I've read a few books on this theme recently, but I think this is the best. Totally absorbing, sly, suspenseful and with wonderfully vivid characters.

This was a really good read. We meet Sarah in a Lancashire fishing village in 1620. Like a lot of girls her age, Sarah loves her family and craves acceptance from the people around her, but the Haworths aren’t like the other families in the village. Instead, Sarah’s mother is a “cunning woman” who sells poultices and potions, but also charms and curses, earning them the fear and suspicion you may expect from this period. We also meet Daniel, the local farmer’s son, who is mistreated by his father and misunderstood by most of the people around him. A chance encounter between the him and Sarah leads to a fledgling romance, but can their relationship endure given their circumstances, and the envy and malice of those around them?

This was a fascinating read, and I loved the characterisation of the two star-crossed young lovers and their families. The setting, just years after the plague and at a time of real fear and persecution, was very well drawn and the angst poured off of every page. The relationships between the characters was very true, and I particularly loved Sarah’s fiercely protective bond with her little sister. The pacing was just right and the tension built up beautifully, right to the end. I will definitely be looking for more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Cunning Women, from debut author Elizabeth Lee, is an intricate and resonant piece of historical fiction, with sweeping romance, meticulous detail, exceptional female characters and as much to say about the world we live in now as it does 17th century Lancashire.
Written in beautifully atmospheric, descriptive prose, Cunning Women is a story of Sarah's family living in poverty in rural Lancashire in 1620. It is told from two perspectives, Sarah's (in first person) and Daniel's (in third person) in alternate chapters, we are guided through a working community that is upturned when an indiscretion of the local magistrate leads to a change of guard.
Sarah and her family make their meagre living  through cunning arts; they mix herbs and tinctures, give charms of protection but neither Sarah no the villagers are entirely sure that is where their powers end. So when Sarah meets Daniel, a young farmer who is set to inherit it seems that they have a difficult path ahead if they choose to pursue their feelings for one another.
With story-telling that is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy and with great similarities to recent hits by Bridget Christie and Kiran Millwood-Hargrave, Cunning Women is a coming of age story, that examines trust, belief, discrimination and female rage and desire all wrapped up in a nuance historical setting. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I received a free arc of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


A story of witchcraft, family, love and fear.
This book is captivating, from the lovely prose to the thrilling story and unusual cast of characters.
I adored Sarah and her devotion to her family. She wants nothing more than to keep them safe and offer them a better life than they have now.
She is a strong heroine, admirable yet relateable. Her bond with Annie was really sweet too. There are some beautiful scenes, scenes that keep you on your toes and ones that will pull at your heartstrings.
While it was a bit of a slow start for me reading this book, it was in the back of my mind when I wasn't reading it. Not sure of chapters/page numbers as I read it on mobile but at around 50% I couldn't stop reading.
Really excited to read more from Elizabeth Lee!

I enjoy historical fiction and was looking forward to this tale of cunning folk, aka witches, in the 1600's. 
Sadly I found the book very slow going until it suddenly sped up to a very rushed ending and I struggled to finish it, I don't like leaving a negative review but it wasn't for me. 

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

An historical fiction book with a witchy backstory. 

Set in Lancashire 8 years after the Pendle witch trials this is a story of a poor family live in an old plague house just outside a village. Rumours of a devil child and curses surround the family and when the new magistrate arrives this brings a new fear to the family. 

I really enjoyed the start of this book and then it just got a bit...boring. The ending picked up again but I just wanted more. The writing style was hard to follow at times and it all just became a bit of a fluffy love story. 

Don’t get me wrong the ending pulled at my heart strings but it didn’t get the ending I wanted and felt the characters deserved. 

If you are a fan of historical fiction then you should give it a try but for me I felt it was lacking something extra. 

I received this book from Net Galley in return of an honest review.

Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee is a fantastic book.  It strikes the perfect balance of  the wise women or cunning folk as they are known as, and the god-fearing villagers.  Unlike other books I've read about the Pendle Witch Trials, it's not too gory. Instead it is a forbidden love story with a sad ending, but with hope.

Bound to be a big hit in 2021.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me! I'm not a fan of historical fiction but I thought I'd give this one a go because it's set in Lancashire, near where I'm from, but even that couldn't hold my interest. I sadly had to DNF this one but I think it could work really well for lovers of historical fiction and Pendle witch trial books.

