Cunning Women: A Feminist Tale of Forbidden Love After the Witch Trials" by Elizabeth Lee is a captivating and empowering novel that weaves a compelling story against the backdrop of historical witch trials. Lee skillfully crafts a narrative centered around strong, resilient female characters who defy societal expectations and forge their paths in a world fraught with prejudice. The novel delves into themes of forbidden love, the resilience of women, and the enduring power of sisterhood. Lee's writing is both evocative and immersive, transporting readers to a vividly depicted historical setting while exploring the timeless struggles of women seeking autonomy. "Cunning Women" is a richly layered and thought-provoking tale that combines elements of history, romance, and feminism, leaving a lasting impact on those who venture into its pages.

A tense and dramatic book. In the seventeenth century persecution of women accused of witchcraft became endemic. Anyone was at risk, old, different and outcasts were at most risk. This is a haunting tale with a terrible twist

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

This is a well written emotional read
The writing creates such a dark atmosphere
This is such a moving and captivating story.

The book was pitched as Essex Serpent meets The Mercies, two stories that I immensely enjoyed in the past. I can see the vision of it and understand why it was described in that way, but it didn't quite have the same kind of believability that the other two novels had. Something felt missing, not sure what. The story was evocative and powerful though, and the writing was easy to read

A beautifully written (although also gritty and realistic for the time it was set during the witch trials) and spellbinding book that was particularly delightful to read during the Autumn months with a crackling fire.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley and Random House U.K, Cornerstone, Windmill Books, which did not influence my unbiased and honest review of the book.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

"Cunning Women" by Elizabeth Lee weaves a captivating tale that seamlessly blends historical fiction with a touch of magical realism. Set against the backdrop of the 17th-century witch trials, the novel follows the life of cunning woman Sarah, who possesses healing powers and a deep connection with nature. Lee's lyrical prose transports readers to a time when superstition and fear held sway, as well as celebrates the resilience of those who challenged societal norms.

The author's meticulous research is evident, as she paints a vivid picture of the era's beliefs and practices. The characters are richly developed, each with their own complexities and struggles, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their fates. The interplay between the natural world and the supernatural elements adds an enchanting layer to the narrative, evoking a sense of wonder.

"Cunning Women" is not just a story about magic; it delves into themes of women's empowerment, the fight against oppression, and the enduring strength of friendships. Elizabeth Lee's novel is a spellbinding journey that lingers in the mind, leaving readers both enchanted and enlightened.

Massive fan of occultism and witch trial adjacent fiction - my favourite kind of thriller to read. The story was intense and twisty and I couldn’t wait to find out how it ended - read in two sittings!

I’m a big fan of historical fiction and in particular anything related to witch trials/occultism so I had high hopes going in. I found this book really engaging - very tense, atmospheric and the language and writing was just beautiful. Sped through it and thoroughly enjoyed. Keeps you rooting for the characters throughout and hooked until the end.

I cannot believe that I put this book off for as long as I did.

I loved it for all the reasons I was drawn to it in the first place - the title is not a misrepresentation, and I was right to want it the moment I heard about it.

But by some strange event, once I had it, I had no interest in reading it. A year later, I finally picked it up and I am cursing old me.

A beautiful historical fiction piece with touches of fantasy elements that pull the reader into 1620 without any trouble whatsoever.

It is emotional, colourful, and will stay with me for years to come.

I absolutely adored this witchy read. Historical fiction & witches are 2 of the best things to read about in my opinion.
It was fast-past, shocking at times, and so well written. I cannot praise this enough. It is a gem. I found the characters were well rounded and it explored the issues with “witches” so well with such ease.

This was incredibly badly written, to the point where I'm shocked it was published. It is littered throughout with grammatical errors from the very first page, something I find unacceptable. From reading the comments of others I am not alone in this, alongside noting the absolutely awful dialogue. I DNF'ed this at 10% because life is too short to finish shit books. According to other reviews, it does not get better after this point and nothing happens for the following 200 pages.

With thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc of this novel.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬: 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐦𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞.
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Cunning Women is a historical fiction book, set in Pendle in 1620, shortly after the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612.
[LibraryOfPeculiar on Instagram recently shared a brilliant post that covers the history and story of the Pendle Witches, which I highly recommend you check out if you want to know more.]
The story follows two main protagonists, Sarah and Daniel, and their desire for a different life, but it subtley highlights and tackles so many other nuanced topics along the way, and is much more than a tale of star crossed lovers.
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𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨, 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭.
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Sarah Haworth and her family are outcasts as far as the community is concerned. Forced to live on the outskirts, amongst ruined and abandoned homes where other families were ravaged by plague, they are impoverished and struggling to survive.
But life was not always like this for the Haworth family. When her fisherman father was alive, Sarah lived in the village with her parents and brother, and the memories she had are of a comforting home.
The family are guilty of nothing more than bad luck and poverty, as the sea that once fed the family and surrounding community claimed the patriarch of the family, and left them destitute.
The parralels between Sarah and Daniel's families are obvious, with Daniel having lost his mother, yet living a prosperous life, and Sarah having lost her father, yet being shunned and impoverished.
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐭, 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.
𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐯𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐮𝐝. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭, 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. 𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝.
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Daniel Taylor feels somewhat of an outcast, and is initially patronised and ridiculed by the male characters around him, for not being as brutish and masculine as the others.
He is, however, a desirable prospect to the young girls in the village as he is the son and heir of the only farm. A local girl named Molly has her sights set on him, though he only has eyes for Sarah, who truly sees him for who he is.
Daniel has a tender heart and a strong moral compass, but he is easily led astray, much to his own detriment.
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𝐈'𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.
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The family dynamics and characterisation throughout Cunning Women are excellent, and usually at the end of a book I can pick a clear favourite character, but Lee has made it hard for me to pick a favourite as they are all so well-rounded and interesting.
Sarah's family as a unit are a fantastic depiction of a family, and they all have a unique position in their poverty and pain.
At first, Sarah's mother seems particularly tough on the family and difficult to please, but in reality she has sacrificed more than they realise in an effort to protect and preserve her family.
Sarah's sister Annie is so young and innocent that she is like a bright spot holding the family together, but Sarah's brother John was probably my favourite in this family.
John is a contradiction. His outward appearance and perception by the town is that he is a 'devil boy', that he is wicked, and that he is darkly powerful. In reality, he is a poor boy who is proud, who sees himself as the man of the house and who wants to provide for his family, but who is shamed and shunned by a village who should seek to protect the vulnerable in their community, but who instead reject them.
My heart bled for John - not destined to be a witch, and not able to provide for his family except through theft and small acts of criminality, his life is somewhat wretched, but it is still a valuable life.
The village does not recognise how he strives to take care of his family, how he acts out of desperation and wounded pride alone, and how he protects his family throughout, especially from some sinister characters who would seek to destroy them. His tenderness towards Annie, and Sarah, despite his own pain, really stood out to me and made a mockery of the tales told about him by the villagers.
I'm not going to give any spoilers, but I was not expecting John's story to play out the way it did, and it was heartbreaking.
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'𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞?' 𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬. '𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐭, 𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠?'
𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛. 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞, 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.
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Lee has depicted an array of strong and clever female characters throughout the book. 'Cunning Women' obviously relates to women who must avoid being labelled 'witch', and who therefore refer to their knowledge of cures and curses as 'cunning', but I can't help but think that there are many female characters who are cunning in other ways throughout the book, particularly Bett and Molly.
Bett is an honourary member of Daniel's family, as a maid who helps to run the house, especially in lieu of a motherly figure. She is not afraid to voice her opinions to Daniel's father, despite living in a patriarchal society, and she is one of the few characters who stands up to the brutish farmhand Gabriel.
Bett takes risks herself to help Daniel and Sarah, and never asks for anything in return. She deserves to have a family of her own, as she is one of the most caring and generous characters in the book.
Molly is cunning in a different, sly way, though she is clearly intelligent. From the off she has her sights set on Daniel, and it seems clear that her beauty and position in the community usually lead to her getting what she wants.
When Daniel rejects her, she is driven by revenge, and accuses Sarah of bewitching him. It becomes clear that the only bewitching and trickery is enacted by Molly, and her pretence at being 'innocent', when in fact she is nothing of the sort.
I did guess how things would end between Daniel, Sarah and Molly, but I still cried reading the conclusion, and my heart broke for them.
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𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬; 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞𝐝.
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The community as a whole is realistic in its hypocrisy and false morality. Having myself grown up in a strict Catholic household, the community in Cunning Women felt very real to me.
So many people claim to be righteous and ethical, yet they turn their back on vulnerable people and strive to distance themselves from people they deem 'unsavoury', when they themselves have forced people into a position of being viewed as outcasts.
There is a mob mentality to the community which is well depicted in their sudden adoption of witch jars following the scrutiny of the new magistrate, and their failure to stand up for an innocent girl who was taken advantage of by the corrupt old magistrate. They all stand by and do nothing to protect accused members of the community, and instead cowardly hide behind trinkets and superstitions which are amped up by the new magistrate.
The irony that the wickedest character has such a clearly biblical name is not lost on me either.
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲. 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡. 𝐍𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞'𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞.
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The final thing I want to touch on is the well-researched references to witchcraft and historic superstitions that led to people (mostly women) being accused and executed in real life.
The way Sarah and John try to protect Annie with a circle of salt each night, and how they search her body for 'devil marks' emphasises the clear and present danger the characters feel, which would be true after the 1612 trials, where 11 women died (10 were executed) at Pendle.
The misogyny and homophobia that is actively written into religion and law is very apparent in Cunning Women, with the structures of power emphasising the false belief that women are weak and cannot be moral without guidance from men.
We are taught from an early age that Eve is to blame, and that she is the root of 'original sin', and yet we are never taught about Lilith. Always be Lilith, never Eve.
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'𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥. 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥. 𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬 ... 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛-𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.'
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Cunning Women is an excellent novel, and I highly recommend it to all readers who enjoy historical fiction, and especially those who have an interest in the witch trials. I will definitely be rereading Cunning Women, and look forward to any future works from Elizabeth Lee.

