Solstice
Witch trials historical fiction
Published on 19. September 2023
Book
Hardback
300 pages
978-1-915421-96-8 (ISBN)
Description
England, 1673. Still a world of witches, witch trials and witchfinders.
When a new vicar arrives to take over the parish of Mutton Clog, the village finds itself in the grip of puritan fever, and suspicious eyes are turned on Rose Driver.
Rose's mother, brother and grandmother were all put to death by the fanatical witchfinder, John Sharpe. Almost quarter of a century after the Newcastle witch trials, Sharpe is no longer a threat. Rose should be safe in her quiet village, but is history about to repeat itself?
Find out in Solstice, the powerful conclusion to the trilogy, which tells the story of one woman's struggle for survival in a hostile and superstitious world.
The Newcastle Witch Trials Trilogy was inspired by the little-known 1650 trials, where fifteen women and one man were hanged for witchcraft on a single day.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
472 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-915421-96-8 (9781915421968)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Helen Steadman's first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the 1650 Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf is about a group of master swordmakers who defected from Germany to England in 1687. Helen's fourth novel, God of Fire, is a Greek myth retelling as seen through the eyes of Hephaestus, perhaps the least well known of all the Olympians. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword.