Our ReviewsThe Merrybegot
By Julie Hearn
"Nell's granny is known as the local cunning woman in an out of the way village in the West Country. She lives on gifts from villagers who are thankful when she acts as midwife or healer when people are sick. Nell is learning the Knowledge from her granny who is old and whose mind is beginning to wander. Problems and dangers are on the horizon for both as they live in the middle of the seventeenth century when it was not safe to be thought 'different' for one could be accused of witchcraft and that meant death.
The story is a really good, readable one which I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters are well drawn and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep it from being too predictable. One of the things I enjoyed was trying to guess how the story would develop.
This story mixes fact and folk lore as it tells of the life of Nell. It is firmly set in time and makes use of knowledge of the beliefs and superstitions of the time. Real characters from history like Matthew Hopkins, the Witch-Finder General are used so that the story stays believable. The use of fairy and pixie lore help the story to move at a level beyond reality.
Towards the end of the tale there are several twists and turns that tie the story up nicely. If you know about the Salem witch trials then the final plot line has a real sting.
Read it, you will not be disappointed."
Mr I Walker, History Teacher