Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, for this review copy. This is my unbiased review of the author's work and style.
Hmm, I cannot say I enjoyed this book. It is written in a style that gradually reveals the background of the protagonists in this it is good. But it is a story of unredeemed grinding drudgery. I found not a jot of fun in its pages.
I am sure Elizabeth Lee has drawn a fair picture of what she feels life was like for the lowest echelon of society, during the early 17th century, but I was left wondering why she did it? The love story enfolded within the general sense of doom is weak not in passion but in its portrayal. The dread of the populace and their worry about the witch hunters, witches, cursing etc., makes the tale so depressing I failed to complete the read having given up by page 300.
For those who like this sort of read I am sure it will sell but I cannot in all honesty offer more than 3 stars.

I could not get into this book at all, sorry to say. It is SO slow, and depressingly miserable. There is a love story of sorts, but it is not convincing, and I could not relate to any of the characters. I did not enjoy the writing style.
Just not the book for me sadly, it was a DNF.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

This atmospheric historical fiction was an incredible surprise and I’m so glad I managed to find this little gem.

One day of spring in 1620 Lancashire, Sarah find herself once more struggling to find any food or money to feed her family, for witches aren’t welcome in the village... until one day, the young Daniel shows a spark of humanity. The star crossed lover story is tumultuous, frightening sometimes and a danger to many.

There are no words to describe how perfectly well-written some passages are. The author has a unique skill in setting an eery and gloomy atmosphere which perfectly describes the village, its townfolks and the witches.

This isn’t a story of clichés, fancy spells, sparkling eyes and shiny wands. The cunning women are exiled, they live in the muddy part of the forest, they get stoned and insulted in public. In this sense, whilst the book is obviously a fiction, is it firmly set in a realistic background which makes it all the more enjoyable.

The suspense is maintained all the way to the very last chapter and as you might know, I really love it when I have no idea what’s going to happen!

My only remark? It was a bit of a slow start. I understand this decision as it was important to set the scenery, but it felt like it dragged a little.

A birthmark shows all when Sarah is revealed to be a witch, betrayed by her own skin. Society turns its back on cunning women of her kind, which is a cruel fate for Sarah, who has fallen in love with the Farmer’s son. When a new Magistrate vows to purge the village of cunning folk, it’s not long before her fate changes again.
I really enjoyed this story, to cut to the chase. Was I spellbound? Potentially. Sarah is a great heroine - she is the damsel in distress yet she saves herself. I am quick to be annoyed by the “child with the old soul” tripe yet Annie, Sarah’s younger sister, strikes a good balance. I would have loved to see more of Sarah’s growth as a witch, but other than that, it was an intriguing read that I would recommend to any lover of romance or historical fiction.

The cunning women is a tale of "witch" girl coming of age. She is warned by her mum that her life shall not be that of normal girls her age and she cannot love, but falls in love with a local farm boy Daniel nonetheless.

Daniel and Sarah's love if a pure one which is not influenced by the locals who think her family is cursed by the devil until a new magistrate comes to town and naturally the village blame her family for funny goings-on on in the village.

Its a tale of young love, friendship and fear of the unknown. A really well written and gripping read.

Set in 17th century in Lancashire; following the plague and the devastation it brought.
The book portrays in detail the cruelty that was commonplace at that time and how dangerous it was for women, to just survive or be believed of their innocence. We live in such a different world now and we can respond in certain ways that back then were deemed as wicked or dangerous.
It is really hard not to be affected by this book, it was such a harrowing period.
The story is full of emotion, the love within a family and the growing love between friends. It will make you furious, scream or feel empathy.

The story follows the life of Sarah Haworth and her family, who are vulnerable and misunderstood outcasts in the village community. Following Sarah’s father’s death, they have to fend for themselves and so use herbal remedies as a means to get by. But whilst village folk welcome the usefulness of the Haworths in confidence, they scorn their very existence in the gaze of other villagers.

Sarah meets Daniel, who does not see her in the same light as others do and this is where we see hope arise. A beautiful friendship, curiosity and kindness.
Their relationship, though forbidden by the community, blossoms into hopes and dreams of a life together.
But a new magistrate comes to the village and he is determined to whittle out perceived witchcraft.

Elizabeth Lee’s prose is precious, using all the senses to capture and illustrate the essence of a place, emotions and relationships so well. For a debut novel, i thought it a compelling piece of writing.

It is the 1620s Nd Sarah lives with her mother, brother and sister. They are outcasts and live on the edge of starvation, feared by villagers as they are cunning folk.
We follow Sarah in her desire to escape her destiny and find love and some respect, let alone food. Excellent novel with great characters, loved every page.

Set in Lancashire, known for the Pendle Witches, this concerns Sarah and Daniel, two very different people who clash, come together and are then disappointed.
Sarah Haworth, and her family are healers, herbalists, skilled with potions, and live in a hovel in a deserted plague village. They might also be witches, local people buy their wares, possibly to avoid being cursed.
Daniel is a simple, hard working farm labourer, who tries to keep out of trouble, but is constantly bullied by Gabriel, who also works with him on the farm. Daniel has a skill as a horse whisperer and this is how he and Sarah meet, over a horse. She is intrigued by the way he handles the horse, Daniel finds himself bewitched by this young, forthright person, and a romance blossoms.
I did hope that this book would go against the social mores, and be bold, and bravely challenge the differences and prejudices of these polar opposite people, but that backfired and I felt that was a missed opportunity. Daniel was just too damn nice and responsible, and Sarah- perhaps her dark soul and heart of a witch made her show her true colours?
I have read other novels set in this time frame, The Binding by Bridget Collins, and this story fell curiously flat, and it didn’t live up to my expectations. If the story had concentrated upon Sarah, the rough way she was treated, and how she planned revenge on those who hurt her family, that would have been more exciting, her familiar and her curses could have really done something with this story. It left me feeling short changed, there was so much more that could have been explored, celebrate the witch!!
I gave this a three star read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Random House for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will transfer this review to Goodreads and Amazon later.

