The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore is a haunting novel that dives into the paranoia and brutality of 17th-century England’s witch hunts. The setting is the small town of Manningtree. The story follows Rebecca West, a resilient young woman navigating life in Manningtree who becomes the target of witchfinder Matthew Hopkins’ relentless pursuit of “ungodly” women. Blakemore’s prose is atmospheric, bringing the gritty world of Manningtree to life with vivid detail. While the pacing is occasionally slow, the novel’s introspective look at misogyny, fear, and power is compelling and thought-provoking. Fans of historical fiction and witchy books will find this darkly poetic debut a memorable read.

What to listen to while reading...
Season of the Witch by Lana Del Rey
The Hanging Tree by Angus & Julia Stone
Black Water Lilies by AURORA
the fruits by Paris Paloma
What's a Girl to Do? by Bat for Lashes
Family Tree by Ethel Cain

The story of Rebecca West, one of the accused in England's great witch hunts.

This was an intense read, all the more so for being a fictionalization of actual events and real people. I really loved the character of Rebecca. She was flawed and complicated, but so human and so vulnerable, I couldn't help but get invested in her story. I wanted everything to work out for her, even when things seemed the darkest.

The writing was well done, it really felt like it was of the 1600s. The dialogue took some getting used to initially, but once I was in, I was all in. It's a slow book, but the insidious creeping horror as Rebecca's wellfare becomes more and more tenuous as Witchfinder Hopkins gets her in his sights is intense. And the setting felt so grounded and real. Blakemore is an excellent author, and I look forward to more of her work.

My strongest recommendation for this book is that as soon as I put it down, I was immediately researching the real Rebecca West and the Essex witch trials.

Thanks to NetGalley and Catapult for this arc.

A very lyrical historical fiction. 1643, small town England. The Bedlam is often the talk of the town gossips, much to the embarrassment of her daughter. Rebecca struggles to create her own life - berated by her mother, the shadow of her family impossible to escape.
Matthew Hopkins - and his Puritan, make people suffer notions arrive in town. Rebecca feels he has a hidden agenda.
I enjoyed the excerpts from witch trials - lovely foreshadowing, heightened my interest.

I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. I didn't think it was fair to review a book I didn't finish.

Wolf Hall meets The Favourite in this beguiling debut novel that brilliantly brings to life the residents of a small English town in the grip of the seventeenth-century witch trials and the young woman tasked with saving them all from themselves.

If you love the history behind the Witch Trials, than this is the book for you. Loved getting lost in the history story but not boring at all. great read!

The Manningtree Witches is a debut historical fiction novel set in a 17th century English town reeling from the affects of the Civil War where marginalized women are accused of witchcraft, The Manningtree Witches will appeal to readers of Wolf Hall and Hamnet.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* pretty good read, very long and it was different than i expected but still good

“Just like a man to suggest the most obvious thing in the world as though it might be revelation to a woman’s cottony mind. When it seems to me all the most obvious things in the world must be done by women, or else they wouldn’t get done.”

Set in the 1640s in the English village of Manningtree, the Civil War has begun and the men of the village have gone off to fight while the women are left behind. We as readers easily fall into this world of The Witch Finder General with Rebecca West as our guide. Spunky, bright, and cunning Rebecca is an engaging protagonist made all the more glittering against the backdrop of Puritanical 17th century Britain. Rebecca's days are simple. She begrudgingly looks after her drunk mother, she works, she prays, she keeps her head down, and only occasionally casts eyes on the handsome town clerk, John Edes. That is, until a figure in black arrives in Manningtree determined to smote out the devil and all of his company from England. What quickly becomes a tale of neighbor turning against neighbor, Blakemore weaves new life into narratives of the witch trials.

If you ever learn about historical events and wonder "how could that person do that?", or "I would never do that if I were in the same position!", then I think you will enjoy this story. The impossible, no-compromise situations these women found themselves in is heartbreaking. Rebecca West becomes our quotable beacon of resistance in the face of adversity. But the urge to save our own necks is powerful and even Rebecca is not immune to temptation.

I loved how much the author pulled from historical events and occurrences to craft this story. The use of real historical figures, witch lore (Vinegar Tom for the win!), and even the dialogue was early Modern in its cadence, all served to transport the reader - without mercy - into the bubbling heart of the Burning Times.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A superbly written novel set in the 1640s when the Civil War has just begun and when witch hunts continue. The novel based on real events, focuses on a group of women who through their independence are feared and despised in a small community. When a witchfinder, the famous Matthew Hopkins, appears, they are persecuted, accused of witchcraft and taken to Colchester for a trial. The novel is superbly written, atmospheric and with the feel of dread and helplessness. The language is not easy to follow but it definitely adds to the authenticity of the period. The characters feel natural and not modern as is often the case with historical fiction. Descriptions of Essex are poetic and it does not surprise as the author is a poet and this is her debut novel. And a remarkable debut!

While the premise of this novel is fascinating, it was disjointed and convoluted with multiple confusing perspectives and was often difficult to read. I’ve honestly never had such a difficult time reading and comprehending what was going on in a historical fiction novel…especially of a period of history that I have knowledge and interest in. I really wanted to like this more, but it just became tedious and I couldn’t wait for it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Catapult for sending me this ARC copy.

4.5 stars

An absolutely smashing debut, A.K. Blakemore combines dark humor with incisive social commentary to create a historical fiction novel that is unlike anything I have ever seen.

Based on true events during the English Civil War, The Manningtree Witches lays bare the hypocrisy of the witch hunt through excellent prose and sharp comedy. Blakemore excels at providing a fresh and modern perspective on these historical events through the voice of our protagonist, Rebecca West. Becky never feels out of place in this 17th century world, but her inner monologue will be all too familiar for any woman reading this today.

