I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

I enjoyed this debut novel
It’s a slow burn, but the tension builds as the book progresses
They are pacing issues, and I wasn’t a fan of the ending

A bit too slow at times and digressive, but I liked it - the atmosphere, female perspective and narrative.

Rounding up to 3 stars
This felt like a well researched book.
The writing was very atmospheric.
We all now know, that back in the day, women couldn't do anything without being accused of witchcraft.
This hammers that home .
I struggled with how slow it felt.
It made the story drag for me.

The Manningtree Witches is a book that I really wanted to love, but it was just a bit too slow and took too long to really get anywhere for it to grab me. It's a narrative built on the true historical events of the 1640s, when Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder, led a puritanical campaign to hunt down, torture and execute witches in England. Focussing in on the small village lives of Rebecca West, her mother and other women of the local area, this takes us from the average life of hardship and scraping to make ends meet into a witch hunt that has no mercy.

Blakemore spends a lot of time building the characters of these women... yet it doesn't quite work. The names are still largely interchangeable by the end. Some stand out; Rebecca because of her central role, Mother Clark because of her age and vulnerability, Rebecca's mother because of a few very poignant scenes. The men stand out more. Which is strange, as the author directly states that they wanted the focus to be on the victim not the victimiser. Yet the men are the stand out characters here.

The writing is lyrical, poetic and meandering. It never rushes to the next moment, instead savouring every breath and exploring all the possibilities. There are some wonderful moments; the mother-daughter interactions in the later book for instance. But it does take a long time to go nowhere. By the time it finally started moving, I was almost ready to put it down. The descriptions of the actual witch hunt/trials were very well done though and caught my attention again. This is clearly well researched and Blakemore does bring events to life. It's just... slow.

So if you're looking for a slow and measured historical fiction, this may be what you're looking for. If you're looking for something with magic and action, it is not. And if you're looking for a fast moving narrative, you will be disappointed. It is well written, well researched... it just didn't quite work for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

Beautifully written, evocative retelling of the lives of a group of Essex women accused of witchcraft by the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins.

3.5 stars rounded up.

The prose is the standout feature of this novel. The language is evocative and poetic and the ease with which it pulls you into the past is impressive.

However, I often find that when all is heightened it's hard to distinguish the events that will be most important, and the feelings that carry the most weight.

I'm not sure this was entirely successful at building the characters. I'm still not sure that I know Rebecca. The plotting was also perhaps not as complex as I would have preferred. The shape of the story was slightly strange and it didn't really rise in tension to a climax. Not to say that there weren't still events that carried weight, the overall shape of the story was just quite even in tone.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I'm really sorry it took me so long to post one.

A great historical fiction based on the real events of the Essex witch trials , unbelievably a debut novel. I am a great fan of historical fiction and all things “witchey” it started brilliantly but did sadly drag for me at the end , how glad I am the witch finder general - self named ! Who was a huge misogynist died young and hopefully rather awfully as all the poor innocent souls he condemned. A must read book for anyone interested in the time and subject

History teachers everywhere should be using sections of this as a secondary source in the classroom, it’s an excellent fictional account of a seventeenth century witch trial and everything that comes with it. Matthew Hopkins is our villain and Rebecca is a well-constructed heroine who is easy to root for. It’s clear that so much work and research has gone in to creating this, it’s an incredible feat, and on top of this once you get into it it’s gripping too. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Granta for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

TheManningtreeWitches by A. K. Blake more is a novel set in seventeenth-century that impeccably exposes the fate of women accused of witchcraft, easy prey especially if poor, unmarried or widowed, and doomed from the start by the impossibility of proving themselves innocent.

As people more eloquent than I have pointed out, this novel is extremely atmospheric, rich in historical detail and the prose is the very definition of lyrical.

If I enjoyed the description of the spread of mass hysteria, the plight of women, and the bitter irony that characterises the characters who think they are heroes when in fact they are the villains, it is only because I resisted the temptation to give up reading.

The first 100 pages were a kind of endurance test, and it took a while for me to stop trying to understand Rebecca West.
When I stopped trying, I didn't stop reading until I reached the acknowledgement section.

