The Last Witchfinder
Jennet Stearne's father hangs witches for a living in Restoration England. But when she witnesses the unjust and horrifying execution of her beloved aunt Isobel, the precocious child decides to make it her life's mission to bring down the Parliamentary Witchcraft Act. Armed with little save the...
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Jennet Stearne's father hangs witches for a living in Restoration England. But when she witnesses the unjust and horrifying execution of her beloved aunt Isobel, the precocious child decides to make it her life's mission to bring down the Parliamentary Witchcraft Act. Armed with little save the power of reason, and determined to see justice prevail, Jennet hurls herself into a series of picaresque adventures—traveling from King William's Britain to the fledgling American Colonies to an uncharted island in the Caribbean, braving West Indies pirates, Algonquin Indian captors, the machinations of the Salem Witch Court, and the sensuous love of a young Ben Franklin. For Jennet cannot and must not rest until she has put the last witchfinder out of business.
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Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9780060821791 (0060821795)
Publish date: March 14th 2006
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages no: 523
Edition language: English
Category:
Fantasy,
Paranormal,
Novels,
Witches,
Science Fiction,
Literature,
European Literature,
British Literature,
Book Club,
Historical Fiction,
17th Century,
Witchcraft
This is right up my street - an overblown historical romp with intellectual overtones. Funny, serious, exciting and ridiculous. Loved it.
The conflict between science and religion is the emotional backdrop of James Morrow's The Last Witchfinder, set in 17th century England during the heyday of the Parliamentary Witchcraft Act. The story itself is told through two characters; Jennet Stearne, whose father Walter is a well-known "witchpr...
This one took what seemed like forever to read (but since it spans the onset of the Enlightenment through to today, that's perhaps to be expected). I dipped in here and there, reading a section--a chapter--an hourglass at a time (if you've read it, that will make sense). The black humour, the deligh...
I'm not even half-way in, but so far I think this book is gripping, entertaining, not too dumb (misuse of the word pederast notwithstanding) and altogether most pleasing. It's not even over-gruesome yet, despite the subject matter. It being written by Newton's 'Principia' is a bit of a tricksy appro...