Title: Cunning Women : A Feminist Tale of Forbidden love After the Witch Trials
Written by: Elizabeth Lee
Pub Date: Original date 22 April 2021,
Second ed 24 Mar 2022 |
Publisher: Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4503013106



Spoilers Ahead.
Sarah's woes are not the typical ones of a teen age girl living in 1620's Lancashire. In fact they are a dire as possible. Living a shunned life with her brother, mother and younger sister, they are in desperate need of money. But the towns folk are not so giving and the family rely on their mothers cunning to make money. She sells her potions and curses for what ever she can but they would make more if Sarah just gave in and joined her. Just gave in to "him", Sarah's mother told her it was inevitable, "he" had already marked her. Such a fear Sarah has of what the mark means that every morning she checked her sister Annie for "his" mark. Perhaps Sarah would have given in and stopped fighting the darkness within, had she not met Daniel. Sarah would give anything to be just another village girl. Could Daniel be the answer to her hopes?!

!!!! Trigger Warning for Sexual Assault, Rape, and Pedophilia!!!

I don't know where to begin to dissect this book. I would say that it showed the cruelty faced by women even in today's society. Take away the element of magic and it is actually possible to see the treatment of Phyllis happening today. How those closest to a person can turn on them if popular opinion is against them. The level of victim blaming was perfectly mirrored, showing that even in today's society victims are still asked inappropriate questions or are made accountable in some way when the offender literally gets to move on. And in some ways the worst offenders of victim blaming are other women.

Poverty was also a major theme of this book as well as gluten. Though Sarah never seems angry about the social gathering she does comment on how long she and her family would last on such an amount of food. While reading these scenes I was angry at how little the village gave to Sarah's family. It felt as if I was almost there and wanted to steal some food for her. I'm sure that had it been real the village folk would have rather see the farm animals eat the left overs than give any to the cunning family.

The village was also rampant with hypocrisy. The towns people didn't think anything of ignoring Sarah, Annie and John when they looked for work or begged, but if they wanted a blessing or curse they would call to their mother. Honestly for a village that prided it's self on being holy there didn't seem to be a commandment they didn't brake.

While Lee kept the words to a minimum I felt like I was there, every page felt real and doing that with as few words as possible is difficult. Trust me I've tried, the writer tends to either describe too little or way too much. Some how Lee manages to get the balance just right. Not only with their description of places but also with events and aftermath. The Parson's murder scene was haunting.

There is too much for me to analyse in this review, I can only say I hated what happened to Phyllis not just because she was female but also only 14, hated that Daniel was so easily swayed and the decisions he made, which did not only affect him. I hated Gabriel full stop! and if I ever met someone who read this book and did not feel for Sarah and her situation then I would know what kind of person they were.

In life in general I hate not knowing, which at the end of the book there are a lot of questions for me. I both hate and love that I don't get all the answers. Something unexpected I like about the book, though it was set in Lancashire I found myself reading it in an Irish accent which I found made it even more accessible as I am Irish. I didn't even stop to think about that fact until I heard and extract of the audio book. I'm not really an audio book user but I do recommend it, just on the few minuets I listened to.

(On a side note I did prefer the 1st edition cover over the second.)

I may, and I say this with caution, have a new favorite writer.

I would warn readers that there are a lot of triggers in this book, those mentioned above and also, though it is not described in any great detail, infanticide.

I must admit I was a little disappointed with this one. I heard so many good things about it, I generally love the subject matter. However there are so many books following the witches thread at the moment and it didn’t stand out for me. I thought it was good and easy to read but the characters were forgettable.

Compelling, page-turning and utterly enchanting, this is a captivating story that is perfect for fans of The Familiars. Highly recommend.

This book was heartbreaking. We follow Sarah, the eldest daughter of a cunning women, who peddles her cures and tonics to the local village. And Daniel, the town's farmers son. They meet, fall in love but quite literally the whole village is against the match. There's talk of witchcraft, satanism, rape, paedophilia, hangings and drownings in this book. How one or two villagers and a magistrate can turn a whole village against one another, how a lie can cause someone to be hung or beaten? Like I said, it's heartbreaking

Really enjoyed this book, I love Historical Fiction anyway but especially when it comes to women and their POV.
It was an eye-opener as to how these people were ostracised and shunned from society, basically for being poor and earning a coin here and there any way they can. I was rooting for Sarah and her family throughout, the main action in the book comes late on, but the building of suspense and apprehension through the story keeps you reading. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, not for how it was written, the writing is superb, it was simply not the ending I personally wanted as I am a sucker for a happy ending.

I so wanted to like this the blurb was exactly what I wanted to read but I just couldn't get into it so sadly gave up. I will try again at some stage and update my review if I do manage to read.

The Writing is An Absolute treat to read, the concept that the author brings in the book everything is a noble read and motive but I'm sorry to say the plot, pacing, story is very very slow.

I think highly of the book, the concept, also the subtle psychological hidden concepts, the prejudice about the witches and how the author creates a story around it but the output-execution of the story is so slow as a reading experience that it became extremely difficult to finish the book.

