decide which side of history she wants to be on in the Pendle witch trials. But how well does she actually know Alice? And can she trust her?

This book is beautifully written. I was very quickly drawn into the landscape of Gawthorpe hall and the surrounding countryside, I was eased into Fleetwood's everyday life, and every time I had to put this book down I looked forward to when I could pick it up again.

There were times when I felt Fleetwood would soon become an annoying character. She is innocent and naive and seems to have ideas far above her stature, which is noted on throughout the book, but something about her saved her from this. I related to her quickly, and what I loved most was that whenever she ended a chapter with 'I had an idea brewing' or something similar, I didn't know what that idea was. She wasn't predictable, wasn't boring, and I loved reading about her.

I also loved the focus on women in this novel. One of the major reasons for the witch trials was that men were so fearful of women's knowledge - of herbs, medicines, their bodies and childbirth - things acquired through experience and the transfer of learning between them, and not through the tradition ways of education the men were privileged to, which the women of course were not.

So it was fear, and the thought that they were more powerful than the men, could take the upper hand, could upturn society, and the only way to change the narrative, rather than admit that women were clever, that they knew things men didn't know, that they were experts in something, was to call them witches.

And I appreciated the solidarity between characters, the privilege Fleetwood had as a woman of her status and how she used it, at the embarrassment and possible expense of her husband and her lifestyle to fight for a woman, and women, she barely knew.

Unfortunately, there was something missing about this book. I really enjoyed the plot, and the characters, and the writing style, but there was just some spark missing which I was expecting for a book with such hype and publicity. So while I did enjoy it, I was still definitely expecting more. Something a bit more special.

I'd still be really interesting to read more of Stacey Halls' work, and would still recommend this as a good read. 4 out of 5 stars.

Beautiful - absolutely adored this book!
Stunning debut that I will definitely be recommending to a lot of people.
More in-depth review on my blog http://bookishlara.com very soon!

After a shaky start, I got really into this book. I loved the way the friendship formed between Alice and Fleetwood. I think if it hadn't been for that strong class-defying friendship, I would have trudged my way through the book feeling really disappointed. But as it was, I was completely hooked by the end, desperate to have Alice saved and Fleetwood away from her husband, because let's be honest, she deserved way better.

I was really fascinated to read the author's note and find out how many of the characters were based on real people. Even though they weren't much more than names, I love how the author took the details of the actual witch trial and mystery of Alice Gray and built so much around it, keeping so many of it grounded in the real people who lived in the area at that time.

The facts of the witch trials were really interesting too. It was the kind of thing that could have weighed down the plot, and did a little at the start, but once everything started to get dangerous, it was just an extra detail as the plot unwinded and came to the thrilling conclusion.

I know you are not meant to judge a book by its cover, but what a cover it is!

This book is simply stunning, inside and out!

Based around the Pendle witches and culminating to their trial this is a walk through history with its own little twist, breathing its own life blending fact with fiction.

I won’t go into plot breakdowns as the book blurb does that so much better than I ever could, giving just the right amount of details to draw you in if the beautiful cover didn’t do that all by itself! But I will say is this,

This book is written with magic laced throughout.

Filled with some magikal characters that have you rooting for them from the very first page and one or two that you wish to see face the same fate as the accused women, it is a sweeping tale of the women, witchcraft and life in rural England in the 1600s as well as friendship and love.

How far would you go to save a friend? One accused of murder by witchcraft. One that will surely hang for the accusation of being a witch. Set in a period of time when it was perilous at times to be a woman this book brings to life the insecurities and dangers to the woman of that time faced as well as how powerless the women really were in the face of their husbands and where men held all the power.

Knowing that a lot of the characters were real life, living and breathing people from our history as well as the real life setting of Gawthorpe Hall and details made from real history makes the whole story come alive, dancing across its pages.

A beautiful book and a wonderful story that I am sure will captivate you as much as it did me, simply brilliant!

