2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Witching Tide by Margaret Meyer.

Pages: 782 pages

Length: 1 month (January)

Participants: Valerie, Lorraine, Julia, Stuti

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

Hello everyone! For now, my library is saying I wont get this book before another 6 weeks... ( I ordered it on November 1st!). So, I hope to join you at the end of January but if not, I am sorry for the inconvenience. I will follow the discussion and keep you posted.

Hopefully it’ll come through by the end of the month but anyway the thread will stay open until February 25th so you can still let us know what you think.

I’m planning to start this next week.

Hi, I'm also joining Valerie and starting the book the next week

Welcome Julia, good to have you join us.

Thank you for the welcome!

Part 1. I really like her slow dense prose - it seems very apt given the inexorable tide of menace it describes. Her depiction of the place and time have a definite authenticity- she brings it all to life.
(view spoiler)[
.Martha’s muteness is an interesting device. I wonder if she will find her voice later?
. Kitt has put her in an impossible position- he is a prime example of a good person letting evil happen.
. I want to know more about her mother and the poppet. (hide spoiler)]

Interesting start to the book. I find the prose nice but a bit repetitive. I am not sure about (view spoiler)[ Martha's muteness and how it seems like everyone understands her so easily (hide spoiler)].

Part 2. The pace quickened in this part and a lot more happened. I was very surprised by who the latest victim is (view spoiler)[ I thought that her social position and being heavily pregnant would keep her safe (hide spoiler)]
Still wondering (view spoiler)[ about the poppet and whether Martha really does have any power. Also about what happened to her mother and why (hide spoiler)]

Part 3. I found this part grimly compelling and read it in one sitting. Her descriptive language is really very powerful and quietly but effectively emotive. (view spoiler)[ I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing for the poppet to summon the devil to claim Makepeace and quite a few deserving others - but it’s not that type of story (although there is a hint that Martha’s blood will be a type of revenge). (hide spoiler)]

Finished. I’ll be interested to hear what you all think of the way she chose to end the novel (view spoiler)[ I’d expected her to find her voice, possibly on the gallows, but not for her to survive. It’s an original idea to extend the story beyond the horror and ask the question how do individuals and communities carry on after such terrible events but I suppose that is exactly what happened then and continues to happen now. (hide spoiler)]
After a slow start, this book had me gripped. I loved her way with words and images, and her ability to create characters who feel authentic. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I have the book! I'll start tomorrow and make it a priority.

Valerie wrote: "Part 1. I really like her slow dense prose - it seems very apt given the inexorable tide of menace it describes. Her depiction of the place and time have a definite authenticity- she brings it all ..."

Part 1. I had problems getting into the story but it became easier after chapter 7. (view spoiler)[ I was thinking how easy it is to make numbers say what you want…and the same with events. We all know many children died at birth in those days. What were the chance you could be there every time this happens if you are a midwife or healer!
And Kit, how can he ask Martha to condemn friends and neighbors so she can save Prissy because his wife wants her help?
I hope Martha will find her voice but only after the events because I am worried she will be accuse to be a witch if she finds it now… (hide spoiler)]

Part 2. Not sure how I feel towards Martha and the other women. (view spoiler)[ For now I am more upset to see how they can stab at each other and how it is easy to convince them to betray their friends. I am also wondering what is this puppet exactly? I do not understand what it really does…maybe in part 3… (hide spoiler)]

Lorraine wrote: "Part 2. Not sure how I feel towards Martha and the other women. [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ fear is a very powerful force to motivate betrayal but I think we also have to remember that the devil and his demons and witches were something that were real and believable to most people at the time. How else could all the bad events be explained? It seems crazy and irrational to us now although we should remember that there are still places in the world where people are persecuted and killed as witches even now. (hide spoiler)]

Valerie wrote: "Lorraine wrote: "Part 2. Not sure how I feel towards Martha and the other women. [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

You are a wise woman, Valerie! (view spoiler)[ It's true that fear can bring people to do things they never thought they would. Like desperation. When having nothing to lose, you can do anything. And yes, I do not want to think about places where people are still persecuted because of religion, belief and others...I get scared that this won’t change before I die... (hide spoiler)]

I have finished the book. (view spoiler)[ I gave it a 3 but I hesitate between 3 and 4. I finally went for 3 because of part 1 and 2 that did not get me interested in what was happening to the characters. I was more upsets by the events and by how easy to have humans hurting other humans by just having someone in authority say they should. I found part 3 and 4 better. Like you say, I also find her writing effective in describing the anxiety and fear these women were experiencing. And I found that Martha was finding her voice even though we could not hear her.
As for the ending, it is nice that she went past the events. I found this worked well for this book while it did not for other books we read lately. I also liked to see that some women decided to defend each other and that the events created a sense they belong to a family. (hide spoiler)]

I have had a hard time getting into this book so I’ve put it down for now. I’m hoping try again in a week or two.