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The Bewitching
A dazzling, shocking novel that speaks to our times, drawing on the 16th-century case of the witches of Warboys.
Alice Samuel might be old and sharp-tongued, but she's no fool. Visiting her new neighbours in her Fenland village, she suspects Squire Throckmorton's household is not as God-fearing as it seems and finds the children troubled. Yet when one of the daughters accuses her of witchcraft, Alice has no inkling of how quickly matters will escalate and fails to grasp the danger she is in.
As evidence mounts against Alice, soon the entire village is swept up in the frenzied persecution of one of their own community.
Exploring a neglected episode of English history to powerful effect, The Bewitching vividly conveys the brutal tribalism that can erupt in a closed society and how victims can be made to believe in their own wickedness.
Alice Samuel might be old and sharp-tongued, but she's no fool. Visiting her new neighbours in her Fenland village, she suspects Squire Throckmorton's household is not as God-fearing as it seems and finds the children troubled. Yet when one of the daughters accuses her of witchcraft, Alice has no inkling of how quickly matters will escalate and fails to grasp the danger she is in.
As evidence mounts against Alice, soon the entire village is swept up in the frenzied persecution of one of their own community.
Exploring a neglected episode of English history to powerful effect, The Bewitching vividly conveys the brutal tribalism that can erupt in a closed society and how victims can be made to believe in their own wickedness.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2022
21 people are currently reading
1771 people want to read
About the author
Jill Dawson
42 books98 followersJill Dawson was born in Durham and grew up in Staffordshire, Essex and Yorkshire. She read American Studies at the University of Nottingham, then took a series of short-term jobs in London before studying for an MA in Writing at Sheffield Hallam University. In 1997 she was the British Council Writing Fellow at Amherst College, Massachussets.
Her writing life began as a poet, her poems being published in a variety of small press magazines, and in one pamphlet collection, White Fish with Painted Nails (1990). She won an Eric Gregory Award for her poetry in 1992.
She edited several books for Virago, including The Virago Book of Wicked Verse (1992) and The Virago Book of Love Letters (1994). She has also edited a collection of short stories, School Tales: Stories by Young Women (1990), and with co-editor Margo Daly, Wild Ways: New Stories about Women on the Road (1998) and Gas and Air: Tales of Pregnancy and Birth (2002). She is the author of one book of non-fiction for teenagers, How Do I Look? (1991), which deals with the subject of self-esteem.
Jill Dawson is the author of five novels: Trick of the Light (1996); Magpie (1998), for which she won a London Arts Board New Writers Award; Fred and Edie (2000); Wild Boy (2003); and most recently, Watch Me Disappear (2006). Fred and Edie is based on the historic murder trial of Thompson and Bywaters, and was shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and the 2001 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her next novel, The Great Lover, is due for publication in early 2009.
Jill Dawson has taught Creative Writing for many years and was recently the Creative Writing Fellow at the University of East Anglia. She lives with her family in the Cambridgeshire Fens.
Her writing life began as a poet, her poems being published in a variety of small press magazines, and in one pamphlet collection, White Fish with Painted Nails (1990). She won an Eric Gregory Award for her poetry in 1992.
She edited several books for Virago, including The Virago Book of Wicked Verse (1992) and The Virago Book of Love Letters (1994). She has also edited a collection of short stories, School Tales: Stories by Young Women (1990), and with co-editor Margo Daly, Wild Ways: New Stories about Women on the Road (1998) and Gas and Air: Tales of Pregnancy and Birth (2002). She is the author of one book of non-fiction for teenagers, How Do I Look? (1991), which deals with the subject of self-esteem.
Jill Dawson is the author of five novels: Trick of the Light (1996); Magpie (1998), for which she won a London Arts Board New Writers Award; Fred and Edie (2000); Wild Boy (2003); and most recently, Watch Me Disappear (2006). Fred and Edie is based on the historic murder trial of Thompson and Bywaters, and was shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and the 2001 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her next novel, The Great Lover, is due for publication in early 2009.
Jill Dawson has taught Creative Writing for many years and was recently the Creative Writing Fellow at the University of East Anglia. She lives with her family in the Cambridgeshire Fens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
January 23, 2023
finally a book about the witch craze and a witch hunt/trial that is actually well researched and executed
March 11, 2023
3⭐️; Hardcopy; Historical Fiction;
A twisted tale of old witchery and powerful men during the witchhunt era.
Alice has always been labeled with malice for her vile words and unwomanly outbursts.
So it is not a shock when she is accused of a most heinous crime; being a witch and cursing 3 young girls from the wealthy family next door.
What will she do? And who would believe her? The poor wife of a simple man.
She does her best to refute these constant claims but it is no use; She has been labeled. The powerful maintain their grip on the lower society and change the narrative to fit their accusations. It is no use, she will hang for her sins. But what of her family? What will happened to them?
And the maid, why does she look at her like that? Why is she so drawn to Alice when she knows she is hurting her wards.
A twisted tale of old witchery and powerful men during the witchhunt era.
