Widdershins

Newcastle Witch Trials #1

by Helen Steadman

Step into the shadowy world of seventeenth-century England with Widdershins, a haunting historical novel that lays bare the terror of the 1650 Newcastle witch trials.

Jane Chandler is a natural healer. Her knowledge of herbal remedies leaves her vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft.

John Sharpe is a witchfinder driven by religious zeal. His crusade against witches is as personal as it is relentless.

In a Puritan society mesmerised by superstition and fear, two destinies collide.

Widdershins is a compelling work of historical witch fiction, blending meticulous research with immersive storytelling.

Bear witness to the quiet courage of the women who endured this harrowing chapter of English history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Witches, Historical, Fiction, 17th Century, Audiobook, British Literature

250 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2017

About the author

Helen Steadman mostly writes biographical historical fiction (think herbs, healing, witch trials, swords, shipwrecks and lighthouses) set in the north east of England.

So far, she’s written the Newcastle Witch Trials trilogy (Widdershins, Sunwise and Solstice), The Running Wolf (about the Shotley Bridge swordmakers) and Grace (about Grace Darling, the Northumbrian lighthouse keeper’s daughter).

And then — because why not — there’s God of Fire set on Mount Olympus, which is absolutely nowhere near the north east of England. (A sequel featuring Aphrodite is in hand.)

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a gifted copy of this book to listen to in exchange for an honest review via the author.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
Widdershins is a gripping story based on true events that happened in England and Scotland in the 1600s.
This book is set on and around the witch trials and is even more devastating knowing this really happened.
The author did an amazing job of capturing the time period and the hardships, superstitions, cruelty and ignorance inflicted during this time as well as the chilling, stomach turning examinations that were inflicted upon supposed witches (male and female).
I loved the character of Jane. How my heart broke for her so many times! The other main POV is John who wasn't a likeable character at all. He was a used by his father as a child and grows up to become his father - cruel and twisted.
This book captured me from the beginning and the narrator suited the book and did a great job with the voices of the characters. I'm now starting book 2!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by true events, this is a fantastically atmospheric book that immerses the reader vividly in seventeenth century north east England and Scotland. The narrative alternates between two main characters: Jane, whose mother is teaching her the skills of midwifery and herbal medicine; and John, a young man brutalised by his mother’s death and violent father. How their two stories will converge and at what point provides the narrative hook to the book.

I loved the period detail and depictions of everyday life such as the evocative description of the Newcastle fair.

‘The craftsmen were there to show off their skills and market their wares. Smiths, tanners, dyers, fullers, weavers and tailors galore. And farmers’ wives and girls sold their produce. Warm cider, weak ale and spiced mead sloshed from jugs. Hogs roasted over fires, filling the air with savoury smells and the crackle of fat melting onto flame. And above it all was the sweet smell of singing hinnies and gingerbread.’

The author does a good job of depicting a time when ignorance, intolerance, fear of change and superstition drove acts of great cruelty, in a lot of cases fuelled by misguided religious belief or a very fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible. Women – especially midwives and herbalists – were a particular target for this and the author depicts in shocking and chilling detail the horrific examinations they were subjected to in order to ‘prove’ their innocence or guilt of the charge of witchcraft. These seem to have been driven by a kind of depraved, sexual hypocrisy.

Jane comes across as very much an innocent, not necessarily understanding all that she sees of her mother’s work and with an open, trusting nature. It’s not difficult to feel empathy with her, especially during the tragic events that lie in wait for her. The author has a more challenging task to provide convincing motivation for the actions of John, who is a monster really. His transformation from abused child to abuser is vividly described but whether it can completely explain his subsequent actions is open to question. There is such a thing as pure evil and it seems to me John is the incarnation of this.

I thought this was an impressive debut and the author succeeded in conjuring up a believable sense of time and place. Because of the subject matter, an uncomfortable read at times, but a really compelling story.

I received an advance reader copy courtesy of publishers, Impress Books, in return for an honest review.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visit the real locations in the novel Widdershins

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Gripping, heartbreaking, insightful, chilling - oh yes - very very chilling. This is one book I won't forget in a hurry. It's based on true facts - the witch trials of Newcastle in the 1650s which were the result of women being persecuted for being women, for giving birth, for taking remedies to soothe pain as they went against God's will apparently....