A massive thank you to the author Stacey Halls, publishers HarperCollins and edelweiss+ for my digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/01/30/the-familiars-by-stacey-halls/

You guys know I’m mad for witches, right? So I absolutely couldn’t resist the idea of The Familiars, which is set during the Pendle witch trials – and even on top of my high expectations, I was surprised by how beautiful, fluid, and atmospheric the writing is. This is a gorgeous book inside and out.

From the very beginning of this book, there is such a strong sense of voice that you can’t help but fall in love with Fleetwood. Seventeen, and pregnant for the fourth time (hopefully, the first successful time), she has run into the woods after finding a letter that her husband has concealed from her, in which her doctor says that another pregnancy would surely kill her. There’s such an overwhelming amount of emotion in all Fleetwood’s prose – I instantly wanted to defend her and stand by her as she realises that her marriage is not the dream she thought it was. Fleetwood is at once very mature and very young, and I thought that she was captured perfectly as a young woman striving to be perfect in a world which really only allows a very narrow definition of female perfection. I’d do anything for Fleetwood.

Much of the emotional drama in the story revolves around Fleetwood’s husband’s betrayal, and the solace that she finds in Alice Gray’s friendship and midwifery. Alice is a woman with knowledge of plants and healing. She knows women’s medicine, and lives independently – all fine reasons, in a witch-hunter’s mind, to condemn her as a witch. Her friendship with Fleetwood is a fascinating study in the way that two very different women work, and their every interaction is so well-drawn that I felt like I was in the room. Befriending Alice makes Fleetwood realise that for all her limits, she has an immense amount of privilege as a rich man’s wife, and her character growth is just wonderful. Alice is the catalyst that makes Fleetwood coalesce into an adult, into her own woman.

Oh, just every moment of this book is so beautifully written. I lost myself in the pages and barely noticed I was even reading. Everything about this seems to have been written to appeal to me: strong, flawed women; deep platonic friendships; the claustrophobia that is so often missing in male-authored historical fiction; proper historical cunning women with medicinal herbs… Look, if you weren’t already suckered in by that astonishingly beautiful cover, then just trust me. You’ll want to read this.

Five out of five stars!

A story of Fleetwood and her efforts to produce an heir for her husband and the midwife who promises to help her carry a baby to term. It's set against the backdrop of the Pendle witch trials.

Starting slowly this story builds a real sense of who the main character, Fleetwood really is, and the enigmatic Alice is a good foil for her, especially as she is gradually introduced.

Less spooky and supernatural than I would have thought from advance chatter, it's instead a careful and insightful look at the patriarchal values of the time, and highlights themes and ideas of male dominated we still see today. Possibly as a result some of the male characters aren't as fleshed out and as 'real' as they perhaps could be, but this is a minor quibble in a deftly atmospheric read.

This is a very interesting debut, with some style and choices I hesitated over, and some moments where the plot could have advanced but lingered a beat or two too long, but you can tell as her career progresses Stacey Halls is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Good stuff!

The Familiars is set in Lancashire in 1612. It revolves around the life of Fleetwood Shuttleworth and her young midwife Alice Grey. Fleetwood is feeling the pressure to provide an heir, at only 17yrs old and with three stillbirths. It is a stifling pressure that consumes her every waking moment.
Fleetwood lives at Gawthrope Hall, with many staff to attend to her every need and a loving husband Richard. But these bring little comfort to her when she discovers a letter predicting her death, in a future child birth…
It is during one of her long walks around her estate, that she stumbles across Alice Grey. A chance meeting that’ll change both of their lives. Whilst Alice promises to help Fleetwood deliver a healthy baby and survive. Fleetwood is also aware of recent assumptions of witchcraft across Lancashire…
‘The Devil only appears to those he recognises to be his servants’
Whilst news of the witchcraft spreads across the county. People come forward to point the finger at others in their community and sometimes women they personally know. It isn’t long until several women find themselves under arrest.
But are they really practicing witchcraft?
‘The King is not a supporter of women trying to make their way in the world’
Fleetwood feels the authorities breathing down her neck and questioning Alice’s role in her life. Can Fleetwood help Alice survive the accusations and in turn give birth to a healthy baby and heir?
‘Women and cattle are very similar’
This novel is plotted around the real Pendle witch trials of 1612. Lancashire history comes alive on the page and makes for a cracking read. I look forward to future releases by this author, most definitely, one to watch out for! 5*