I have tried several times to get into this book but I really struggled.
The first few chapters felt slightly disjointed and I felt like I was dropped into the story.
I was really excited about this reading the Cunning Women as the blurb drew me in and I do love a historical read.
Unfortunately I just didn't connect with the story or the characters.

This book will definitely appeal to other readers especially if you like slower Paced reads that are eerie and intriguing.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up this book because it's the season for witches and I love historical witch fiction, no matter if it's October or not. I am so glad I read this book - it's a startling work of fiction. I didn't expect to get so drawn into the book from the first page.

The book is described as 'feminist', which it is. Sarah, marginalised and victimised because of poverty and circumstance, longs to be seen for who she truly is. Daniel, the farmer's son, is longing for the same thing, and when the meet they are compelled by love to be find a way to be with each other.

But with the arrival of a new magistrate, their families' prejudices and suspicion of witchcraft gaining traction, their path to happiness seems ridden with obstacles.

Sarah herself is depicted as complex and layered - I love the way the author describes Sarah's memories of her father and the things her mother has done. Daniel is not perfect but is good, and the author does a great job of bringing him to life.

The story is at once creepy and romantic,. based in historical fact but fantastical - it's a wonderful combination.

5 stars - I can't wait to hear more from this author.

Such a beautiful read - how i loved this book. Cunning Women is set in those dark times after the witch trials when healers and herbalists were either burnt at the stake or treated as outcasts of society. Sarah is the daughter of one such woman and she and Daniel, son of a local farmer, end up falling for one another. But has Sarah used the powers she has learnt with her mum to make Daniel fall in love with her or is their relationship real? And what impact will the new magistrate have on their relationship? A cast of truly awful (and yet strangely fascinating) well written villagers left me on the edge of my seat waiting for the town to show up at Sarah's door. I LOVED this book (just saying it again!) Bravo Ms Lee.

I love a historical fiction and haven't read much set in this era - the witch trials era - so I was excited to get stuck into this.
It's not a light hearted read, it's fully emersive and fascinating. It's a slow burn where you become emotionally involved and invested with the characters. The story focuses more on the lovers than the witchcraft aspect, maybe a little more of the witchcraft and magic would've made this a 5 star for me, but I guess it depends what you're looking for from the book.
The cover art is absolutely beautiful.

Sarah Haworth, daughter of her village’s “cunning woman”, just wants to keep her family safe. The shadow of the Pendle Hill witch trials hangs over the village, and she and her family are ostracised by the other villagers for their perceived witchcraft. After Sarah strikes up a friendship with the son of a local farmer, however, she not only begins to fall in love, but starts planning a future beyond a lonely life in their rundown cottage.

I’ve read a few books set around this time and place, and this is a welcome addition to the sub-genre. The writing is so atmospheric, you can’t help but be drawn into the slightly unsettling day-to-day life of the village. It is, mostly, a very still book. For the majority of the story there are undertones of danger, the sense that something terrible might happen at any moment, making it all the more dramatic when something does happen. It’s a slow burn but the pay-off is worth it!

Something I really enjoyed about this book – and about similar books too – is that there is a certain ambiguity as to the magical element. You could read it as historical fiction, where the characters are convinced that there are magical forces at play to the point of near delusion. Alternatively, you could read it as a fantasy story of very real witches who are forced to hide their powers. This is a trope I really enjoy in historical fiction and it was done really well here, and I thought it added to the world-building and to the story.

The book deals with lots of very heavy topics (definitely check the content warnings if there are things you look out for). It was really interesting to see how the characters dealt with the consequences of their own and others’ actions, and the ramifications of that on the village as a whole. As is often the case with women accused of witchcraft, they did not commit the crimes they were accused of. It was an interesting twist to see this through the eyes of Daniel, the farmer’s son, as he comes to realise for himself the terrible way the Haworth family have been treated. There was a particularly touching moment towards the end where Sarah realises how much her mother has been through, and the difficult actions she has taken to keep her family safe.

That being said, I would have liked to see a little more at the end of the characters confronting their own actions. For spoiler reasons I won’t say who, but there was one character in particular who with the best intentions made a lot of decisions that had terrible consequences. While they began to face up to those consequences at the end, it didn’t quite follow through for me and the ending felt like a little bit of a let-down.

I do think it’s worth noting that the tag-line for this book – “A feminist tale of forbidden love after the witch trials” – felt quite misleading. While the story does centre women’s experiences at the time, I wouldn’t necessarily count it as a feminist novel, as it did little to examine or overcome the political, social and economic constraints on women. This is not necessarily a bad thing – I don’t think the book needed that – it does feel like the tag-line was added for buzzwords rather than for an accurate summary of the book.

Overall, this was an incredibly atmospheric historical fiction, with a touch of magic to leave you guessing right to the end.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

A book with magic, witchery, intrigue , love, cruelty, sadness, hope, betrayal, romance.