There are two stories - Jane and John - Jane is a young girl living with women accused of the worst crimes, trying to make her way in the world and being controlled by men at every turn. John is the innocent young boy marred by tragedy and circumstance but it's his transformation which chilled me to the core. Soon he too, is a witch hunter himself -how he changes has to be one of the most frightening things I've witness in a while - I say witness as that's how I felt reading this - as a witness to a shocking period of history. Sharp, raw, visceral language of the day helps cement this in your mind. The aroma of the herbs and the local remedies in the book will scent your tears as they fall...

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Did all women have something of the witch about them?’

I’ve always been interested in the stories of women who were persecuted as ‘witches’ and the shocking trials that occurred around the world in the 1600’s.

“Widdershins” is book one in the *Widdershins series by author Helen Steadman and is inspired by the real life Newcastle witch trials, where up to sixteen people were executed on the same day, marking it as the biggest mass execution for witchcraft in the country. Being my local area I was intrigued to read about this event.

The story is based on real life events, whereby the author created an imagined story of a woman named Jane, who escaped the hangman’s noose from the Scottish ‘witch-finder’.

To say I felt tearful, uncomfortable, enraged and deeply saddened by this story, would be a HUGE understatement! To be accused of witchcraft, simply by being a woman and then sentenced to a cruel death, is one of those events in history that is simply unforgettable and inexcusable. Helen Steadman has captured perfectly the atmosphere of the time, the emotions and feelings of the women at risk of accusation and also the viewpoint of the ‘witch-finder’ and his beliefs that these people have the devil within them. The misogyny, bullying, and abuse from certain men was truly horrific to read and the author held nothing back in this regard. Superbly researched, the author has put her heart and soul in writing this book.

I feel like it’s so wrong to say I really enjoyed this book, due to the nature of the subject but I honestly did and felt a massive empathic connection with the women accused.

There are records that show those persecuted in this story were buried in unmarked graves in the graveyard of St Nicholas Church, Newcastle. The executions took place on the Town Moor in Newcastle, of which I have visited often. I was totally unaware of its history but I know the next time I go, I will definitely feel their pain and anguish. The names of the accused, who were unlawfully executed, are named at the end of the book and I took time to read each name with a huge sadness in my heart.

#Widdershins - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Widdershins - is a term meaning to go counter-clockwise, to go anti-clockwise, or to go lefthandwise, or to walk around an object by always keeping it on the left.

Thank you to Anne at RandomThingsTours for inviting me on this tour and Helen Steadman for my copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was chosen for my book club and there were very mixed opinions on it. I admit I did not get to the very end, I tried my hardest but was essentially just bored. I found the prose and style of language used in the book really put me off and it just didn't live up to expectations at all. I may revisit this book at another time but don't hold your breath. Some of our book club members liked it, others like me, gave up on it. It may or may not be for you.

[MeMe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I had an inexorable desire to read stories about witchcraft and the 17th century witch trials, this book appealed particularly to me because it is set in the North East of England, where I also reside. Based on factual events, this book is sure to make any woman's blood run cold! It was presented in two very different first-person voices, one I warmed to and one I completely loathed, making it difficult for me to enter his dismal mind. In the first chapter, Jane Chandler is the protagonist, raised by her mother Annie and grandmother Meg, two wise women who often used herbs as remedies for ailments ranging from childbirth pains to a winter cough; she is following in their footsteps and taking after them to learn the clan's trade. John Sharpe is a young boy who is cruelly treated by his father and partly blamed for his mother's death during his birth, causing him to have deep mistrust and loathing for the midwife. Because of his childhood experience attending a witch trial with his uncle, he becomes obsessed with labeling all women as witches, shaming them and whoring them. He becomes a violent misogynist for which I have no sympathy. Throughout Jane's story, each scene flows beautifully and I cried for her when tragedy first struck her carefree life. I began to understand just how difficult it must have been back then for ordinary women in small villages, where news is days old and third hand, when going to the city center requires a 15-mile hike, where jobs are rare and women are treated as nothing more than livestock by many men. My disgust with Sharpe's increasingly abusive treatment of his wife and general attitude toward women made me scream. Many of the warped things he does disgust me, and I could not accept the way he thought some of them were acceptable. Using the cruelest and most nastiest means possible, he attempts to become a witchfinder, doing witch trials and torture, testing and pricking innocent women until he proved their innocence or condemned them as witches and sent them to their deaths. It is my hope that their paths will never cross! Oh, cruel John, and innocent Jane, I hope their paths never cross! After starting the book, I found it difficult to put it down after a short period of time. While there was perhaps a little less sense of place than I had hoped for, this may have been a reflection of my own knowledge of the North East region, and I was hoping to see a little bit more recognition there. It was a book that served as a reminder to women of today not to be too complacent and naive, and a warning that some men are just pure evil in the end.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

