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Widdershins

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Widdershins

By: Helen Steadman
Narrated by: Christine Mackie
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About this listen

Bear witness to the quiet courage of the women who endured one of English history’s darkest chapters.

Step into the shadowy world of seventeenth-century England with Widdershins, a haunting historical novel that lays bare the terror of the 1650 Newcastle witch trials.

Jane Chandler is a natural healer whose knowledge of herbal remedies leaves her vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft in a society consumed by superstition.

In pursuit of her is John Sharpe, a witchfinder whose relentless crusade against witches is forged by religious zealotry.

In this compelling work of historical witch fiction, Widdershins blends meticulous research with evocative storytelling that immerses listeners in a turbulent and fear-stricken past.

©2017 Bell Jar Books (P)2025 Bell Jar Books Gothic Horror Scary Magic Witchcraft Inspiring Thought-Provoking Heartfelt Magic Users

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Critic reviews

“Impeccably written, full of herbal lore and the clash of ignorance and prejudice against common sense, as well as the abounding beauty of nature, it made for a great read. There are plenty of books, both fact and fiction, available about the witch-trial era, but not only did I not know about such trials in Newcastle, I have not read a novel that so painstakingly and vividly evokes both the fear and joy of living at that time.” Sally Zigmond, Historical Novel Society

“Widdershins is a dark and wonderful novel, rich in historical details, herbal lore, traditions and superstitions. Steadman’s clear eyed storytelling and colourful period voice give life to a vibrant cast of characters drawn against the backdrop of tragic historical events. A compelling and memorable tale!” Louisa Morgan, A Secret History of Witches

“A compelling and nuanced account of the clash of cultures that claimed so many lives. Steadman’s carefully interwoven narrative conjures a world of herbal lore, folk practice and belief and convincingly portrays the psychological and ideological forces that form a perpetrator, and the social structures that sustain him.” Helen Lynch, The Elephand and the Polish Question

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When listening to the book I went in blind and didn't realise it was based on the Newcastle Witch Trials. The main characters Jane Chandler and John Sharpe where well written and you could see the research that came into building their characters. You felt the emotions the characters went though. At the beginning I felt sorry for John with his upbringings but as the story went on, I began to hate him. The Narrator Christine Mackie brings the story to life with incredible accents and her voice capturing the emotion throughout perfectly.

great narration

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For a long time I've had a fascination about the Witch Trials of the 17th Century but had not been aware of the Newcastle Witch Trials, and so I listened avidly to this audiobook. The narration by Christine Mackie was spot on and set the scene for this period.

Well researched and absolutely fascinating. The narration painted a graphic picture of what these women had to endure. Highly insightful, and brought home the fact that anyone who was skilled in herbal lore, early midwifery or an apprentice of the same fell under prejudice and suspicion of being thought of or called a witch. This was especially true of the attitudes of many men towards women of this period.

A thrilling, disturbing fictional listen but a true portrayal of historical events. I can't wait to listen to the sequel.

A fascinating portrayal

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This audiobook caught my eye initially because I'd recently read and enjoyed The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore (based on the Essex witch trials). As this is based on the Newcastle witch trials, I thought I'd give it a go...I was not disappointed! I absolutely loved this audiobook!

The two main characters, Jane and John, are so well written and such strong voices- testament to this is my huge dislike for John! I enjoyed their two stories running alongside each other coming from very different standpoints.

I was really immersed in the story which was due to the excellent writing and the fantastic narration by Christine Mackie; narrators really make or break an audiobook and Christine absolutely made it!

I'm delighted that there is a sequel called Sunwise and I cannot wait to enjoy more of Jane and John's story...especially after THAT ending of Widdershins!🤯

An easy 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me

Fantastic book and narration

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I've been wanting to read this book since it was published but I needed in audio format. It was so worth the wait!!

Although I live in the area I knew nothing about the Newcastle Witch Trials. I had some knowledge of trials but this book graphically describes the torture endured by accused women at the hands of so called witch finders.

Due to the wonderful way this book is written I had so much emotion for the characters that I felt I experienced everything with them, especially the ending.

The narration was superb with accents absolutely spot on!! Not an easy task for the North East of England.

Fiction interwoven with truths

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Widdershins is a beautifully written piece of literature that does genuine justice to the horrors suffered by our ancestors during the witch trials of England in 1650.

We follow two narratives each as compelling as the other, one of Jane, a healers apprentice falsely accused of witchcraft, the other of John, a troubled soul with a dire upbringing resulting in an easily influenced persona that inevitably assumes the role of Witchfinder, hired to scour the land of ‘evil’ witchcraft.

