The Witching Tide A Novel
The Witching Tide A Novel by Margaret Meyer is a historical fiction work published by Simon and Schuster on September 5, 2023. This 336-page novel is set in East Anglia during 1645 and follows the story of Martha Hallybread, a midwife and healer who has lived a quiet life in her seaside village of Cleftwater. When a witchfinder named Silas Makepeace arrives, fear grips the community as local women are accused and detained. Martha, who has not spoken in years, finds herself caught in a web of suspicion and betrayal as she witnesses the unfolding events.
Readers will find a narrative that explores themes of fear, power, and the consequences of societal hysteria. As Martha grapples with her silence and the looming threat of the gallows, she attempts to protect herself and her community by reviving a wax witching doll from her past. The story delves into the complexities of loyalty and the moral dilemmas faced during a dark historical period, making it a thought-provoking read for those interested in literary fiction centered on women’s experiences.
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Named a best historical novel of the year by The New York Times Book Review and “reminiscent of both The Scarlet Letter and Hamnet” (Jezebel), The Witching Tide is a powerful debut inspired by the true events behind a deadly witch hunt in 17th-century England.
East Anglia, 1645. Martha Hallybread, a midwife, healer, and servant, has lived peacefully for more than four decades in her beloved seaside village of Cleftwater. Having lost her voice as a child, Martha has not spoken a word in years.
One autumn morning, a sinister newcomer appears in town. A “witchfinder,” Silas Makepeace has been blazing a trail of destruction along the coast, and his arrival in Cleftwater strikes fear into the heart of the community. Within a day, local women are being detained. Martha is enlisted to search the accused women for “devil’s marks,” and finds herself a silent witness to the hunt.
Martha is caught between suspicion and betrayal; between shielding herself or condemning the women of the village. In desperation, she revives a wax witching doll that belonged to her mother, in the hope that it will bring protection. But the doll’s true powers are unknowable, Martha harbors a terrible secret, and the gallows are looming…
Set over the course of a few weeks that forever changed history, and for readers of Hilary Mantel and Margaret Atwood, The Witching Tide “illuminates a dark historical period and cautions against its recreation” (Kirkus Reviews).
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