Alice has always been labeled with malice for her vile words and unwomanly outbursts.
So it is not a shock when she is accused of a most heinous crime; being a witch and cursing 3 young girls from the wealthy family next door.
What will she do? And who would believe her? The poor wife of a simple man.
She does her best to refute these constant claims but it is no use; She has been labeled. The powerful maintain their grip on the lower society and change the narrative to fit their accusations. It is no use, she will hang for her sins. But what of her family? What will happened to them?
And the maid, why does she look at her like that? Why is she so drawn to Alice when she knows she is hurting her wards.
July 6, 2022
A fascinating, atmospheric, and gripping historical fiction about The Witches of Warboys trial. It's the fascinating portrait of an era and of the atmosphere around a the trials.
It starts with voices and, as it often happened, the accused is an old woman who dabbles in herbs and healing.
The story is told by Martha, an interesting character that knew all the people involved.
The historical background is well researched and vivid, it's like reading a real diary.
The characters are fleshed out and it's interesting to read about the mix of paranoia and power play.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It starts with voices and, as it often happened, the accused is an old woman who dabbles in herbs and healing.
The story is told by Martha, an interesting character that knew all the people involved.
The historical background is well researched and vivid, it's like reading a real diary.
The characters are fleshed out and it's interesting to read about the mix of paranoia and power play.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
April 28, 2023
— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Bewitching
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Jill Dawson
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Fiction
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 7th July 2022
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 28th April 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.5/5
The Bewitching is a menacing story weaved to retell the witches of Warboys trial that saw the five young daughters of the Squire accuse their neighbours and a family of three; Alice, Nessie, and John, of witchcraft.
I thought that this book came across well researched in both its facts and fiction. Set in 1542, misogyny was a normal currency and the fear of witches spread quickly through many continents. This fear evoked the worst behaviours in many people, finger pointing, torture disguised as witch tests, and the killing of an incredible amount of women, and some men.
The Bewitching is very gruesome in its entertainments. No matter how much we cover up with niceties, being a human is gross. The author does not shy away from exposing all our shortfalls.
I really enjoyed the POV from Martha, who is deaf in one ear and assumes a position in the Squire’s household that falls somewhere between maid and governess. We also get some POV from Alice too, the first of our accused, and I understand why this was included, but I actually wish that it was all Martha collecting secrets from everyone, even ones that concerned herself.
I wasn’t too fussed on the ending. I think that the author followed the facts rather than the fiction when it came to the ending and I do wish artistic license was explored here, however, I’ve recently learned that apparently the world doesn’t revolve around me, so this opinion is entirely my own and it’s up to you whether you hold this in any regard.
—Kayleigh🤍
@ Welsh Book Fairy🧚♀️✨
♡Booksta
♡Twitter
♡Blog
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Bewitching
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Jill Dawson
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Fiction
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 7th July 2022
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 28th April 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.5/5
The Bewitching is a menacing story weaved to retell the witches of Warboys trial that saw the five young daughters of the Squire accuse their neighbours and a family of three; Alice, Nessie, and John, of witchcraft.
I thought that this book came across well researched in both its facts and fiction. Set in 1542, misogyny was a normal currency and the fear of witches spread quickly through many continents. This fear evoked the worst behaviours in many people, finger pointing, torture disguised as witch tests, and the killing of an incredible amount of women, and some men.
The Bewitching is very gruesome in its entertainments. No matter how much we cover up with niceties, being a human is gross. The author does not shy away from exposing all our shortfalls.
I really enjoyed the POV from Martha, who is deaf in one ear and assumes a position in the Squire’s household that falls somewhere between maid and governess. We also get some POV from Alice too, the first of our accused, and I understand why this was included, but I actually wish that it was all Martha collecting secrets from everyone, even ones that concerned herself.
I wasn’t too fussed on the ending. I think that the author followed the facts rather than the fiction when it came to the ending and I do wish artistic license was explored here, however, I’ve recently learned that apparently the world doesn’t revolve around me, so this opinion is entirely my own and it’s up to you whether you hold this in any regard.
—Kayleigh🤍
@ Welsh Book Fairy🧚♀️✨
♡Booksta
♡Blog
October 24, 2022
I loved the cover, title and I have really enjoyed some of Jill Dawson's previous books. I found this one a struggle to get into. Found it hard to follow in places. I will admit I only made it to 150 pages (about half way) and it just didn't really grip me enough to want to carry on with it. If you are interested in this subject however Stacey Halls book the Familiars is a great read based on true events.
August 24, 2022
Well-researched and slow burn, but for me it just didn't pick up. It was well written, but nothing quite hooked me and I ended up feeling like I was dragging through it. There are a number of recent witch-related releases, and for me, this one doesn't live up to the hype or cut through.
March 8, 2023
This was a good, solid 3.5🌟 read that I was enjoying - the last 70-80 pages made it a definite 4🌟 experience.
June 26, 2022
The Bewitching is a compelling novel about Elizabethan womanhood and witchcraft.