Parts of the story are hard to witness, the torture that so many suffered is heart wrenchingly accurate. Due to this, Widdershins is for the adult reader, there are scenes of violence against women (including sexual violence), torture, execution, and violence towards animals. All written with painful accuracy, respectfully portraying what so many suffered during the age of witch trials.

Whilst I fell in love with the Widdershins tale, this was my first audiobook experience and I now know that audiobooks aren’t for me, the narrator was fantastic but I prefer to read the words and will be downloading the story to re-enjoy as a book later this month, with a more detailed review to follow on the blog on my website after.

If you’re looking for a witchy read with historical accuracy and a fantastic array of herbal lore - add to your TBR list.

A rollercoaster of emotions.

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Enjoyed the narrator on this - made it an easy listen. And interesting facts on herbal potions - made me want to learn more!

Interesting cast

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This was a lovely audiobook. I love historical fiction but have read very few from this time period. I found the historical aspect fascinating and was quite shocked by the level of cruelty to women in this story. It certainly made me feel grateful that I’m around today and not then. I enjoyed the character and my heart broke for Jane on many occasions. It really comes across that John thought he was doing right and following Gods wishes. I cannot wait to listen to the next one…

A brilliant read

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I don't normally listen to audio books but when I got the invite to join in this book tour I thought this sounded like the perfect book to try it, and I wasn't disappointed,I really enjoyed it and like the narratiator (this is the one thing that put me off audiobooks)
Widdershins is inspired by the Newcastle witch trials in 1650 where 15 women and 1 man where hanged as witches.
This book can be hard going at times (which the author warns you of) as unfortunately this isn't a pleasant subject, and the fact it's based on true events makes it even worse, but to me I think its important to remember.
The story is told from 2 points of view John and Jane starting from when they are children to adulthood. In really liked how  characters and their stories developed . I can't say I liked the characters as although I liked Jane, John developed from a young orphan you feel sorry for to a horrible bitter young man full of prejudice and hate. The fact I disliked him so much shows how good the writing is to develop such a character.
The book also had a few twists at the end and I'm looking forward to the second book Sunrise

Great into to audiobooks and a great story

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Listener received this title free

This is a beautifully written story of daily life and the witch trials in the 17th century. With attention to detail and what I can imagination must have been extensive research, the author plops you down into the middle of the 17th century and brings you through a whole range of emotions. Based on true events, we are brought closer to the heart of the story with two people who lead very different lives.
We follow Jane and John from childhood in their separate stories, the chapters alternating between their two points of view. We very quickly learn how life events, environment and home life play an important role in how we live out our lives and what our beliefs are.
Jane and John live their separate lives until the end where twists and turns had me on an emotional rollercoaster and hanging on every word! I was left with my jaw on the floor and eager to listen to the sequel!

Beautiful story of a terrible time

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4.25 stars

I was gifted this book as part of the book tour, in exchange for an honest review. 
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 Based on witch trials held in Newcastle in the 1650s, Widdershins follows the lives of two very different protagonists: Jane Chandler, an apprentice healer, and John Sharpe, witch finder. Each of these characters has their own tragedies to face and challenges to rise to as they navigate the harsh realities and religious superstitions of 17th Century England and Scotland.
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 This was a brilliant piece of historical fiction, covering a topic as fascinating as it is horrifying. I was drawn in from the very start, through Steadman's raw and emotive writing, and continued to be engaged throughout the novel.
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 In terms of plot, this was a slow burn. I kept waiting for the two stories to intertwine, which did take a while. However, this actually worked really well for the story and I didn't find myself feeling impatient. On the contrary, the storyline continued to be compelling and the gentle narration made this feel like an almost cosy read at times, despite the dark subject matter. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this on audio. 
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 It was a difficult read at times though, as it highlights some awful realities from this period in history, including: execution, traumatic childbirth, child loss, and violence towards women. The treatment of women was utterly infuriating to listen to - I gave many an angry eyeroll at the ridiculous and hypocritical beliefs people held and John's chapters in particular became more and more challenging as the novel went on. Steadman doesn't hold back at all, and the result is uncomfortable but also powerful. 
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 Overall, this was a compelling and beautifully written (and narrated) novel that certainly evoked a reaction from me! I really felt for Jane, who was a strong and endearing main character, and the ending was the perfect emotional cliffhanger. I'm eager to see what awaits these two characters as the story continues in the next novel, Sunwise. 

Wonderful!

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