In Manningtree, depleted of men since the wars began, the women are left to their own devices. At the margins of this diminished community are those who are barely tolerated by the affluent villagers - the old, the poor, the unmarried, the sharp-tongued. Rebecca West, fatherless and husbandless, chafes against the drudgery of her days. But then newcomer Matthew Hopkins, a mysterious, pious figure dressed from head to toe in black, takes over The Thorn Inn and begins to ask questions about the women of the margins. When a child falls ill with a fever and starts to rave about covens and pacts, the questions take on a bladed edge.
I liked how clever this story was written. Staying true to the times and to the real people involved, it brought to life the trials of witchcraft throughout the UK and the abominable Matthew Hopkins. I really liked the way that the author decided to spend the most of the storytelling from the point of view of the ladies who were blamed and accused, rather than from the point of view of the ‘witch finder’. It was nice that she gave the victims their voices back.
I did find that sometimes the language could be somewhat overly complicated, using words from the time period. It was nice in a way that brought the timeline to life but I did find that sometimes it would momentarily take me away from the story as I tried to understand what had been said.
Overall a really good read however, I would have liked some more ‘witchy’ activity and supernatural elements for the bases of the accusations but then would that have been realistic to the times?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

In 1644, Matthew 'Witchfinder' Hopkins arrives in the town of Manningtree, and he begins to identify the women on the outskirts of society that, in his opinion, are witches. Told through dual narratives but mostly following the story of Rebecca West, a young woman who alongside her mother Beldam West, is accused of witchcraft, The Manningtree Witches describes the hor rors and injustice that were the witch trials of the 1600s.

The true history behind this story is truly horrifying and fascinating so I was looking forward to reading The Manningtree Witches to learn more about the witch trials in the UK. However, there were elements in this book that just didn't work for me, the slow pacing of the book didn't gel with me at all and I never felt excited about getting back and reading the rest of this novel which is always a bad sign.

I do think the setting in this book is great, and how the author didn't run away from how harsh a person's life could be in this time period - especially if you had little money, and no 'men folk' about to keep you respectable. From the very first few pages, the book is dirty and dingy, you can almost feel and smell the dirt and grime the Wests and others like them live in every day and this situation gets even worse when they are thrown in prison for over a year without daylight or any means of hygiene. I do love a book that sets its atmosphere up in a way that it makes me feel dirty, and wanting a shower so props for that!

I also liked how this book emphasised the type of people that more often than not were targeted by these farcical witch trials - women on the outskirts, those alone and hungry. Often those who didn't play by anyone else's game and despite poverty were very self assured and therefore felt like threats to the weak men who were Witchfinders. People who were targeted never had any chance of being free, and there were always ways you would be caught as a witch be it through body marks or because as Hopkins said, witches can be in two places at once. This is the kind of book that makes you hate religion and the men and women who would use God to carry through on horrible acts.

I just never really connected to this story, and while I appreciate what was being told, I think I've read other books about witch trials that I've enjoyed more, and would recommend more.

Set during the Witch trails that took place in Essex during the English Civil War, a fascinating fictional account that you can tell has been heavily researched. Beautifully written and utterly captivating, the use of the real trails made this book more than another Witch book.

Quite delightfully creepy and very rich in historical detail, this is pretty much a masterclass in weaving together detailed historical research and a gripping narrative. It's beautifully written, managing to be both visceral and lovely in equal measure, which is no mean feat. I could read 80,000 more words of it quite happily, and hope to do just that with whatever Blakemore writes next.

A fictionalised account of Rebecca West and the other women of Manningtree, condemned by Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General.

A powerful tale of a country in flux, and the lives of women dominated by men and subject to the demands of religious bigotry and the petty rivalries of village life.

Rebecca finds her life at risk, by forces she cannot control and struggles to secure any semblance of freedom in such a misogynistic society.

The sense of injustice is well invoked but many of the characters remain stereotypes. Rebecca's mother shows defiance and a contempt for those who so quickly denounce her and the story would have more depth if this had been explored further.

The narration wobbles at times as it proves difficult to discern whose viewpoint we are following. The book avoids any real reflection by Rebecca on the fate of the other women or any guilt she may have in her own survival.

In an afterword, the author mentions parts of the world where women are still condemned as witches. True. But this neglects the tide of misogyny in the UK (and elsewhere) prevalent particularly on social media. And our own witchfinders are those who make personal gain from the demonising of immigrants.

An interesting and thought provoking story.

A young woman and several others in her village are accused of being witches. This book follows the initial accusations and the run up to the women being tried.

This book is so well written; beautifully atmospheric and with real tension. It really built up the feelings of helplessness and dread for the women.

The book includes words fitting the time period (1640’s) so is not an easy read but it helps to build the sense of time and place within the novel. It all feels very authentic to the time period.

If you love historical fiction you should definitely give this a try; beautiful writing and very authentic feeling.

This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Manningtree Witches by AK Blakemore is one of those rare historical fictions where you cannot spot the lines between fiction and fact.

It’s 1643, the English Civil War is raging and the puritans are in the ascendancy. Rebecca West hates the menial drudgery that fills her days and chasm that separates her from the comfortable middle classes of Manningtree. When Matthew Hopkins arrives in Manningtree things take a dark turn for the marginalised working class women of the village. This is a tale of alleged witchcraft, mass hysteria, lies and vengeance and Rebecca is at the centre of the madness that follows.

The Manningtree Witches weaves historical fact, Matthew Hopkins was the Witchfinder General who instigated the Essex witch trials of this time, Rebecca West is described in the records of the trials, with an imagined narrative of the period. It is a compelling read.