Fleetwood Shuttleworth is the young mistress of Gawthorpe Hall and appears to have a wonderful,, comfortable life. However, all is not well as Fleetwood has so far been unable to produce an heir, all three of her pregnancies having ended tragically. One day Fleetwood comes across a letter, than she was clearly never meant to find, from a Doctor suggesting that should she become pregnant again it would likely result in her own death. But Fleetwood is already pregnant again. Determined to have a healthy child this time, and also survive herself, Fleetwood sets out to find a midwife to help her achieve her desire. She comes across a young woman, Ann, who claims to be a midwife and promises to help Fleetwood but there may be more to Ann than meets the eye.
This is a beautifully written piece of historic fiction, set in England at the time of the Pendle Witch Trials. Slow burning but a very engrossing and enjoyable read.

Fleetwood Shuttleworth is a 17 year old noblewoman, and on her 4th pregnancy! Unfortunately this was the 17th Century and such things were not uncommon. Unfortunately the first 3 babies died before giving birth, and Fleetwood is terrified when she finds a note from a Doctor to her husband saying that if she becomes pregnant again she will probably die in childbirth. Out walking near her estate, Fleetwood meets Alice Grey, a young girl who tells Fleetwood that she is a midwife, and as Alice managed to stop Fleetwood’s horse from trampling her, Fleetwood becomes convinced that only Alice can save her from certain death in childbirth. Alice is employed by Fleetwood and seems to improve her pregnancy by a combination of blood letting and herbs.

However this is the times of the Penske witch trials, and Alice becomes locked up, awaiting trial as a witch.

Can Fleetwood Free Alice in time for the birth of her child? And if so, will Alice be able to save both Fleetwood and the child.

I quite enjoyed the story but found parts a bit muddled and it didn’t really hold my interest as much as it should have.

There are so many good things about The Familiars. Its beautiful cover, gorgeous endplates and an overall lush design for a start. If you’re a sucker for a beautiful book, this one takes some beating. But also witches and women fighting the patriarchy told from the perspective of women, and how glorious is that in historical or any other kind of fiction?

Anyway, to the story. This is a nicely told tale based on historical fact about the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 in Lancashire. Nine-year-old Jennet Device gave evidence which led to the execution of 10 people, including all of her own family.

Stacey Halls captures very well the paranoia that was endemic at the time. James l (Jamie the Saxt) was on the throne, living in fear of a Catholic rebellion in the aftermath of Guy Fawkes’ gun powder plot. James had a reputation as an avid witch-hunter and had written a book called Daemonology. This gave the excuse and the opportunity to those who would curry favour with the King to round up troublemakers, Catholics and old enemies and brand them as witches.

Taking the real characters from the Pendle Witch trials, Stacey Halls paints a fabulous picture of the life of a young woman of that time. Fleetwood Shuttleworth has already had three miscarriages and is desperate to produce an heir for her husband, Richard. When she meets Alison Gray on the Moors, she is drawn to the girl and has faith in her skills as a midwife.

But Alison is versed in the ways of herbs and potions and that, along with the fact that she is a woman, makes her already a potentially suspicious individual in some eyes.

As the women bond and learn more about each other’s lives, it is easy to see how they come to believe that each is the salvation of the other.

Fleetwood gains strength and character from Alice’s stoicism and quiet knowledge and Alice respects Fleetwood’s spirit, honesty and integrity.

As the two women get to know each other better we learn more about Fleetwood’s backstory and her difficult relationship with her mother and it is easy to see why both Alice and Fleetwood needed a friend. Halls neatly captures the restless spirit of Fleetwood and the way that she has trouble reconciling her role as the respectable wife with her own need to assert her character.

As Fleetwood finds that Alice is in real trouble, she will need to find the power within herself if Alice is to be saved and that means having to face up to the ghastly local magistrate, Roger Nowell who thinks nothing of burning a dozen or so women in his efforts to show his royal fealty.

In a blend of fact and fiction that melds together like sugar and butter Stacey Halls has created a wonderful story of female friendship and empowerment in a time of turmoil.