Review – Cunning Women 

"His dark power is in me, I have felt it, waiting to be unlocked. I am marked, my fate one day to conjure my own familiar and spin curses"

Summary: 

Set in England in the 1600s, in a plague Hamlet, there lives a family of cunning folk. The villagers from the nearby villages use them only when needed, otherwise shun them. And then, forbidden love starts to blossom.

What I loved: 

This is not only a story of forbidden love, but also of a woman discovering and embracing her inner wild and coming onto her own.

The narrative is even paced. Characters are very well written. Character descriptions are excellent and the visuals she creates transports you to a time long gone by, a tumultuous period of religion, superstitions and witch trails.

You'll get deeply involved with the characters, feeling their fury, fear and love. And feeling for their love, loss, victories and heartbreak.

What I'd have liked to see: 

I’d have loved to read a bit more Sarah's mother and her backstory.

Final words:

"Happen they ask for nowt but kindness"

While on the surface Cunning Women is a story of forbidden love during a tumultuous time in history, it carries a subliminal message - one that urges us to examine and question the injustice of the witch trails and the unfairness with which people, especially women who wouldn't conform to the norms, were hunted down and punished.

Elizabeth Lee, by conjuring the wild beautiful Sarah, also compels us to examine and embrace our own inner wild.

A big massive thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for sending me an Advanced Readers Copy.

I don’t usually pick books that are set in the past but I am really pleased I chose this one.  It is set in a village and era where people were classed as witches if they had any skills for healing etc.  A family lose their husband (dad) to the sea and have no support or money.  The children beg and the mother makes potions which lead to many problems and they move to a part of the village away from people to stay safe.  Daniel, the son of a farmer and Sarah, the daughter living away from the village meet and that sets the story in motion for a love affair which cannot be seen by anyone.  The only person in the beginning to help the family is the Pastor but it does not sustain their needs food wise but tries to support Daniel and Sarah.  The children beg on the streets and the middle child, John, steals to keep them going.  Sarah has been “chosen” and seems to have powers which she does not want or understand.  Daniel and Sarah plan to get married but things take a terrible turn for the family.  Gabriel works with Daniel on the farm and causes so much trouble that the lives of the family are threatened several times.  The youngest child, Annie, is a timid little thing and Sarah’s mission in life is to keep her safe as she does with her brother but the story continues down a spiral of sadness.  This book is a definite good read and I enjoyed it even though in parts it made me very sad

I don't think I've ever read a book like this one.  I read books set in the 20th century as a rule but this was based in Lancashire where I live in the 1600. It was a magical book that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Having grown up with the stories of the witches of Pendle Hill this book felt really close to home and I'd definitely recommend if you want to read something different from the usual crowd pleasers.

Beautifully written and a good story, but I did have an issue with it.  It introduces the idea that these women really did use curses to do harm, had familiars and were capable of 'witchcraft'.  So why did they have to live in abject poverty when they had the power to do something about it?  I couldn't understand why they had to pretend to be what they weren't on the one hand, while they really were what people feared on the other.

This book perfectly melded together all the possibilities for how and why accusations of witchcraft came about in the early 1600s. From the demonising of cunning folk to the suspicion of women (and men) who didn't fall into line within the community. And the rage-inducing blaming of men's shortcomings on women and their wiles! I loved how the author wrote about the confusing feelings that grow between Sarah and Daniel. The intensity of first love and being fully seen by another is deftly written; it's both sweet and sad as we know the two cannot be together. Sarah's inner battle with herself is particularly compelling, The story successfully explores the psychological nuances of what happens when you’re told you’re something particular, how that affects what you believe about yourself, and whether that is disadvantageous or advantageous and why. Big questions that are still extremely relevant today. I loved this book and the writing, I got totally lost in it and could perfectly envisage the village and its environs, the characters that make the community, and their moral conundrums. The fear that finger-pointing and tale-telling produces was palpable. I hope this début from Elizabeth Lee receives the acclaim it deserves.

An interesting love story set in the shadow of the 17th century witch trials. There were parts of this book that worked well, but in the whole it felt quite rushed. A nice quick read, with some definitive promise.

Cunning Women review

5/5⭐️’s

A Fishing community in Lancashire,1620,  eight years after the Pendle witch trials. Sarah Haworth has found an unforgiving mark on her body, a sign,  that like her mother, indicates that she too is a witch.