I got this from netgalley to read and review. And that was a good deal for me! I enjoyed this book perfectly fine. In many ways it was 'ok', in some ways it was rather off putting (the language was sometimes a bit out of touch with the historical context) and some parts were very enjoyable (the character driven story).

I had a hard time liking any of the characters, which was a shame, especially since this for the most part depicted real life people who 400 years ago went through hell and back.. I did enjoy Vinegar Tom the most.

I think the epilouge was what moved me the most, and it surprised me that A.K. Blakemore had found real life sources for the book. All in all an enjoyable read, can reccomend to those who want to tread lightly into historical fiction.

This is the sort if book I’m immediately drawn to, I wasn’t disappointed. It was beautifully written, captivating and kept me intrigued. The characters are likeable and the way the fiction is mixed with facts works so well. I would recommend this book to many!

The evil that men do…

It is 1643, the time of the English Civil War. In the town of Manningtree in Essex, men are scarce as the young and fit are off fighting. Rebecca West and her widowed mother are among the women who live on the margins of society, looked down on by the respectable matrons of the town for the crimes of being poor and husbandless. But when Matthew Hopkins arrives in town bringing his Puritanical ideas regarding witches, suddenly these women are seen as a threat – the cause of any ill which may befall one of the town’s worthy residents. And when Matthew Hopkins decides to style himself Witchfinder, the women find themselves in danger…

This is a re-imagining of the true story of the Essex witch trials of 1644-7, led by Hopkins and resulting in the deaths of many women, several of them from Manningtree and Mistley where the book is set. Hopkins died young and very little is known of him other than his witchfinding, and the women are mostly known only through the records of the trials, so Blakemore has created her story from little more than bare bones. In the afterword, she suggests that her aim was to give a voice to these voiceless women, and to tell the story of the persecuted rather than the persecutor. I’d say she succeeds very well.

Rebecca tells us the story in her own voice, and it is certainly not the voice of a shrinking victim. She may be powerless but she has strong opinions and a rebellious nature, and a sense of humour that helps her through the darkest times. She recognises the unfairness in society between rich and poor, man and woman, but there’s nothing she can do to change that so her aim is to get through life as best she can regardless. She has the benefit of physical attractiveness, but her low social status means that men are likely to look to her for sex rather than marriage. She doesn’t think of her mother and her friends as witches, but she knows they have a lot of superstitions, use folklore remedies in treating illnesses, and are not beyond cursing their irreproachable neighbours when angered.

England has been a religious mess since Henry VIII, and the “true faith” has changed so many times it feels understandable that Rebecca and her kind have developed a kind of cynicism over the whole subject. Hopkins, however, is a righteous man, sure of his faith, the most important line in his personal Bible being “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”. Or is it that he’s simply a straightforward religious misogynist, interpreting his sexual feelings towards women through the prism of his Biblical belief that all women are a) sinful and b) cursed? Blakemore gives the reader room to believe either version of him, or both.

The story itself is well told, with an excellent mix of light and dark – the light provided by Rebecca’s resilience and humour, and the dark by the events in which she finds herself caught up. I felt that perhaps the winding-up section at the end went on a little too long, somewhat reducing the impact of the trial and its aftermath, but otherwise I felt the pacing was good, holding my interest throughout.

There is, however, one major problem with the book which prevents me giving it the full five stars, and that, I’m afraid, is in the writing. Blakemore clearly has a lot of talent, but my one piece of advice to her would be to throw out the thesaurus and buy a good dictionary. It is much better to use a plain word correctly than a fancy word wrongly: for example, “rubbing one hand on a sordid apron” – yes, in some contexts sordid and dirty can be synonyms, but not this one. Then there are the shrieking anachronisms – “for shits and giggles”, “coin-operated”, “smack me upside the head”, etc. And the plain errors – who instead of whom, and so on. And sometimes the descriptive passages run away with her completely – “The sunbeams bouncing in through the parlour window feel like hot spindles to his eyes, and slice right through the soft, compromised meat of his head” or “While marching orders and tactical directives deliquesce on the brumal winds, the pyrotechnics of imminent apocalypse shimmer just as rosily on the ice-bound horizon as they ever did.” I hasten to add it’s not all like this by any means – for the most part her writing is very good, but she is clearly trying too hard to be “creative”, and there’s enough of it that it was a constant irritation to me, and took away from my ability to get lost in the story. It is ultimately the author’s responsibility to get the writing right, but yet again I have to ask, what did the editor do to earn his/her fee with this one?

The fact that I still enjoyed it despite these problems is an indication of the strengths of the story, the characterisation and Blakemore’s underlying writing talent. Hopefully as she gains experience she will learn to rely on these things and not stretch too far in a bid for an original turn of phrase. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Granta Publications.