I don’t think anyone would describe stories about women who were persecuted as witches as enjoyable, but I seem to be drawn to them at least once or twice a year, I think, because I still find it so hard to believe this actually happened.

Religious beliefs dictated the killing of women. Men allowed their own wives, daughters, and mothers to be persecuted. It’s easy to think, “Oh this is just fiction,” but then the reality sets in. And I guess I appreciate this reminder that as far as we haven’t come, we have made a great deal of progress.

I was impressed by the writing in this book and the author’s choice to make the main character, Martha, a mute midwife-healer woman who couldn’t speak. For some, this was a big beef – that it was implausible – but I felt it had symbolic significance and presented a great number of challenges for the main character. Even if she wanted to speak up for her fellow women, she simply couldn’t. In yet another way, symbolically, Martha was another female who was muzzled.

I also loved the ambiguity presented by a certain item that continued to appear in the book – and the way the reader is left to determine whether it had power, in the end, to determine Martha and Jennet’s outcome.

Another book that confirms my absolute gratitude to all the Higher Powers who put me in the world at this time, rather than in an English village in the 1600's. I wouldn't have made it through one day. Not one.

The story that had me dry-mouthed, wide-eyed and tight under my quilts was Martha's. She is a servant, who loves her people warily, and suffers from some condition that keeps her mute. No talking, no sounds beyond an occasion growl. She is past middle age, so work is even harder, her family faded long ago into her past, but she's got a specialty with herbs and medicinal helps for her community that works to her advantage. Until the shadow falls.

That shadow is a tall lanky man who is more than proud to be called the WitchHunter. The entire village, previously engaged in regular give and take life, now is on notice to keep eyes and ears open and to report all dark shadows, all demonic ways, potential familiars and of course, witches. Specifically, those who use spells, plants and potions. In the blink of an eye (watch out for that, too!) Martha's gift with plants becomes an indictment. She also has the one thing her mother left her. . .a straw dolly that has powers. Will it protect her? or seal her fate? There are unimaginable situations that are hard to consider, that really happened in the lives of our ancestors. . . .

Dark and ominous years fall on Martha and her community. . .it was a compelling and spooky read. I started it grateful for 2024 and slapped it shut even more grateful to be keystroking a review for your eyeballs instead of being dunked in the stream at the end of the road. . . .

*A sincere thank you to Margaret Meyer, Scribner, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

"The Witching Tide" by Margaret Meyer blends historical fiction with elements of fantasy and suspense, set against the backdrop of 1645. Martha, a midwife and healer, finds herself threatened by a witch finder who sparks fear and paranoia in her town. As local women are targeted and accusations fly, Martha must navigate the dangerous waters of suspicion while concealing her own secrets. Margaret Meyer's narrative promises a gripping tale filled with emotional depth and suspense, perfect for readers who enjoy immersive stories of witchcraft and historical intrigue

This was a hard book for me to get through. I really wanted to love it but it wasn't for me. I did enjoy the writing though.

Martha Hallybread is a midwife, healer and servant living in East Anglia in 1645. When a witchfinder arrives in the village and begins condeming women, Martha may be next. She's especially worried because of the poppet (similar to a wax voodoo doll) her mam left her. But despite the risks, Martha continues to try to help her friends and navigate the scary waters of evil and hate.
I like that the story is inspired by true events. And I related to Martha, a woman trying to do her best for her friends despite her shortcomings.
The story is pretty slow and boring, though. I didn't want to finish reading.

I read The Witching Tide in August of 2023 and was amazed by how drawn in I was by the story, by the characters, and by the feel of this incredible novel. Meyer's debut is incredibly insightful, and has readers hanging (no pun intended) until the bitter end, wondering just what Martha will do... will she give up the women of the village to protect herself?

The Witching Tide is a fantastically written historical fiction about witch hunting in the 17th century. I have a soft spot for witch related historical fiction and this is now a favorite.

3-3.5 stars

This was an interesting story inspired by the witch hunts in England during the 17th century.

Martha Hallybread was a midwife, healer, and servant who lived a pretty peaceful life for decades, but hadn’t spoken since she was a child. When a witchfinder showed up one day in town, Martha found herself forced to help in the search for accused women who bear the mark of the devil. Martha was at a bit of a crossroad because she had to choose between protecting herself and condemning innocent women of witchcraft. But she harbored a secret that would bring protection to the women of the village, though it could ultimately strip her of her own freedom.

I thought this story was okay, but it didn’t grab my attention as much as I’d hoped it would. I’ve always loved reading about witch trials, especially the ones that took place in Salem, MA. I have to admit, though, I don’t know as much about the witch trials in England, so I was intrigued to see the parallels between the two. Overall, I thought this book was lacking a bit as far as suspense goes. There were definitely some emotional and thought-provoking moments, but it wasn’t a story that would stick around with me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing a copy of this book to review.*

The Witching Tide was a book I was really excited for, and had very high hopes for. It started off strong, building fear and tension surrounding the arrival of the witchfinder, but them seemed to lose steam. The plot begins to drag, and being trapped within the confines of a selectively mute main character, we are mired in her often repetitive inner dialog. There were several exceptionally harrowing scenes, which really brought the brutality and lack of logic at the core of witch hysteria and female persecution to life, creating an atmosphere of tense fear and bitter anger. I felt the sudden salvation and subsequent return to a stare of almost normalcy was rather abrupt and anticlimactic.

