‘Alice Samuel is an old, occasionally cantankerous woman who looks uncomfortably witch-like. A new squire, Robert Throckmorton, has come to reside in her Fenland village with his brood of children, including the oddball Johanne and Jane, who suffers from fits. When Alice calls on the family, Jane is overcome, and the old woman is soon accused of witchcraft. This is 16th century England, and such accusation is taken all too seriously.
The story is partly told from Alice’s perspective and her bewilderment and anger are palpable. The accusations are impossible to refute and the proofs cited against her are bizarre. The other narrator is Martha, a servant who has been with the Throckmorton family since her adolescent years. Martha’s determination to think well of the family is tested by the slow revelation of dark secrets: there is tension in the parents’ marriage and allegations of sexual abuse.
Novels about witch-hunts are not rare beasts, but The Bewitching which is based on the true story of the witches of Warboys is a particularly fine example. Tension builds, events spiral out of control and it builds to a devastating finale.’
– Antonia Senior, The Times