Set in 17th century Lancashire this novel is about the relationship between Sarah and Daniel. Sarah is an outcast. She lives with her mother, brother and sister. They are cunning people. That is, one step down from witches. The villagers fear them but can't live without their potions. Daniel is a farmer's son. They meet and fall in love but can their love be anything other than doomed especially when a new magistrate intent on finding witchery everywhere is installed in the village.

I requested this because it was compared to The Mercies which I loved. Unfortunately I couldn't warm to this story at all. I found it extremely slow to begin with as nothing much happened and there is only so much musing about feelings that you can take before falling asleep, There were no surprises in it and it seemed to me to be an unrelenting tale of misery. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I didn’t finish this. I really couldn’t get into it at all. I was expecting a read about witchcraft and the cunning women of the 1600. What I got was a love story that felt out of place. It was slow. The characters weren’t well written. I found that I was doing other things rather than reading the book. So. I put it down and decided not to finish it.

Historical romance/witchcraft novel - very good read.

This novel concerns Sarah Haworth, daughter of a cunning woman, i.e. a healer and possibly a witch, in 1620, living in a small English village. It's about first love and the superstition and prejudices of the era. It introduces a handful of interesting and engaging characters, some good, others less so. The story moves along well, alternating chapters between Sarah and Daniel, the farmer's son. It's quite a revelation and nicely produced. I found it well worthwhile and would recommend it to all. I was given a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Review of Cunning Women

Really enjoyed this story. Something a bit different with great characters and character interaction and an interesting story line. Recommended

This is a very well written book but I'm afraid it's not the book for me. Unfortunately I really struggled to get into the story and engage with the characters

Set in 1620 in Lancashire, Daniel, perceived by some as weak, powerless, naive falls in love with the wild, spirited Sarah, daughter of the cunning woman living on the 'cursed hill'. Filled with atmosphere, Elizabeth Lee has carefully woven tale of forbidden love in her debut novel where she describes a time in history when accusations of witchcraft against healers led to a time of terror for people, and particularly women, for practicing perceived 'dark arts'. Determined to overcome their polarised backgrounds, Daniel and Sarah plan a future together, with shattering consequences. I read this book from cover to cover, almost unable to put it down. I quickly grasped the 'rhythm' of the writing as the characters developed, the story evolved and although occasionally, I could 'see' the way the drama was unfolding, this didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. Great debut and look forward to Elizabeth's next novel.

A strong and engaging debut, this tale of star crossed lovers in Lancashire England in 1620 is reminiscent of Bridget Collins’ The Binding with young people trapped by their circumstance in poverty and magic rooted in pagan belief. It is heartily enjoyable, with a strong narrative throughout and a love for readers to root for. It really got me thinking about cult mentality and the power one loud voice has over others, so I now can’t wait for her follow up novels.

I would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately I didn't like the book and gave up around 10%. It was quite brutal in places and I didn't like any of the characters. Not what I was expecting .

This took me a while to get into, possibly because it isn't the type of story I would usually choose. However, I'm pleased I continued. It was thought provoking to realise how other people's superstition and ignorance can impact lives. I felt annoyed on the character's behalf. Which proves it is powerful writing in my opinion. Definitely an interesting read.

I hate to write a less than glowing review but unfortunately I found this book disappointing.

I had very high hopes for this debut from the outset since it is recommended for fans of The Mercies, which I really enjoyed. Due to this comparison, I was expecting a highly atmospheric read, with vivid descriptions of the land and compelling protagonists. Instead, I would categorise this novel as more of a romance and even then, it wasn't a particularly good one.

The term 'insta-love' comes to mind. This is often used in reviews for YA novels, which is interesting as I felt that this read like a mediocre YA novel. The story is told from the perspectives of Sarah, marked as a witch and living as an outcast with her family in an abandoned plague village, and Daniel, a sensitive farm boy. Upon meeting they are instantly drawn to one another but there is little development in their relationship before the pair are wildly in love. (Spoiler: It didn't help that Daniel later turns on Sarah as quickly as he fell for her, in way that seemed wildly out of character.) It's a real shame because I feel that with further character development, their relationship could have been really compelling.

When I read a historical novel, I want to be entirely transported to that time and place, and that simply doesn't happen here. Aside from the description of clothing and food, there's little to paint a picture of the 1620s Lancashire setting. I also found that the pacing didn't work. The first three quarters of the novel are slow, with a sudden flurry of events in the last quarter. Because the main driving force of the books is the weak romance, it's not a steady build to a stunning crescendo but a load of waiting around until someone claps some symbols.

I wonder if the entire book might have worked better had the story been told solely from Sarah's point of view. If we had been left to question Daniel's thoughts and motives more, then perhaps their romance and his (SPOILER) brief betrayal would have worked better. I would have liked to have seen more development of Sarah's mother, too, I think.

It does seem that I am in the minority as a disappointed reader, so don't let this review put you off if you think you'd like to read the book. I am still grateful I had the opportunity to read this, so thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for providing me with an advanced e-copy.

A beautifully atmospheric story that brings home what it was to live during a time of suspicion and persecution. The intolerence of the townsfolk is both sad and terrifying and I felt all of Sarah's anger and desperation. I loved this book.

Lee's debut novel is an evocative, authentic and bewitching tale of finding courage, strength and kindness despite prejudice. How can young love escape the weight of expectation from family, society & He who claims her? What is the price of altering your destiny & denying your soul? Magnificent!