Absolutely loved this book. I really love historical fiction and this did not disappoint! Thank you net galley for a copy of this title in exchange for a review.

I sadly DNF'd this one. I think whilst the blurb sounded incredible, it just wasn't for me at the time I attempted to read it. I don't always say never to a DNF book - because I am a massive mood reader and will one day potentially pick this up again. A lot of people I follow on bookstagram love this novel is wouldn't write it off completely. Whilst it wasn't for me, doesn't mean that this book isn't great.

Cunning Women is a powerful, dark tale about the cunning folk who were treated as outcasts of society purely due to their ignorance and superstition. They were rumoured to be witches brewing evil spells and curses on the local community.

Sarah and Daniel are two young people in love that are forbidden to be together. Sarah is seen to be witchy and Daniel is a local farmer’s boy. The romance between them is sweet and you hope they will both be destined for each other. The two narratives from Sarah and Daniel’s points of view were weaved together brilliantly, portraying their hopes and fears so perceptively. You cannot help but connect to them both and root for them.

Sarah is desperate to be seen as a normal young lady by the local people and wants to help her family who live in poverty be accepted. I found her to be an inspiring heroine for her determination to better herself and her family.

The dark, chilling atmosphere surrounding the whole story is written in such a vivid immersive way with great imagery. The fear and suspicion that builds up gradually develops into a tension that gives you that feel of foreboding.

Elizabeth Lee has written a moving and captivating story that is all about survival and female rage. It is devastating and heart wrenching. I highly recommend this to fans of atmospheric historical fiction that thrive in stories with strong feminist vibes. This story certainly bewitched me.

Stunningly atmospheric, richly engrossing., a gorgeously evocative and compelling debut, an absolute must-read!!!
I do love a book with strong female characters and I am becoming a little obsessed with anything to do with the Witch trials era so this was a must read for me and it ddn't disappoint, highly recommended for anyone who loves historical fiction.

Set in a small village in the 1620s, Cunning Women focuses on the relationship between Sarah - daughter of a 'cunning woman', or witch, depending on the mood of the community, who has herself been 'marked' - and Daniel, son of the local farmer. There is a delightful ambiguity about whether or not Sarah and her mother really are 'witches' - there is no denying they have a power, and the ability to prepare healing draughts from plants, but how much of it is belief, how much of it is genuine witchcraft? To that matter, what exactly is 'witchcraft'? A devil-given power, or an innate understanding of humanity and nature? Ultimately, however, this book is about so much more than witchcraft; it is about the closeness of community, love and family, and the awful ease with which groupthink can take over.
Set against this fraught social environment, a romance between Sarah and Daniel develops, and as the book progressed I found myself clinging to hope as dread began to seep through the pages - the characters are well-crafted and believable, constrained by their circumstances, but reaching for a hope which shimmers on the horizon. Quietly powerful, this book will linger in my memory for quite some time.

Although I enjoy historical fiction, this novel was set in the 1600’s, a period I don’t tend to read much about. The meagre lifestyle and tension of a family desperately trying to survive compelled me to stay up late to turn the pages and find out what fate had in store for Sarah Haworth and her family.

A new magistrate arriving in the village and Sarah’s budding relationship with a local farmer’s son, Daniel, led to ever increasing danger for Sarah.

The author’s depiction of the villagers’ fear and marginalisation of a family deemed to be witches was haunting and stayed with me long after finishing the novel.