Witch Child
1 primary work • 2 total works
Book 1
After Mary sees her grandmother accused of witchcraft and hung for the crime, she is hurried to safety by an unknown woman who gives her tools to keep a record of her days - paper and ink. Then Mary is taken to a boat in Plymouth and from there sails to the New World where she hopes to make a new life among the pilgrims. But old superstitions die hard and soon Mary finds that she will have to make important choices to ensure her survival. Vividly evoked, this is a powerful literary achievement by Celia Rees that is utterly engrossing from start to finish.
As "Witch Child" ends so "Sorceress" begins. Alison Ellman is still searching for information about the wonderful Mary Newbury, she has a diary and some scattered information about other people in Mary's life, but Mary has disappeared into the forests and Alison has no way of following her. But when she meets Agnes Herne, Alison encounters the person who is going to tell her all about Mary's life after she leaves Beulah. Agnes is a descendent of Mary's and has a special skill which allows her to be in touch with Mary in the spirit world. And Mary has a story to tell. This is a story of love and friendship, sadness and loss. A story that takes her across the new world in an epic search for a home. We fell under the spell of Mary in Witch Child and now at last we find out what happened to her after her ill-fated time in Beulah. Just as Mary's story has to be told to Agnes it has to be read by us for it is passionate, compelling and utterly wonderful. Praise for "Sorceress" - 'A fine achievement, memorably describing times when teenagers had problems that make today's frustrations seem tame.' - Nicholas Tucker, "Independent".