So far this book has been a huge disappointment. I had the impression that this would be a book about the defence of women at a time when they were often persecuted for being a witch. The opposite has been true. I've hated reading about such disrespect, mistreatment of power and abuse.
If it told a worthy or particularly interesting tale I might feel differently, but, I'd stay away from this one. Even if the end gets better, I've not enjoyed the journey reading it one bit.

Now finished - this book got more vile, graphic and horrible towards the end, and I was disappointed with the ending. It greatly disturbs me that such cruelty and hatred could exist in this world, though I’m not naive enough to believe it gone.

The writing is not bad, and I appreciate the author’s efforts, and her reasons for writing this.

But this has been the most horrible book I’ve ever read. I regret spending my time on this and I wouldn’t wish this journey on anyone.

[4cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading Widdershins, I wasn't aware that in 1650 14 women and one man were put to death accused of witchcraft. The Newcastle Witch Trials seem to have been forgotten yet it was the largest recorded mass execution for witchcraft in English history and Widdershins rights this wrong. One of the most moving things about this novel is the afterword, where Helen Steadman lists the names of the women falsely accused and murdered on the Town Moor.

The novels is told through the characters of Jane an apprentice healer and John who uses religion as a way to abuse and torture women.

A darkly disturbing read which honours the women whose only concern was to protect and care for their communities, especially their own sex.

[bookishcharli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this historical fiction, it was clear from the first chapter that the author had done her research on the 17th century and what the landscape of the UK looked like at that time. This story is based on real events (the witch trails of the 17th century in the North East of England) which makes it even more of a fascinating read to me, and one of the reasons I like to read historical fiction, because I like to learn about things while I read. The injustice that women were put through in this time period is very well documented in this book, especially the examinations and torture they were subjected to in order to prove they were not practicing witchcraft, which we all know in that time period was a very serious crime with very serious consequences.



This book was very well paced and the storyline of the two main characters flowed nicely throughout without any dragging, which can normally happen when you’re basing books off of real events, you usually need to put a lot of filler in but I didn’t get this impression while listening to this one. It was a chilling, suspenseful listen and I thought the narrator did an excellent job at making the novel come to life.

My heart bled for poor Jane, I don’t think she really understood what her mother’s work in midwifery would mean for her future, and you can tell as she’s learning that skill from her mum that she’s being set up for tragedy. My heart didn’t bleed for John though, I understand he was abused as a child by his father, but that’s not an excuse for him to turn into the abuser that he became using religion to torture innocent women. He was absolutely evil, and I couldn’t hate a character more than I hate John.

I can’t wait to start on the second book now, what an incredible read. Thank you so much to the author and Love Books Tours for an audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Widdershins was a book that took me by surprise in the best way possible. The start was a little bit slow for me and I had to get used to the writing style a little but soon enough I was totally hooked by this story. I thought it was really, really great!

The story is written in two points of view that take place over some years. We've got the POV of Jane, a young girl who's an apprentice healer and John who eventually grows from a kind little boy to a callous witch-finder in this book. I probably liked John's POV the most even though it's quite shocking and even disturbing at times in the way he changes throughout the story. It was quite chilling, actually.

I really liked that this story was based on the real witch trials in Newcastle in 1650, although the characters were all fictional. I also thought the writing was wonderful. It took me really back to the 17th century. As someone who enjoys historical books above all else this was really great for me.

This story was as heartbreaking as it was suspenseful. I really had no idea of Jane would make it out of the witch trials alive or if John would be stopped at any point. I won't give away any of these details but it sure was a page-turner, especially towards the end of the story. I had a hard time putting the book down because I just needed to know how everything would end. And trust me when I say the end will make you gasp out loud. I loved how unexpected that was.