There have been quite a few British historical novels about witches of late, and I was interested to see how The Bewitching would approach the topic. Dawson captures the specific nuances of Elizabethan witchcraft well, and there is historical research woven seamlessly throughout the narrative. While it's possible to predict some of the plot twists, that doesn't undermine the sinister atmosphere and the very tangible sense of tension brewing.
Martha is an engaging narrator: caught somewhere between the Throckmorton family and the servants, she is able to piece together different parts fo the story. Alice is delighfully difficult: unlikeable and sympathetic all at once.
If you know anything about the witches of Warboys, the ending is a given, but Dawson still manages to make this retelling a real page-turner.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
There have been quite a few British historical novels about witches of late, and I was interested to see how The Bewitching would approach the topic. Dawson captures the specific nuances of Elizabethan witchcraft well, and there is historical research woven seamlessly throughout the narrative. While it's possible to predict some of the plot twists, that doesn't undermine the sinister atmosphere and the very tangible sense of tension brewing.
Martha is an engaging narrator: caught somewhere between the Throckmorton family and the servants, she is able to piece together different parts fo the story. Alice is delighfully difficult: unlikeable and sympathetic all at once.
If you know anything about the witches of Warboys, the ending is a given, but Dawson still manages to make this retelling a real page-turner.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
October 30, 2022
I'm fascinated by the subject and grabbed this when I stumbled across it at the library. But I didn't enjoy the storytelling that much. I found it repetitive at times and there were chunks where not much happened.
I'm drawn towards women's stories and that's probably what kept me reading. We're told at the beginning that although the characters are fictional, the events happened in Warboys during 1589-93.
"She'd speak her mind no matter what cost, and in a woman that's lamentable."
"When did the skills of a cunning woman become witchcraft? When did Elizabeth Mortlock, with her magic girdle and prayers that so helped women in childbed, become wicked - when did that change, and admiration and trust in the secret knowledge of women in their great sufferings turn to fear and arrests?"
"There is a line of them. Friends and enemies both... But witchcraft is is a different thing. The louder they are in accusing, the less likely they, too, will ever be named a witch... The times when Alice made them a thorn apple soporific for their pains, or goose grease for their breathing troubles, or a cake of hemp seed and rhubarb root for their pain in childbed, indeed the many children she had seen into this world, oh, all of those are long forgotten. Instead it is the times she scolded their children, drove them from her house for chasing her hens, or refused a neighbour bread or barm when she had little herself or was not in the mood to be generous... Whatever their reasons (and she was not certain they even needed reasons, such is the way wickedness gathers once it has been fanned into life), the people of Warboys line up."
I'm drawn towards women's stories and that's probably what kept me reading. We're told at the beginning that although the characters are fictional, the events happened in Warboys during 1589-93.
"She'd speak her mind no matter what cost, and in a woman that's lamentable."
"When did the skills of a cunning woman become witchcraft? When did Elizabeth Mortlock, with her magic girdle and prayers that so helped women in childbed, become wicked - when did that change, and admiration and trust in the secret knowledge of women in their great sufferings turn to fear and arrests?"
"There is a line of them. Friends and enemies both... But witchcraft is is a different thing. The louder they are in accusing, the less likely they, too, will ever be named a witch... The times when Alice made them a thorn apple soporific for their pains, or goose grease for their breathing troubles, or a cake of hemp seed and rhubarb root for their pain in childbed, indeed the many children she had seen into this world, oh, all of those are long forgotten. Instead it is the times she scolded their children, drove them from her house for chasing her hens, or refused a neighbour bread or barm when she had little herself or was not in the mood to be generous... Whatever their reasons (and she was not certain they even needed reasons, such is the way wickedness gathers once it has been fanned into life), the people of Warboys line up."
Read
July 10, 2023Jill Dawson’s The Bewitching is a mesmerising piece of historical literary fiction inspired by the real-life witch trial that came to be known as the Witches of Warboys.
The trial, which took place in the late 16th century in Cambridgeshire village of Warboys, concerned the accusations of witchcraft directed at local woman Alice Samuel.
Dawson’s novelisation of that event is a staggering and moving piece of historical fiction which begins with Alice introducing herself to her new neighbours: the Throckmortons and their serving staff.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/magical-books...
The trial, which took place in the late 16th century in Cambridgeshire village of Warboys, concerned the accusations of witchcraft directed at local woman Alice Samuel.
Dawson’s novelisation of that event is a staggering and moving piece of historical fiction which begins with Alice introducing herself to her new neighbours: the Throckmortons and their serving staff.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/magical-books...
October 27, 2022
Marvellous strange.
Gripping.
Outstanding.
Gripping.
Outstanding.
August 23, 2022
23.08.2022
The Bewitching tells the story of the real trial of the witches of Warboys from the 1590s. Alice Samuel is a sharp-tongued wise woman - she helps her community with her herbal remedies, cures ailments and helps ease the dangers of childbirth. When Alice visits the Throckmorton household to try to ease their youngest daughter’s fits, she is shocked to find herself accused of bewitching the young Jane. She has been labelled a witch. As evidence mounts, accusations are thrown, neighbour turns on neighbour, and Alice finds herself in the middle of a witch hunt.