I literally only have one critique about this novel and it is that we lose some of the comedy throughout the middle of the novel as things become grim for Rebecca and her family. It is totally understandable, but it did make that section of the novel drag a bit for me.

I would encourage any and all historical fiction fans to add this to their shelves as soon as possible. I cannot wait to see where Blakemore goes after this fantastic start!

Thank you to NetGalley and Catapult for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

A slow start belies a powerful and poignant story on the dangers of the patriarchy. As an American, we aren't taught much about witch trials other than Salem, so I came in to this with no knowledge of the historical events it was loosely based on. That didn't matter, since the characters and settings are so richly described that it all felt too real.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blakemore's book--which is based upon witch hunts during the seventeenth-century English Civil War--is smart, shadowy and gothic, often infuriating, and consistently fascinating.

Rebecca West is fatherless, without marriage prospects, and generally defiant--all of which render her vulnerable to suspicion and subject to the various, often harmful whims of men.

Odd or unwelcome events are ascribed to dark forces, and dangerous rumors begin to swirl around women on the outskirts of society regarding covens, spells, and carnal desire. Meanwhile, pious, black-cloaked Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, comes to town. Blakemore alternates points of view between Hopkins and Rebecca West, crafting plausible interactions and basing many details upon accounts of the two real-life figures.

Many of the town's men seem largely (and horrifyingly) titillated by the dark activities recounted and wild accusations raised, and the men drum up hysteria, fear, and finger-pointing throughout the community. The most socially powerless women--widows, unmarried women, and fatherless girls--are most exposed to mistrust and devastating punishments, all of which are carried out in the name of a twisted theological logic. Many of these women are appealingly headstrong and willful despite their treacherous situations.

The women in question are desperate to save their society from the arrogant men and their unchecked power, but only turning the tide of society against the hunting of witches will stop the outrageous persecution and cruelties. It's satisfying to watch as members of the community begin to recognize the witch hunters as more devilish creatures than anyone they might be seeking to punish, and at the same time it's horrifying to consider the realities of the Witch Craze of the English Civil War, when 100 to 300 women and men were put to death as witches due to a "vacuum of authority...virulent anti-Catholicism...and growing Puritan radicalism," as Blakemore writes in an author's note.

The Manningtree Witches is smart and thoughtful, and the tone of Blakemore's novel is shadowy and gothic. Rebecca despairs at her situation, yet she is a wonderfully defiant and strong character--her mother is, dangerously, even more so. Powerlessness, despair, fear, and fury fuel Rebecca, but she must keep secret her intelligence and her desire for autonomy. The Manningtree Witches is infuriating in its recounting of the horrific cruelties and tortures enacted against so many women at the time. The women are all trapped in a system that's crushing for females. But I appreciated the dark humor and strength Blakemore allows the formidable female characters in the book.

I received a prepublication electronic copy of this book courtesy of Catapult and NetGalley.

I was expecting this book to blow my mind but it didn't, unfortunately. It is a great piece of literary and historical fiction and the language is incredibly beautiful. But the pace! You know how everything is going to end, from the beginning (if you are minimally aware of the history of witch trials in England and beyond) so the unspooling of the story is key. And again, the writing is magnificent but the burning (no pun intended) is extremely slow. The action is told from Rebecca point of view, alternating with an omniscient narrator that gives us the rest of the characters perspective. I found this clever and insightful. I personally enjoyed Rebecca's perspective the most. I should probably say that Rebecca is a fatherless/husbandless woman that lives with her mother in Manningtree in the 1640's. They are both suspected of witchcraft. What follows is pretty much what you imagine.
I'm always amaze by how Historical Fiction writers document themselves in order to write a beautiful and yet faithful story. This book is no exception. Blakemore did a great job and she is a very talented writer. I would love to read what she writes in the future.

The Manningtree Witches by A. K. Blakemore was just the historical escape I needed this weekend. Already I can feel fall in the air and that always gets me primed for a tale about witches!

Upon first laying eyes on the text, Blakemore sets the scene--oh we are reading the words of a woman coming of age in the 1600s, language choices and all. Blakemore's use of language, while sometimes causing me to read slower, was such a tone setter and so enriching to this world. Instantly, I was drawn into the split villages of Manningtree and Mistley.

Rebecca West, begins as a slightly unlikable protagonist but soon rises to be a really well developed antihero. I’m really awestruck that this is a debut novel, it was wickedly enchanting.

Publication Date: August 10th, 2021

Thank you to @NetGalley & @catapult for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

#TheManningtreeWitches #NetGalley

The concept was interesting but I couldn’t get into the writing style.

I did not write a full review but I highlighted it on my site.

Told through the first person narrative of an actual historical figure, young, outspoken Rebecca West, THE MANNINGTREE WITCHES examines the culture and societal climate of Essex, England, in the mid 1640's. Perhaps the worst period in English history for women, girls, and the different, Essex suffered tortuously from the depredations of self-appointed Witch Hunter, the short-lived Matthew Hopkins, "Witchfinder General," and his cohort John Stearne, author of "Confirmation and Discovery of Witchcraft (1648 publication).

If you are in search of incredibly immersive and authentic historical fiction, you have absolutely come to the right place. Riveting and compelling, your heart will be racing as you finsih the tale.

As a fan of both witch stories and historical fiction, The Manningtree Witches was a great fit for me. The novel is set in the 1640’s at the start of the Civil War during a time rife with witch hunts. The novel, which centers around real events, explores the relationships between the women in a small town. When Matthew Hopkins, a successful witchfinder comes to town, he accuses the women of witchcraft. They are taken to trial, accused of witchcraft, with the undercurrent of having to pay a price for being females. The novel is wonderfully written, masterfully researched and feels current in its thematic exploration. Thank you to Granta Publications and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this novel.