Overall, Widdershins by Helen Steadman is a book I'd really recommend. The story will slowly but surely pull you in and not let go until you read the last page. I enjoyed it so very much!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am inexorably drawn to stories of witchcraft and the notorious Witch trials of the 17th century and this one in particular called out loudly to me, especially as it is set in the North East of England, as am I. It is based on factual events that will quite frankly make any womans blood run cold!

Narrated in 2 very different first person voices, one to whom I really warmed and one who was so loathsome and despicable I found it quite difficult being placed inside his warped mind.

The first voice is that of Jane Chandler a young woman raised by her Mother Annie and Grandma Meg - both cunning women with a great knowledge of nature and the uses of herbs as treatments for common folk with all manner of ailments from the pains of childbirth to a winter cough and Jane is following in their footsteps and learning the womens family trade.

Meanwhile we have John Sharpe, whom we meet as a small child and I thought I was going to like this little lad who is cruelly mistreated by his father, partly blamed for his Mothers death in his own birth, triggering a deep mistrust and loathing for the midwives who attended his Mothers confinement. As a child accompanying his uncle to a witch trial he grows so utterly hell bent on naming and shaming and denouncing almost any woman as a witch his mind warps and he becomes a violent mysogynist, for whom I was unable to have one shred of sympathy.

Janes story flows beautifully and when tragedy first strikes this carefree young woman I ached for her. but her knowledge as a herbalist inevitably draws her closer to the dangers of being accused of witchcraft and I really began to appreciate just how difficult it must have been back then, for ordinary women in small communities, where any news that filters through is days old and third hand, when a rare visit to Newcastle city centre means a 15 mile walk in either direction, where jobs are almost non existent and women are regarded as little more than livestock by many menfolk.

John Sharpe grows older and more vile, his treatment of his wife and attitude towards women in general made me want to scream. I found it impossible to accept the way he thought that many of the warped ways he behaves are acceptable and his attempts to justify them sickened me.

He follows the nastiest and cruellest path possible and sets himself up to become a witchfinder, performing witch trials and manhandling, testing and pricking innocent women until he could prove them innocent or denounce them as witches and send them to their deaths. Oh Cruel John and innocent Jane lets just hope their paths never meet!

It took me a little while to get into the book but once I did I couldn't put it down. The characters and storytelling are wonderful and if there is perhaps a little less sense of place than I had hoped for maybe this was only because I know the North East region so well and was perhaps expecting to recognise it just a wee bit more.

A wonderful scary very atmospheric book which serves as a lesson to all women of today not to be too complacent and trusting and a reminder that some men are just pure evil through and through.

[Sudipta Nandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to the author, the book is loosely based on the Newcastle witch trials of 1650. The trials, humiliation of the women, mothers and wives are so vivid that my blood boils.

In ancient Greece, witch is the word for wise woman. Indeed those women were ahead of their times. They knew herbs, child rearing and midwifery. They helped their community and society and what did they get in return?
Clothes ripped in front of dirty eyes, molestation in front of leering eyes and death.

John and Jane's mindset differences indicate the influences of parents or parental figures. It is sad how sweet John became a corrupt, sadist manchild.
I can feel Dora here.

"It pleases me, as it pleases the Lord, to hear the creatures’guttural screams in the pain of childbirth ."

Do not you feel Dora too?

The description of old times, forest, meadow and nature is beautiful. However, I wanted better poetic justice for John. Murderers like that should not have scope to escape. Rather he would have met a real witch and long ordeal from her to understand Newton's third law.

I loved the mentions of Woundwort, Hamamelis or witch hazel, singing hinnies, blood moon and moon blood as well as legends of Elder wood and Beltane Carline.

A great read on the reality of witch trials.

[The Librarian Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was kind of a difficult read for me.
Not because is was bad.
Not at all!
But because of how frustrating and maddening it was to read about how these poor women were treated and thought of. Made even more frustrating by the fact that half of the chapters are written from the view of an actual witch-finder - with all of his prejudice, hate, anger, and vile thoughts towards women included.
This makes this a difficult read.
More difficult than other books I’ve read that are based of the witch trials.
But definitely a book worth reading because of this!

The story of ‘Widdershins’ is based on the very real witch trials in Newcastle, England in 1650.
During these trials it’s thought that fifteen women and one man were found guilty of witchcraft and executed.
The chapters here alternate between Jane Chandler, an apprentice healer from a small village, and John Sharpe, a witch-finder who grew up with beatings from his father and raging religious sermons from his women-hating uncle.