This story is told from the alternating perspectives of Alice, the main accused witch, and Martha, the loyal servant of the Throckmorton family. While this did serve the story well in terms of getting a full picture of how both parties were reacting to the accusations and ‘possessions’ of the girls, I do feel like Alice’s POV needed to be more developed earlier on in the book. I only really felt like I understood her character within the last 50 or so pages. Which is such a shame! As I think her perspective would’ve been a really interesting one to read more and delve into - the anxiety, how victims can come to believe in their own wickedness, how it feels to have everyone turn against you.
While I do think the story took a little too long to get going for me, it really did pay off in the end! It all came together so tragically and beautifully. Every time I read a witch trial book, the injustice of it all just hits me so hard. It’s easy to forget the origins of the trials amongst the cauldrons and broomsticks - but this shit was real and these women (also men, but mostly women) suffered such horrific treatment.
So yeah, an interesting and fresh take on a sixteenth century witch trial! Not my favourite take on a trial, but I’m glad I read it! And I’m definitely going to look more into this trial - I hadn’t heard of it before picking this up!
The Bewitching tells the story of the real trial of the witches of Warboys from the 1590s. Alice Samuel is a sharp-tongued wise woman - she helps her community with her herbal remedies, cures ailments and helps ease the dangers of childbirth. When Alice visits the Throckmorton household to try to ease their youngest daughter’s fits, she is shocked to find herself accused of bewitching the young Jane. She has been labelled a witch. As evidence mounts, accusations are thrown, neighbour turns on neighbour, and Alice finds herself in the middle of a witch hunt.
This story is told from the alternating perspectives of Alice, the main accused witch, and Martha, the loyal servant of the Throckmorton family. While this did serve the story well in terms of getting a full picture of how both parties were reacting to the accusations and ‘possessions’ of the girls, I do feel like Alice’s POV needed to be more developed earlier on in the book. I only really felt like I understood her character within the last 50 or so pages. Which is such a shame! As I think her perspective would’ve been a really interesting one to read more and delve into - the anxiety, how victims can come to believe in their own wickedness, how it feels to have everyone turn against you.
While I do think the story took a little too long to get going for me, it really did pay off in the end! It all came together so tragically and beautifully. Every time I read a witch trial book, the injustice of it all just hits me so hard. It’s easy to forget the origins of the trials amongst the cauldrons and broomsticks - but this shit was real and these women (also men, but mostly women) suffered such horrific treatment.
So yeah, an interesting and fresh take on a sixteenth century witch trial! Not my favourite take on a trial, but I’m glad I read it! And I’m definitely going to look more into this trial - I hadn’t heard of it before picking this up!
October 12, 2025
This was brilliantly researched and told which made it even more devastating. A story of a 'witch hunt,' and the ways in which witchcraft accusations changed family dynamics, quickly gained traction, and ultimately left the accused questioning themselves.
The louder they are in accusing, the less likely they, too, will ever be named a witch
The more I learn about witches and the history (HIS - STORY) of witch trials in the UK specifically, the angrier I get - it used to be a dull sort of abhorrence that I could separate from quite easily, whereas now it feels deeply personal and very much a part of women's lives everywhere. The rounding up and murdering of women (after horrendous torture, isolation and almost always some sort of sexual assault) cannot be separated from our present; the very fact that women still sense an unease on occasion in being loud, outspoken, powerful, is BECAUSE we were hunted for possessing those very traits, only up until the early 1700s! In fact the last imprisonment (but not execution) under the witchcraft act of 1735 (begs the question of why on earth we use such ancient laws but thats a diff conversation) was in 1945! How on earth is that NOT relevant to women today? Not to mention the generational trauma every one of us is storing inside us; god forbid we have any talent more powerful than mans, that we're funnier or know things they don't.
Though distressing, this book was really well researched which made it all the more horrifying. Loved the little ode to Sylvia in 'out of the ashes, I rise with my red hair,' possibly one of my favourite lines of poetry ever.
The louder they are in accusing, the less likely they, too, will ever be named a witch
The more I learn about witches and the history (HIS - STORY) of witch trials in the UK specifically, the angrier I get - it used to be a dull sort of abhorrence that I could separate from quite easily, whereas now it feels deeply personal and very much a part of women's lives everywhere. The rounding up and murdering of women (after horrendous torture, isolation and almost always some sort of sexual assault) cannot be separated from our present; the very fact that women still sense an unease on occasion in being loud, outspoken, powerful, is BECAUSE we were hunted for possessing those very traits, only up until the early 1700s! In fact the last imprisonment (but not execution) under the witchcraft act of 1735 (begs the question of why on earth we use such ancient laws but thats a diff conversation) was in 1945! How on earth is that NOT relevant to women today? Not to mention the generational trauma every one of us is storing inside us; god forbid we have any talent more powerful than mans, that we're funnier or know things they don't.
