The year is 1612 and King James I of England is obsessed with two things: stamping out Catholicism and witchcraft. He sees the two things as related and Lancashire as the center of both. He sends his witch hunters there to stamp out what he sees as a place mired in witchery.

A group of thirteen is found on Pendle Hill one night, poor women and men who want to believe there is a way to break out of poverty. Most of them live on the estate of the local wealthy Alice Nutter. No one understands why she would shelter and stand up for such people and suspicions start to arise about her as well. When she is tied to an escaped Catholic priest and when locals see the chance to take her land and wealth, the die is set and the witch hunters come for her as well.

Jeanette Winterson is known for writing books that highlight women's issues. Her books have been well regarded and nominated for book Booker and Women's Fiction prizes. This book shows the prejudice against women that fueled the witch hunts in countries in the 1600's as any woman who acted out of the ordinary or insisted on speaking her mind could be a target of the frightened populace and the men who ruled with an iron fist. This book is based on a true case in Lancashire and is graphic about the tortures inflicted on those who opposed the Crown. This book is recommended for historical fiction and those interested in women's issues.