Jane's chapters are full of the beauty and magic of nature, the fierce love of family, the joys and hardships of growing up, falling in love, and the knowledge of herbal magic.
In stark contrast to this John’s chapters are brutal and devastating. He finds no love from his father and his mother died while giving birth to him - which his father blames him for. He’s bounced around between homes before landing at his uncles house where he learns his hatred and mistrust of women.

This story follows these two characters through their lives, Jane learning from her mother how to heal with the use of plants, and John eventually becoming a witch-finder determined to execute as many witches as he possibly can in the name of God.
Eventually their two lives cross over, with devastating effect (though I’m not going to say what happens).

Though difficult, this book was definitely never boring.
I found myself racing through the pages to get to the end and find out what happens!
And I’m SO happy to see that there’s a second book in this series too

[Alex (ReadingBetweenTheNotes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was utterly engrossing and the subject matter was fascinating. I loved reading about Newcastle and Durham, having grown up there and thus recognising places I had been. I also loved the Geordie colloquialisms that the author included and I definitely think this added to my reading experience. I'd be interested to know how non-North-Eastern readers found it and if they understood everything!

Widdershins was extremely well-written and the alternating perspectives were distinctive, which is always something I look for when books feature more than one POV. I thought the relationship between Jane and Tom was lovely, and I enjoyed seeing John's progression from a kind young boy to a zealous witch-hunter. Steadman didn't pull any punches and some scenes were hard-hitting but in a way that added to the already brilliant story.

A superb debut!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read very much. Gave quite a taste of the witch hunts and trials of the 17th century and how women were generally badly treated. Read a book with a similar seafaring strand and could see the ending coming. But would recommend as a good read.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Widdershins takes us into the North East of the mid-seventeenth century and back to a dark, dark place where superstition and mischance are as dangerous as stumbling widdershins around a graveyard in the chill of night.

Jane Chandler has learned the use of herbs and healing from her mother, Anna and Meg, both local wise women. These generous women taught her the old ways and the cunning ways, the traditions and teachings of country folk and how to watch for signs that creep and crumble in the dark.
John Sharpe, a product of his time and Scottish upbringing, seeks to clear the world around him of evil. Evil that he feels can be found in the shape of a woman’s body, in a wife that trembles before him, in the savage fury of his fist and in his absolute belief that witches lurk in all the dark recesses of daily life.

The narrative within Widdershins is superbly controlled by a very talented writer, someone who is a definite weaver of tales, and who has brought to perfect life the inner workings of a disturbed mind. A mind which is convinced that, with God on his side, he can do no wrong. Intertwining Jane and John’s story is inspired and gives a disturbing account of how lives can be brought together and changed irrevocably by the sly capriciousness of fate.

I am intrigued by stories that coalesce, which creep ever so carefully, which cleverly intertwine lives so that truth and fiction merge and blend and become so terrifyingly convincing that it hurts to read about lives which are tumbling out of control. The last section of Widdershins strikes at the very heart of terror. Its calculated evil scared me and I wasn’t anywhere near the witch pricker as he sought to condemn the innocent to their death and send them to lie forever in an unmarked grave, unshriven and unblessed.

Based on the true events of the 1650 Newcastle Witch Trials where sixteen petrified souls were taken to a needless death, the author has brought to life a chilling story of persecution, superstitious mania and terrifying ineptitude.

[Fin Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Widdershins is a hard novel to forget. The characters are so real you can picture them beside you and their fates are as important to you as if you knew them personally. Some to love and some to hate but none you will feel indifferent to. The language is rich and sounds authentic and the story is told unapologetically with no holds barred. This was a book I didn’t want to end and very hard to put down. Helen Steadman knows her subject inside out and gives great insight into a period of history that we should feel ashamed of. Two very different narrators bring us careering towards the horrifying denouement that you almost want to shield your eyes from. I look forward to reading more from this author who brings an authentic accessibility to historical fiction. Nothing less than five stars for Widdershins.

[Andy Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steadman's novel tells a fictionalised version of the witch trial in Newcastle in 1650. It is dually narrated by John Sharpe and Jane Chandler and set in Lanarkshire and Shotley Bridge (north east England) respectively. Amongst the strengths of the story are to offer an explanation of how in that dark part of our history the pressures on a young boy can lead him to a life that he believes is the one God wanted for him. I have read several books about the witch trials trying to understand how such misguided religious mania, or blatant evil, could have took such a grip on people. Most recently Beth Underdown's The Witchfinder's Sister, which is also good reading, but Helen Steadman's novel is stronger, and one of the best I have read on the subject.