Though distressing, this book was really well researched which made it all the more horrifying. Loved the little ode to Sylvia in 'out of the ashes, I rise with my red hair,' possibly one of my favourite lines of poetry ever.
August 1, 2022
I seem to have read quite a few historical novels about witch trials over the last few years – The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown, The Familiars by Stacey Halls and Widdershins by Helen Steadman, to name just three. Jill Dawson’s latest novel, The Bewitching, is another and it tells the story of the Witches of Warboys. I had never read anything about this particular case until now, yet it’s apparently one of the best-known of the 16th century witch trials and is thought to have strongly influenced the Witchcraft Act of 1604. In her author’s note, Jill Dawson states that many of the details described in the novel appeared in a pamphlet published at the time, although she has shortened the time frame and invented some of the characters and incidents.
Most of the novel is narrated by Martha, a servant in the household of the Throckmortons, a wealthy family who live in the village of Warboys in Cambridgeshire. Abandoned at birth by her mother and raised by a nun, Martha has been in the service of the Throckmortons for many years now and has watched her master, Robert Throckmorton, rise in the world to his current position of Squire of Warboys Manor. When, one by one, the Squire’s five young daughters begin to suffer from sudden attacks of shaking and twitching, Martha is as distressed as if they were her own children. No one knows what is causing these fits, but one daughter after another accuses a neighbour, Alice Samuel, of bewitching them.
To the reader, it seems obvious from the beginning that Alice is innocent – and Martha also feels uneasy about the girls’ accusations, but knows that as a servant her opinion is unlikely to be wanted or welcomed. Although it’s clear that Alice is not a witch, what is less clear is why five previously healthy children should all suddenly be struck with the same affliction and why they should all choose to blame a woman who has done nothing to harm them. There’s a sense of mystery running throughout the whole novel which I found quite unsettling, because even if nobody has actually been ‘bewitched’, there’s definitely something sinister going on at Warboys Manor.
We don’t see very much of Alice’s point of view until later in the book, when she is forced to stand trial at Huntingdon Assizes in 1593 and her daughter, Nessie, and husband, John, also find themselves accused. By this time three ‘scholars of divinity’ have arrived from Cambridge University armed with a handbook on witch-hunting, the Malleus Maleficarum, and further accusations against the Samuels have been made by the powerful Cromwell family. In this atmosphere of superstition, misogyny and fear, poor Alice doesn’t stand a chance.
I found The Bewitching very slow at first, but it became more absorbing later on – and there were even one or two twists, which hadn’t occurred to me but probably should have done! The time period is beautifully evoked, with the language carefully chosen to suit the era and sometimes taken straight from the historical accounts (Alice wears a ‘black thrumbed cap’ and the girls don’t just ‘have fits’ – they are always described as being ‘in their fits’). It’s an eerie and unusual novel and although it didn’t always succeed in holding my attention, I enjoyed it overall. I’ll have to look for Jill Dawson’s earlier books now; she’s written so many and I don’t know how I’ve never come across any of them before!
Most of the novel is narrated by Martha, a servant in the household of the Throckmortons, a wealthy family who live in the village of Warboys in Cambridgeshire. Abandoned at birth by her mother and raised by a nun, Martha has been in the service of the Throckmortons for many years now and has watched her master, Robert Throckmorton, rise in the world to his current position of Squire of Warboys Manor. When, one by one, the Squire’s five young daughters begin to suffer from sudden attacks of shaking and twitching, Martha is as distressed as if they were her own children. No one knows what is causing these fits, but one daughter after another accuses a neighbour, Alice Samuel, of bewitching them.
To the reader, it seems obvious from the beginning that Alice is innocent – and Martha also feels uneasy about the girls’ accusations, but knows that as a servant her opinion is unlikely to be wanted or welcomed. Although it’s clear that Alice is not a witch, what is less clear is why five previously healthy children should all suddenly be struck with the same affliction and why they should all choose to blame a woman who has done nothing to harm them. There’s a sense of mystery running throughout the whole novel which I found quite unsettling, because even if nobody has actually been ‘bewitched’, there’s definitely something sinister going on at Warboys Manor.
We don’t see very much of Alice’s point of view until later in the book, when she is forced to stand trial at Huntingdon Assizes in 1593 and her daughter, Nessie, and husband, John, also find themselves accused. By this time three ‘scholars of divinity’ have arrived from Cambridge University armed with a handbook on witch-hunting, the Malleus Maleficarum, and further accusations against the Samuels have been made by the powerful Cromwell family. In this atmosphere of superstition, misogyny and fear, poor Alice doesn’t stand a chance.
I found The Bewitching very slow at first, but it became more absorbing later on – and there were even one or two twists, which hadn’t occurred to me but probably should have done! The time period is beautifully evoked, with the language carefully chosen to suit the era and sometimes taken straight from the historical accounts (Alice wears a ‘black thrumbed cap’ and the girls don’t just ‘have fits’ – they are always described as being ‘in their fits’). It’s an eerie and unusual novel and although it didn’t always succeed in holding my attention, I enjoyed it overall. I’ll have to look for Jill Dawson’s earlier books now; she’s written so many and I don’t know how I’ve never come across any of them before!
