The Manningtree Witches: 'the best historical novel... since Wolf Hall'

Review 'I loved this riveting, appalling, addictive debut. Blakemore captures the shame of poverty and social neglect unforgettably, and the alluring threat of women left alone together, in a novel which vividly immerses the reader in the world of those who history has tried to render mute' - Megan Nolan, author of Acts of Desperation 'Dark, original, unsettling, and crackling with fierce and visceral life, The Manningtree Witches heralds the birth of an utterly vital new voice in fiction. AK Blakemore makes the past breathe, and allows it, with dazzling candour, to speak hotly to the complicated reality of our own moment' - Rebecca Tamas, author of Strangers 'A major debut' - the Bookseller 'A powerful debut... [Blakemore's] prose has a richness that adds extra depth' Sunday Times 'Poet A K Blakemore's visceral debut glimmers with darkness and glints with fear... Blakemore brilliantly describes the uneasiness of this world... vivid and original' Daily Mail 'Exploring male oppression and misogyny trussed up as religious fervour, Blakemore's brilliantly written story is both fascinating and compelling' Stylist '[Written] with skill and empathy… Blakemore is a poet by trade... and it most certainly shows – in all the right ways... [A] bold and poetic debut' The Skinny --Source Product Description *Winner of the Desmond Elliott prize for best debut* Fear takes root in the women of Manningtree when the Witchfinder General comes to town. Caught amidst betrayal and persecution, what must Rebecca West do to survive? In Manningtree, depleted of men since the wars began, the women are left to their own devices. At the margins of this diminished community are those who are barely tolerated by the affluent villagers - the old, the poor, the unmarried, the sharp-tongued. Rebecca West, daughter of the formidable Beldam West, fatherless and husbandless, chafes against the drudgery of her days, livened only by her infatuation with the clerk John Edes. But then newcomer Matthew Hopkins, a mysterious, pious figure dressed from head to toe in black, takes over The Thorn Inn and begins to ask questions about the women of the margins. When a child falls ill with a fever and starts to rave about covens and pacts, the questions take on a bladed edge. The Manningtree Witches plunges its readers into the fever and menace of the English witch trials, where suspicion, mistrust and betrayal ran amok as the power of men went unchecked and the integrity of women went undefended. It is a visceral, thrilling book that announces a bold new talent. Book Description A visceral, thrilling debut that reimagines the history of the Witchfinder General in 17th century England. About the Author A. K. Blakemore is the author of two full-length collections of poetry: Humbert Summer (Eyewear, 2015) and Fondue (Offord Road Books, 2018), which was awarded the 2019 Ledbury Forte Prize for Best Second Collection. She has also translated the work of Sichuanese poet Yu Yoyo (My Tenantless Body, Poetry Translation Centre, 2019). Her poetry and prose writing has been widely published and anthologised, appearing in the The London Review of Books, Poetry, Poetry Review and The White Review, among others. The Manningtree Witches is her first novel.