Torn between a strong desire for an ordinary life and one to discover what dark power she might possess, Sarah’s hope is that her younger sister Annie will be spared this fate.

The Haworth family eke out a meagre existence in the old plague village adjoining 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.

When Sarah spies a young man taming a wild horse, she risks being caught to watch him calm the animal. And when Daniel sees Sarah he does not just see a strange, dirty thing, he sees her for who she really is, a strong creature about to come into her own. But can something as fragile as love blossom between these two in such a place as this?

And when a new magistrate arrives to rid out those behind the strange ends that keep befalling the villagers, he has his eye on one family alone. And a torch in his hand.

Elizabeth Lee writes so beautifully and with such emotion that by the end of the book I was in tears. The story is brilliantly crafted and I absolutely loved how well the key events all played out, with twists and turns. It definitely kept me guessing and surprised me nonetheless. I was so fearful for Sarah and her families life, I had grown to adore them, especially little Annie. I really enjoyed the romance between Sarah and Daniel too and the way they go about their romance is just Whimsical and just genius.

The pacing of the book is fast, but so cleverly done. Each event leads to another and each has a consequence which I loved. It kept me turning those pages for sure.

This is an outstanding debut by Elizabeth and I am really looking forward to her future books.

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. If you loved The Familiars by Stacey Halls then this one is a winner too.

I think you all should go and give this one a read.

This book tells the story of Sarah and her family who have been shunned by their community because of their “cunning ways”. It’s set against the backdrop of the Pendleton witch trials. Sarah and the son of a local farmer fall in love and the story focuses on them both. 

I found it very slow and the it speeds up towards the end with everything seeming to happen at once. Although I finished it, I was on the verge of giving up on occasions and the only reason I stuck with it was because it was for review. Sadly not for me.

“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 herbuse, the mark of the Devil upon the skin, for these are the signs of Wickedness”
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1620 in Lancashire, only 8 years after the infamous Pendle witch trials. Sarah, her mother, little sister Annie and brother John, have taken over one of the stone dwellings on the hill left empty by plague. Made poor by the death of their fisherman father in a storm, their mother has made ends meet in whatever ways she could. Alongside her hare familiar, Dew-springer, she now makes potions and charms for the villagers although her intentions can also be turned towards hurt and harm. Although the locals use Mam’s powers, they mistrust her and are afraid of her family. The “Haworth Hag” and her brood are the first to be blamed for any misfortune or thievery, a rift the new magistrate is keen to turn to his advantage


Secretly marked as a witch, Sarah has an opportunity to change her life and support her family thanks to Daniel, the son of a local farmer. Their fledgling relationship blossoms, but has to remain hidden in the face of parental disapproval and increasing unrest in the village stoked by Magistrate Wright; hanger of papists and discoverer of witches


Star-crossed lovers indeed. I had to read this one in increasingly shorter bursts as I came to care for Sarah and Daniel. Their fragile hope in the face of everything that conspired against them was hard to witness and was a counterpoint to the greed, lust and envy of the people around them. Elizabeth Lee did a fabulous job of weaving together the two narrative viewpoints whilst continuously ratcheting up the tension. There was also enough detail about the historical setting and the secondary characters to create a richness to the story that I enjoyed, particularly around the uses of herbs and superstitions of the time. A fantastic debut novel and if you enjoyed The Mercies or The Familiars you may well love this one too
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

This book was a pleasant surprise. I tend to be wary of any stories with any 'magic/bewitching' titles and unfairly discount them as unbelievable. Something had attracted me to this book and I am glad it did, as I really did enjoy it. There was no magic, except the effect it had on me. 
The story was set in the seventeenth century, in the north of England. It seemed a very believable story of a family who were struggling to make ends meet, despite their difficulties there was also a love story threaded throughout the pages.
I liked the way I couldn't predict the ending and whether it would be tragic? I will be looking for other books by this author. 
Overall I think I would describe this book as mesmerising and one that touched my heart.

Set in the 1600s, Cunning Women tells the story of Sarah Howarth and her family, who have been ostracised from their community as, due to their “cunning ways” — herbalism, healings, hexes, and cures — they are believed to be witches. Sarah meets a local farmer’s son, Daniel, and they fall in love, but the locals cry bewitchment. The story is quite slow and doesn’t really pick up until towards the end, when everything seems to happen all at once.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Random House UK, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is well-written, but it's a slow read. There were parts where the story dragged a bit. But the characters were believable and engaging.