January 20, 2023
A fascinating (tragic) story, based on actual events, interestingly told.
November 2, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
September 28, 2022
Preach
July 15, 2022
Well researched historical books based on true events, especially those that delve into the hysteria of witch accusations and trials are my favourite. However, I did not race through this book as I would normally do as I found it very slow to get going and I did not particularly engage with any of the main characters. I enjoyed the latter part if the book much more as the story developed. I gave this book 2.5 stars rounded up to three.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this e advance review copy.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this e advance review copy.
December 19, 2023
i heard about this book during a podcast, ordered it - and was excited to start reading it. Despite being well research, i am disappointed that it has not captured my imagination or intrique. I am not sure why - whether its the style of writing (is it old english or not), about the characters (all dislikable and none gaining my compassion or empathy) or the disjointed narrative..... but I wasn't able to engage with the book. Not even a third of the way - and in to the charity shop bag. Hopefully someone will buy and enjoy it (or not) and it can get passed on again ....
September 26, 2023
I really enjoyed this fictional telling of the witch trial of Warboys. It was very atmospheric and also shines a light on the treatment of women in the late 16th century.
August 27, 2023
I wanted to love this, I just found it very slow and hard to get into and so I didn’t get past the first 100 pages. Very well-written, just not for me.
thank-u-next
January 15, 2024Inconsistent to bad writing from the start. Also, I forgot how annoyed I am about the gazillions of books about witch trials that never do anything new with the topic.
February 5, 2025
Thought this was going to be a little more exciting than it was
December 7, 2022
Let me tell you a story. We know how it will end. It is an old story already told, in which men are nasty, women are their victims, and alternative truths are enough to get you killed. As we shudder in the aftershock of Trump and his neo-Salem era of the hysterical mob told to chant “ditch the bitch,” poor Hilary Clinton was just one letter away from being decried a “Witch.” One hundred years before the Salem Witch Trials, England had it’s very own Witches of Warboys sensation in 1593. Alice Samuels and her family are accused of witchcraft, found guilty and hung. Execution is so definitive, there can be no going back, and so even the doubters, the victims, the innocent, and the guilty, must convince themselves that all is true – the story has been told. In her latest novel “The Bewitching,” Jill Dawson, re-tells this story, taking on the historical ghosts, superstitions, and miasma of the Fens to make something solid – a beautifully crafted crystal ball that we can hold in our hands and marvel at the jewel like prose.
I first attempted to read the book whilst self-isolating with a bad dose of Covid; the gorgeous book jacket design became covered with a domino row of white plastic tests; all positive. Fever and brain fog were not best suited to dealing with misogyny, sorcery and the devil’s work. On holiday, far from little olde England, the harsh sun of the Ardeche forced me to read in the shade, safe from Fenland vipers, the whims of Landed Gentry, children having fits and folklore cures. Dawson brilliantly evokes the tiny, cut-off world in which the characters exist and the drama unfolds – it is all so understandable. And drawing a heavy breath from the here and now, it is so horribly inevitable – Me Too – Me Too, I hear the carved angels in the churchyard calling. I forgot this was an historical novel until I closed it and watched my son take a Covid test.
I first attempted to read the book whilst self-isolating with a bad dose of Covid; the gorgeous book jacket design became covered with a domino row of white plastic tests; all positive. Fever and brain fog were not best suited to dealing with misogyny, sorcery and the devil’s work. On holiday, far from little olde England, the harsh sun of the Ardeche forced me to read in the shade, safe from Fenland vipers, the whims of Landed Gentry, children having fits and folklore cures. Dawson brilliantly evokes the tiny, cut-off world in which the characters exist and the drama unfolds – it is all so understandable. And drawing a heavy breath from the here and now, it is so horribly inevitable – Me Too – Me Too, I hear the carved angels in the churchyard calling. I forgot this was an historical novel until I closed it and watched my son take a Covid test.
August 19, 2025
This 16th century tale tells the true story of a woman accused by her neighbours of witchcraft.
Visiting her new neighbours in the Fenland village of Warboys, Alice Samuels meets the daughters of Squire Throckmorton, gifted the position by Sir Henry Cromwell.
One of the girls, Jane, is experiencing terrifying fits. Jane points to Alice and calls her an ‘old witch’.
Martha, the servant whose mother was a nun, looks after the Throckmorton children. Martha senses that there is some kind of ‘wrongness’ in the Throckmorton household. The son, Gabriel is in disgrace and is being sent away, and nobody knows why. She watches all this going on, but feels her position as servant doesn’t entitle her to say anything. The master is strangely keen to ask her counsel about things.
The fits spread to the other girls, and the doctor says the cause is ‘sorcery’. More ‘signs’ of Alice’s witchery arise—many of them simply tricks the girls use to get attention—many simply made up. Even the lice in Bessie’s hair are a ‘sign’. High-born as they are, their word is taken as evidence.
