Reminiscent of both The Scarlet Letter and Hamnet... extremely well-executed historical fiction.” — Jezebel

The witch won’t die’: Margaret Meyer on writing The Witching ‘The witch won’t die’: Margaret Meyer on writing The Witching

Inspired by David Copperfield, Kingsolver crafts a 21st-century coming-of-age story set in America’s hard-pressed rural South. In the time this book is set, disability can be a death sentence for one of a hundred reasons, and Meyer really shows ... the importance and value of compassion and social responsibility. ... This was my favorite aspect of the book and the primary reason I recommend the read. Such well drawn characters! Her cheek throbbed. She found she could not look at him. Life with Kit had gone along of its own accord, she had lived it more or less content, had never thought to question it. Or be questioned, in her turn.

The Witching Tide is published by Phoenix. Margaret Meyer will be speaking about her book at Woodbridge Library on Tuesday July 4 at 7.30pm. Information at moreaboutbooks.com CM: I got a sense from the ending of the novel that we might expect more of the poppet, perhaps? Could I be right there? Even though she has written fiction, Margaret's story is underpinned by facts - true stories of real people. She turned to books by historian Malcolm Gaskill, Lowestoft’s Ivan Bunn, and a book on midwifery by the 17th century writer Jane Sharp. 'In the early stages of writing I would spend hours on research,' says Margaret. 'I call it composting, where you collect material to build your world. Like a magpie, I gathered information about the period to understand the ambience, the atmosphere. And it was a stinky old time, the 17th century, no flushing toilets! So I spent a fascinating couple of days researching piss alleys.'

The Witching Tide by Margaret Meyer | Hachette UK

I really have never read anything like this before and I had such mixed emotions reading it. First, the good. The author does a beautiful job describing the scenes, emotions and abject terror these women feel being rounded up. Her prose is beautiful and I genuinely felt sad in some parts, so that shows I connected with the characters. Well done there.A spellbinding historical debut which tells the story of a silent midwife hiding a secret and a witch-hunt that tears a community apart. Perfect for fans of Stacey Halls, Maggie O'Farrell, Jessie Burton, and Hannah Kent.