It does not matter how many books have been written about the witch trials, I will always read them. It is one of the most interesting subjects to me, and this book delivered. The main character, Martha, is a midwife and knowledgeable healer. She is unable to speak since she was a child, and this lands her into trouble when women start being captured around town. The novel is beautifully written and dark. You can feel Martha’s emotions and her desperation to break free of her disability in order to help these women.

Bleak. So, so bleak. I wanted to love The Witching Tide, the setting appealed to me so much! Unfortunately that gorgeous cover did not reflect the story inside. I was also confused as to how the main character, mute and communicates through a form of sign language, seems to have no problem being understood by everyone in town. Full-fledged conversations.

A great tale of the mistreatment of women in history. It was dark and it took a commitment to get through it, but I'm glad I finished it.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

I was excited for this novel because the premise sounded so interesting, however, I was disappointed and it felt very wordy and boring at times. I legit had my mind wandering that I do not even know how the mistress of the house ended up where she did...

I like that this is based on real history and the craziness of the witch hunts and so forth, I was just quite bored with this novel. I think it just wasn't my cup of tea. Written well and historically interesting, just not for me.

Title: The Witching Tide
Author: Margaret Meyer
Narrated by: Miranda Raison
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 9 hours and 36 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio. Thank you @simonandschuster #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

When you think about witch trials, do you think about Salem, Massachusetts or do you think about England? It was only within the last ten years that I found out about the witch finder, Silas Makepeace, in England and the horrors of what happened there.

Martha Hallybread is a midwife and healer who lost her voice as a child. Her life changes forever when Silas Makepeace, the witchfinder, comes to town. Her employer and surrogate son, Kit, gets her a job helping Makepeace look for marks of the devil on women. Martha finds herself in a terrible situation, powerless to help or stop what is happening to the women in her small community. Will Martha be able to save herself and the other women of her community?

The Witching Tide was a difficult book to read. It was terrifying how when the witchfinder came to town, neighbors were turning on each other and hysteria ruled the day. The proof that was used was horrifying and also laughable that such things could be used to condemn women. They were powerless against the accusations.

This book was very well written, and Miranda Raison was a good narrator. The one downfall is that it was slow in the middle and tended to get repetitive with Martha’s thoughts circling her mind. She has a wax doll given to her by her mother that she keeps with her that she constantly worries about. I just wanted her to throw it away!

The Witching Tide is an interesting story about a terrible time in history.

A book about the witch trails from the point of view of a women stuck between suspicion and betrayal. With a main character with a disability (mutism caused by illness), we see how a women tried to navigate the world of 17th century witch hunts. This book was a slower read but was worth the read. This is the perfect fall/winter read that will have you feel the pain these characters feel and have you wanting to know how it will end.

This was an interesting historical narrative of the witch trials; not anything that witch trial fans haven't seen before, but still an enjoyable read. I loved it as one of my "October spookies".

Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.
However, I evidently did not get it downloaded before the title was archived.
I don't even know if it was an e-book or audio book.
Because I was still interested in the book, I purchased the audio version from Audible.
I really wanted to like this book, but it just fell flat for me.
The writing is beautiful and the narrator was fantastic.
The storyline became repetitive and mostly comprised of the false accusations and ignorance of the time.
More time could have been spent on character development and less on overuse of lines like "suckling imps".
I got it the first, second and many times after.
Even though this atrocity happened during the time of religion over science, it is disheartening to know the same ignorance and bias continues in the 21st century.
I can definitely say they had great imaginations though.
I have read several books on the Salem Witch Trials, so I was looking forward to what occurred over the pond.
It seems I differ with many other in my assessment of this book. But I have read too many others on the same subject that have had better character development and storyline for me.

Set in the mid 1600s in an era that many would choose to forget, THE WITCHING TIDE is told through the first person POV of Martha, a mute serving woman and midwife. Martha's vision of life in Cleftwater is typical of the "before" stories of the towns and villages most affected by witch trials. Today we would recognize many of the "signs" used to identify the would-be witches as natural disasters and/or community health issues. In this time of male dominance and a woman's life as housekeeper and bedmate, it was very easy for a blameless woman to find herself branded as witch and hung. No one was safe when the witch hunter ignited his particular kind of fever. If you questioned any of his methods, you too were branded as witch. The hunt would exhaust itself and move to the next village but not until untold damage was done. Life would never be the same.

While there are many volumes that use the witch trials as back story, Margaret Meyer has done a good job of weaving Martha's story into a tale that I'm recommending to my reading circle.

For those ready to dive into all things witchy, Margaret Meyer’s debut, The Witching Tide, transports readers to the witch trials of 17th-century England. Mute midwife and servant Martha Hallybread finds herself in the crosshairs of witchfinder Silas Makepeace’s search and attack on her village of Cleftwater. But she may just have more power to save the targeted women of the village than she realizes.

I included this in a September book releases roundup.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the eARC.

I am really starting to enjoy historical fiction and the witchy twist to this one made it really stand out to me. I very much enjoyed this story and found it hard to put down!