This is a credible account of a conspiracy theory gaining traction and snowballing, but the narrator, Martha, never actually denies the craziness, so the reader is swept along. It’s a bygone time, when life centred around the master’s great house. The local abbey lies in ruins; the black-hooded monks with their silver incense burners gone, the nuns told to get married. The old herbs are considered witchery, the old prayers popery. The dynamics between the servants, their masters and the children make the story all the more tragic.
It’s well written, and there are some lovely agricultural metaphors. I found it quite effective that the story was told from a servant’s point of view.
This review first appeared in Historical Novels Review.
Visiting her new neighbours in the Fenland village of Warboys, Alice Samuels meets the daughters of Squire Throckmorton, gifted the position by Sir Henry Cromwell.
One of the girls, Jane, is experiencing terrifying fits. Jane points to Alice and calls her an ‘old witch’.
Martha, the servant whose mother was a nun, looks after the Throckmorton children. Martha senses that there is some kind of ‘wrongness’ in the Throckmorton household. The son, Gabriel is in disgrace and is being sent away, and nobody knows why. She watches all this going on, but feels her position as servant doesn’t entitle her to say anything. The master is strangely keen to ask her counsel about things.
The fits spread to the other girls, and the doctor says the cause is ‘sorcery’. More ‘signs’ of Alice’s witchery arise—many of them simply tricks the girls use to get attention—many simply made up. Even the lice in Bessie’s hair are a ‘sign’. High-born as they are, their word is taken as evidence.
This is a credible account of a conspiracy theory gaining traction and snowballing, but the narrator, Martha, never actually denies the craziness, so the reader is swept along. It’s a bygone time, when life centred around the master’s great house. The local abbey lies in ruins; the black-hooded monks with their silver incense burners gone, the nuns told to get married. The old herbs are considered witchery, the old prayers popery. The dynamics between the servants, their masters and the children make the story all the more tragic.
It’s well written, and there are some lovely agricultural metaphors. I found it quite effective that the story was told from a servant’s point of view.
This review first appeared in Historical Novels Review.
May 30, 2023
An emotional novel that speaks to our times, drawing on the 16th-century case of the witches of Warboys.
💬 "She'd speak her mind no matter what cost, and in a woman that's lamentable."
The Bewitching is a fascinating, slow-burn historical novel based on true events.
It’s clear that the author has done a lot of research into the subject of witch trials. There is a vivid sense of realism to the narration, that makes you forget you aren’t actually living in the 16th century while reading.
We experience the story from the point of view of Martha, a servant, a complex character in conflict with her beliefs, while she witness the events that occur around her.
The ultimate question that we are asking ourselves while reading is: will Martha act, do anything to stop the events from happening?
The bewitching is, at his core, a reflection on the role of women in society, the power of fear, superstition, misogyny, and the toxic, oppressive influence of the patriarchy.
💬 “And he suddenly saw the ludicrousness of the notion that one human being was better than another, of the belief that a title […] and a subsequent accident of birth made one man more deserving respect than another. There was insanity in that concept and in the fact that it was so readily accepted by an immoral world.”
In conclusion, I’d recommend The bewitching to anyone interested in exploring the reality of witches trial, the brutal tribalism that can erupt in a closed society, and the conversations around gender gap still very relevant to this day.
This would also make a good pick for a book club.
🌟🌟🌟.5 rounded up
💬 "She'd speak her mind no matter what cost, and in a woman that's lamentable."
The Bewitching is a fascinating, slow-burn historical novel based on true events.
It’s clear that the author has done a lot of research into the subject of witch trials. There is a vivid sense of realism to the narration, that makes you forget you aren’t actually living in the 16th century while reading.
We experience the story from the point of view of Martha, a servant, a complex character in conflict with her beliefs, while she witness the events that occur around her.
The ultimate question that we are asking ourselves while reading is: will Martha act, do anything to stop the events from happening?
The bewitching is, at his core, a reflection on the role of women in society, the power of fear, superstition, misogyny, and the toxic, oppressive influence of the patriarchy.
💬 “And he suddenly saw the ludicrousness of the notion that one human being was better than another, of the belief that a title […] and a subsequent accident of birth made one man more deserving respect than another. There was insanity in that concept and in the fact that it was so readily accepted by an immoral world.”
In conclusion, I’d recommend The bewitching to anyone interested in exploring the reality of witches trial, the brutal tribalism that can erupt in a closed society, and the conversations around gender gap still very relevant to this day.
This would also make a good pick for a book club.
🌟🌟🌟.5 rounded up
March 17, 2023
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
The biggest issue I was having with reading this book was that there were no chapters or any regularly place breaks. This made the narrative a constant run which in turn made it difficult for me to stay focused or even follow at times. Having no break or Ouse for a reprieve made the read feel much like the story was in a hamster wheel that was constantly spinning with no stopping. It stressed me out. I also found it frustrating for when I wanted to stop reading because I would need to read until the page ended with an end of the sentence and the next page was the start of the next sentence otherwise I would not remember where I was on the page. The story it self seemed interesting enough but the formatting of the book was too much of an issue for me to continue. I’ll possibly try again in an audiobook format and see if that makes a difference…but that will be much further in the future.