[Dana K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrator Performance: 5 stars
Book Rating: 5 stars

Widdershins tells the story of the Newcastle witch trials in 1650, but we join the story when two of the characters whose fates will collide at this horrific event are children.

We see how John, the witchfinder, became so passionate about the work he does through the death of his mother, his wife and child as well as the influence of his abusive father and reverend uncle. We hear the stories of his progression into the career and the women accused along the way. Like with many other stories of this ilk, there is terrible aggression towards Eve's cursed daughters where women who have any knowledge or influence or cross the wrong man are deleted from society in the most horrific way. John is probably the most unlikable character I’ve ever read. I know history is full of these men but oof I just wanted to punch him more and more with every word and action.

Jane is a midwife's daughter whose life seems unfairly cursed from the start. Circumstance after circumstance leads her to her ultimate fate. It nearly seemed inescapable that she would end up where she did. As a woman with a brain and an opinion and a desire to make choices that followed her heart and not a sense of duty she set herself apart in a dangerous way. I was so empathetic towards her and found myself really wishing there was a way out for her. My favorite part of her story was the discussions of the herbs and treatments used at that time point. Oh and the END!

It’s definitely a slow moving story with the trials occurring quite near the end but the details of the time help build the tension to a crescendo. Lots of scenes are quite graphic and the description of the women’s “crimes” will make your blood boil but it is accurate to the trials of the times. Check this one out if you liked Phillippa Gregory’s Tidelands.

Thanks to Love Book Tours for an audio copy. All opinions above are my own.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Chandler is learning how to be a cunning woman from her mother. John Sharpe is being raised by an abusive father who thinks all women are witches. Set against the backdrop of the witch hunts of the mid 17th century, these two characters eventually collide. This story highlights how religion has been used again and again to persecute people and keep others in fear and ignorance. Good piece of historical fiction.

[Lauren Dilbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

a perfect autumnal/Halloween read. Telling the story of a young girl accused of being a witch and the man sent to condemn her it is a superbly told, impeccable researched novel that will keep you hooked until the end I cannot wait to read more from Helen Steadman.

[Tracey the Lizard Queen]

The author is coming to our local library for a talk! I'd better read her book then!

[Sylvy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, cleverly written and at times an uncomfortable read.

[Penny-sue Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book based on the Newcastle witch trials of the 17th Century. Great characters, some of the authors descriptions are quite dark but overall a good historical novel.

[Harriet Springbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't the kind of book I usually read (historical), but I found it absorbing because of the detail and the reactions it provoked in me. Its strength is its depth of research, which gives a strong picture of the environment and the mentalities of the people around 1650 in Newcastle and Scotland. The information about the plants is fascinating, the way the witch-hunters worked troubling and the treatment of women horrific. I did find the story itself a little predictable and the dialogue a little weak, but these are minor criticisms. The author has created a convincing environment which uses the story form to impart lots of interesting information about witches and the way they lived.

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane learns the ways of natural healing from her mother. John is an orphan affected by his bad luck. Each is a product of their time.

Widdershins is absolutely brilliant. Read it.

I’m not sure I can bring myself to say anything else, so wonderful was this story, but I’ll try.

Set in the mid seventeenth century, Widdershins paints the most vivid and disturbing portrait of the times. Helen Steadman shows humanity (or frequently the lack of it) nature, superstition, the church and authority, relationships and life at all levels in a totally absorbing and disturbing read. On occasion I could hardly bear to continue and I kept stopping to put down the book and recover my composure before I read the next part so enraged was I by the attitudes displayed. I had a good idea intellectually about the era and how women were treated, but I’ve never experienced that knowledge so viscerally and emotionally as I did when reading Widdershins.

The characters of Meg, John, Jane, Tom, Annie et al were described so wonderfully through their speech and actions that they came alive as I read. I utterly loathed John but understood him completely so that alongside my hatred, Helen Steadman made me feel sorry for him too. That is masterful writing. I don’t want to reveal any of the plot for fear of spoiling the read for others but there were elements in Jane’s story that had me exclaiming aloud and giving her advice until my husband thought I’d gone quite crazy.