Verdict: A heart strengthening, delightful read and what could be more magical than that?

A first novel based round the legendary Pendle Witches using he names of people who actually did live at the time. The young Fleetwood Shuttleworth is married to Richard and is pregnant for the fourth time having no surviving children from her earlier pregnancies. She is in poor health and fearing for her life when she befriends Alice Gray who restores her health with her remedies. An intense friendship ensues and this will test Fleetwoods mettle as she wants Alice to be her midwife much to the distress of others.. Alice is an apothecary of her time but seen as a witch of that period and imprisoned due to false testimony and the zealous pursual of witches in the area..The book provides a good social history of the period and demonstrates how strong female friendships can be.

A stunning historical novel set amongst the witch trials and details how hard things were for young women back then but equally how much we still have to fight for. I have read quite a few stunning historical fiction n0vels recently and this is up there with the best, definitely one for immersing yourself completely in and developing a depth of understanding

I adored this book. It has such an interesting plot, talking about the witch trials, and it really keeps you interested throughout wondering what will happen to the MC. The ending was brilliant and was something I didn't expect.
I'll definitely be buying a finished copy, and I can't wait to see what other books this author may write in the future.

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

4 stars

An intriguing story about witch hunts in the 17th century.

I am an admirer of historical fiction stories in particular about events that I know little about so this book interested me from the start as it is regarding the witch hunts in 17th century Lancashire in the reign of King James 1

Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17years of age and is happily married to Richard apart from one thing she is unable to produce an heir. She has had 3 miscarriages and is now pregnant for the fourth time. She discovers a letter that states that if she were to have another baby, she would die. She accidentally encounters a young girl, Alice Gray, who like many women of the time is wise in the way of herbs and remedies that can help in pregnancy and childbirth. She employs Alice as her midwife and immediately begins to feel better in her pregnancy and becomes adamant that she will bear a healthy child as long as Alice is with her.

However, Alice has become inadvertently caught up with a family who is suspected of witchcraft and despite being completely innocent is arrested and thrown into prison. Fleetwood is in despair convinced that her only chance of bearing a healthy child and remaining alive herself rests upon Alice and her advice and remedies.

The rest of the book is about Fleetwood's desperate attempt to free Alice from prison despite everyone attempting to stop her. The prejudices of the time are very well described although I think the freedom that Fleetwood has seems unlikely. Despite being heavily pregnant, she seems to spend many hours riding extensively around Lancashire which considering her past history doesn't look a wise course of events.

She also discovers that Richard has a mistress who is also pregnant and I found this not particularly relevant to the story unless it is to illustrate how at that time this was commonplace with wealthy men. The character of Richard was quite ambivalent to me, I couldn't work out whether he really loved Fleetwood or not and I didn’t feel that I really understood his feelings. This extended to some of the other characters, I would have liked to have had a bit more depth on how they felt.

However, this was a promising debut, and I would be interested in reading any future book by this author.

Dexter

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

I do love a historical read when there's a potent mix of fact and fiction. The Familiars immersed me right at the heart of the Pendle Witch trials of 1612 and explored the people, the feelings, the social mores and the 'justice system' of the time. That cover caught my attention from the start, but the novel didn't disappoint.

Many of the characters in the novel are real-life figures,. The main one is the very real Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a 17-year-old noblewoman who finds herself caught up in the trials and risks everything when her friend and midwife Alice Grey is implicated. The author is originally from the area and her fascination with the subject and legend attached it to shines through. Why should  a group of women be persecuted for apparently being involved in witchcraft? Fleetwood rushes around the countryside on horseback in a desperate attempt to free Alice and you can't help but cheer her on.

The book isn't primarily about  the famous trials as it goes on, but more about the women who suffered and the treatment of women at the time in general. There are no spells or creepy rituals as you might imagine. The witchcraft practices they were accused of where nothing more than using herbs as medicines and the many techniques the midwives used at the time. You might think these women were accused of dark magic or worse, but no.That's what makes this story all the more tragic. However, the Pendle theme lingers throughout. This is a slow build read, but a satisfying one at that.