Jill Dawson, there is a reason you have chapters or regularly placed breaks in longer stories.
The biggest issue I was having with reading this book was that there were no chapters or any regularly place breaks. This made the narrative a constant run which in turn made it difficult for me to stay focused or even follow at times. Having no break or Ouse for a reprieve made the read feel much like the story was in a hamster wheel that was constantly spinning with no stopping. It stressed me out. I also found it frustrating for when I wanted to stop reading because I would need to read until the page ended with an end of the sentence and the next page was the start of the next sentence otherwise I would not remember where I was on the page. The story it self seemed interesting enough but the formatting of the book was too much of an issue for me to continue. I’ll possibly try again in an audiobook format and see if that makes a difference…but that will be much further in the future.
Jill Dawson, there is a reason you have chapters or regularly placed breaks in longer stories.
March 31, 2023
The Bewitching is based on the true story about the witches of Warboys. Alice Samuel is a wise women and is called to the Throckmorton House to help one of the daughters who is having fits. Alice is then accused of bewitching the young girl and is accused of being a witch. The story then goes on from there.
The story is told mainly from the pov of Martha, a maid in the Throckmorton house. We follow the family as not one daughter is afflicted by the fits so do the others. I couldn't help but think that the affictions of these young girls was very similar to what happened in Salem and the witch trials there.
I enjoyed the story. Firstly because of it being based on real events that I knew nothing about and secondly because it's witchy. I did find myself enjoying the story but did find at times however it was a little repetitive especially in the middle section. The final part 'The Trial' did make up for it and also included more about Alice and her story.
Overall an interesting book based on real events.
The story is told mainly from the pov of Martha, a maid in the Throckmorton house. We follow the family as not one daughter is afflicted by the fits so do the others. I couldn't help but think that the affictions of these young girls was very similar to what happened in Salem and the witch trials there.
I enjoyed the story. Firstly because of it being based on real events that I knew nothing about and secondly because it's witchy. I did find myself enjoying the story but did find at times however it was a little repetitive especially in the middle section. The final part 'The Trial' did make up for it and also included more about Alice and her story.
Overall an interesting book based on real events.
May 15, 2023
The book is inspired by real events that took place in Cambridgeshire in the Elizabethan age. The structure of the book is interesting as it is told in the first person through the eyes of a servant, Martha who is deaf in one ear.
This allows her to observe and hear things when members of the household where she works think she can't hear what they say.
Other parts of the book are told in the third person, mainly involving Alice a old woman who eventually is accused of being a witch.
It is obvious there is a connection between Alice and Martha and as the book progresses it isn't difficult to realise what the connection is.
Throughout there is no doubt men hold all the power and there is a sense of hopelessness.
Two small points and one did irk, in that although only a relatively short book, it is written in large chunks with very few natural breaks.
Secondly I loved some of the character surnames, especially Cakebread and Gotobed and wondered because this draws from real events, these were real people. If not Dickens could not have come up with better names.
This allows her to observe and hear things when members of the household where she works think she can't hear what they say.
Other parts of the book are told in the third person, mainly involving Alice a old woman who eventually is accused of being a witch.
It is obvious there is a connection between Alice and Martha and as the book progresses it isn't difficult to realise what the connection is.
Throughout there is no doubt men hold all the power and there is a sense of hopelessness.
Two small points and one did irk, in that although only a relatively short book, it is written in large chunks with very few natural breaks.
Secondly I loved some of the character surnames, especially Cakebread and Gotobed and wondered because this draws from real events, these were real people. If not Dickens could not have come up with better names.
February 20, 2024
The Bewitching is based on the true story about the witches of Warboys. A wise woman named Alice Samuel is called to the Throckmorton House to assist one of the girls who is experiencing fits. Subsequently, Alice faces accusations of witchcraft and bewitching the young girl. From that point on, the story continues.
The story is told mainly from the pov of Martha, a maid in the Throckmorton house. We follow the family as not one daughter is afflicted by the fits so do the others. I couldn't help but think that the affictions of these young girls was very similar to what happened in Salem and the witch trials there.
The story was enjoyable to me. First of all, it's witchy, which I liked, and secondly, it's based on actual occurrences. Though at points I felt the plot was a bit repetitive , especially around the middle, I did found myself enjoying it. It was made up for in the last section, "The Trial," which also contained more information about Alice and her tale.
All in all, a fascinating novel based on true occurrences.
The story is told mainly from the pov of Martha, a maid in the Throckmorton house. We follow the family as not one daughter is afflicted by the fits so do the others. I couldn't help but think that the affictions of these young girls was very similar to what happened in Salem and the witch trials there.
The story was enjoyable to me. First of all, it's witchy, which I liked, and secondly, it's based on actual occurrences. Though at points I felt the plot was a bit repetitive , especially around the middle, I did found myself enjoying it. It was made up for in the last section, "The Trial," which also contained more information about Alice and her tale.
All in all, a fascinating novel based on true occurrences.
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