Widdershins is inspired by actual events but this is no dry retelling of our history. Helen Steadman is as much a witch in her spellbinding ability to enthral the reader as any of those in the story. I’m not usually overly fond of dual narratives but the stories of Jane and John absorbed me entirely and as their lives began to converge my heart genuinely thumped louder. Widdershins is historical fiction at its best, but it’s also a roller coaster read of emotion and thrills too.

I really like the way Widdershins is divided into three sections, perhaps representing the superstitious number three and its significance in the holy trinity and folklore that underpin the story.

However, an aspect that I think really took Widdershins from a very good read to an outstanding one for me was the overall quality of the prose. There’s a cracking plot, historical accuracy, naturalistic dialogue befitting the era and wonderful characterisation, but best of all is the beauty and rawness of the language. The natural descriptions took me back to my childhood and I felt there wasn’t a word out of place. I was there with Jane picking elder flowers for example.

Initially I wasn’t especially looking forward to reading Widdershins as I thought it might be dry and ‘worthy’. Instead I discovered a vivid and dynamic story that transported me back in time it and cannot recommend Widdershins highly enough.
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[Michelle Ryles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Widdershins is an absolutely exceptional book, based on real events that took place in the North East of England, where I live. The story is told from the perspective of two outstanding main characters: John Sharpe and Jane Chandler. As we watch these two youngsters grow up several miles apart, we see them evolve into adults whose stories are destined to fatefully intertwine in Newcastle upon Tyne.

John Sharpe who was brought into the world in Scotland by local midwife, Dora, who unfortunately couldn't save his mother. John was born with a set of teeth which gave his father the perfect excuse to blame John for his mother's death, when he wasn't blaming Dora of course. Dora took John for safekeeping and brought him up until his father died and John was sent to live with his Uncle James. Uncle James plants poisonous seeds in John's young mind that grow into deadly vines dripping with hatred against innocent women who use herbs to help people's ailments.

Jane Chandler lives in a small village near Shotley Bridge on the banks of the River Derwent, 15 miles outside of Newcastle upon Tyne. Both Jane's mother, Annie, and local woman Meg, are well-known healers who prepare remedies for the sick. Some of the children call Meg a witch, but Jane and her friend Tom hold Meg in high regard and it's not only Meg who knows that Jane and Tom are destined to be together. For Jane, however, the course of true love doesn't run smooth. Jane's future has her destined to cross paths with John Sharpe and his deadly witch pricker in a breathtaking showdown where only one of them will survive.

Reading Widdershins is like having a time machine into the past as Helen Steadman completely immerses us in the 17th Century. I could almost smell the herbs in Jane's village and the foul stench of the Tyne as Jane and her mother queued to get through the town wall. I absolutely adored the authenticity of the regional dialect as words that are part of our Northern heritage are used and I realised that sadly so many of them have been lost over time. There really isn't a word out of place in this exceptional book.

Widdershins is an immersive and compelling debut, I was completely transfixed from start to finish. It's a mark of a good book when I am so absorbed that I almost forget to drink my morning cup of tea! Top marks for an exceptional debut that was written for Helen Steadman's master's degree. A recommended read and one I will most definitely read again.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Bardbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Widdershins" is an engrossing book, with well-developed fictional characters who feel authentic as they speak to us across the span of almost four centuries. Steadman creates voices that sound true, in settings that feel quite real because of the author's bewitching way with sensory and historical details.

I was drawn to this novel because of the historical connection to healers--mostly women--who took care of their communities, investing lifetimes of learning to practice, expand, and preserve their profession amidst great personal risk. It can be very difficult for a 21st-century reader to grasp the mindsets of 17th-century witch hunters and the frightened communities who watched their healers hang and burn; following Jane the healer and John the witch-finder from childhood to adulthood provides two fascinating points of view and grounds to better understand this phenomenon.

Steadman is planning a sequel, which may soothe other readers who find the last chapter unforgivably tragic.

[Denise Trueman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book though a bit gruesome

A well written account of the Newcastle witch trials. Starting with the stories of a young romance, a special relationship between mother and daughter and a very troubled young man. Great book but I had to put it down a couple of times. It’s a tough read, especially as you realise parts of it are based on fact.

[Sharon Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming on tour!