I was all over the place reading this book.
I know it’s good when I find myself not being able to read quick enough and almost skipping some to get to know what happens but not allowing myself to do so. With this book I certainly found like I felt this way.

Autumn is here and reading this book at such a time was apt. I feel it added to my experience, as I felt it was atmospheric, with colder and darker nights drawing in and Halloween on the horizon and a book that had such description and all of above mentioned it was an experience.

I would recommend.

I love the idea of any book which is based around witchcraft and the story here was ok and I did enjoy it. I didn’t get a sense of where the story was based and felt that the characters needed fleshing out somewhat. Bett was the character I felt was most lifelike. These times would have been terrible for anyone named a witch. You did get the sense that sometimes, in order to survive, you had to accuse others to try and keep yourself away from harm or being condemned as someone who was ungodlike.

I would have liked to learn much more about Seth. He was an important character in the book but just didn’t seem like a real person somehow. The end was inevitable really, sad of course.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, and NetGalley for sending this advanced reader's copy in return for a fair and honest review.

Always love a book with strong women and this did not disappoint. I have always been fascinated by the Pendle Witch Trials and Alice Nutter to name but one. This book was good. It keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. Furthermore, it makes you root for the characters within, but mainly, our main protagonist. The huge downside for me were the issues within. I found it very dark containing rape, mob mentality, paedophilia, and other difficult issues in life. I understand that these issues are at the forefront of society, but don’t really want to read them in such a described way. Again, this is nothing to do with the author or the book, it is myself that finds them particularly hard to read. These issues usually signify me putting my book down but Lee kept my attention throughout.

The story of Cunning Women centres around the Haworth Family, who live in a small fishing hamlet in Lancashire, following the infamous Pendle Witch Trials. We learn that Sarah was born from magic and she and her mother share a birthmark - the mark of a witch.

As you’d expect, the superstitious villagers do not take lightly to the behaviour of the Haworth. The son, John us merely a trouble maker, yet all of their actions are marred with witchcraft.

The Jacobean xenophobia is captured well by Lee, but there’s also a love story thrown in there, which seems to take away from the ‘feminism’ of the text. For a plot driven text (mainly through dialogue) it does take time to get to the crux of it. As a fan of historical fiction and books with a similar premise, I did find this disappointing.

I love historical fiction so was looking forward to Cunning Women set in 1620s Lancashire after the Pendle witch trials. Although it is well written and evokes a sense of place and time I found it too slow paced and I wasn't wholly convinced by the plot. I'm sure this will appeal to other lovers of the genre but sadly not one I could get immersed in.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC.

Thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read.
Absolutely loved the grim atmosphere in the descriptions of this simple little seaside town and its people. I felt it very much matched the tone of the narrative.

I absolutely love stories centred around witch hunts or wise/cunning women and this one didn't let me down!
You genuinely feel for these characters and the difficulty of their lives, even though we don't see much of the villagers in depth I feel like the author did an excellent job at depicting the fear driven mob mentality that drove them to such persecution.

There were definitely some heart breaking moments to tug on your emotions, you know things can't go well for our main character and you are on the edge of your seat just hoping that things will turn out alright for her.
Loved it, perfect read for coming into autumn, too.

*Trigger Warnings*
*Rape, paedophilia, physical harm, murder, beating, Abortion*
In the spring of 1620 in a Lancashire fishing community and the memory of the slaughter at Pendle is tight around the neck of Sarah Haworth. A birthmark reveals that Sarah, like her mother, is a witch. The Haworth family live in the plague village near a God-fearing community presided over by a seedy magistrate. A society built upon looking the other way, the villagers’ godliness is merely a veneer. But the Haworth women, with their salves and poultices, are judged the real threat to morality.

When Sarah meets lonely farmer’s son Daniel, she begins to dream of a better future. Daniel is in thrall to the wild girl with storms in her eyes, but their bond is tested when a zealous new magistrate vows to root out sins and sinners. In a frenzy of fear and fury, the community begins to turn on one another, and it’s not long before they direct their gaze towards the old plague village … and does Daniel trust that the power Sarah wields over him is truly love, or could it be mere sorcery?

The start of this book is a bit slow but once things start to happen it is very difficult to put down. The writing is well done and the story flows well. The tension and fear of the people in the village is conveyed well and the feeling of everyone being able to tell the new magistrate something to get him off their back and move the blame to another is captivating to read. The feelings of prejudice, fear and helplessness is intense and I really enjoyed this book overall.
However, I had a few issues with parts of the plot the "I'm not like other girls" narrative is weak and the only other girl we are introduced to is Molly, who is portrayed as bitchy and unlikable but also as boring where Sarah is wild. For a "feminist" book I think this trope is out of place and would rather it not be present.
As well as this the overdone romance plot of misunderstandings to create tension and conflict is overdone and seems out of place again, Daniel is not described as stupid and knows how Gabriel is yet believes him over Sarah? I found this difficult to believe.

Overall the writing was good and atmospheric but clichés kept it from being a great read but I look forward to reading more work by this author

Bleak but beautifully written. A good addition to the feminist literature about the witch trials.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.