BOOK NOOK; The Witch Finder's Sister by Beth Underdown

The Witch Finder's Sister  by Beth Underdown is a fictional account of Mathew Hopkins sister. Although there is no historical evidence to say that he had a sister, there is also none to say he didn't, so this novel assumes that he did. Her name is Alice and when her newly-wed husband dies suddenly, she finds herself back in Manningtree, living on the charity of her brother, Mathew, who draws her into his self-appointed 'witch-finding' business. 

It is an interesting book and I enjoyed reading it.  The cover praises go a bit over the top in my opinion - I wouldn't say that the novel is 'terryfying', in fact I found it quite tame, but that could be because I have read a lot about the witch trials over the years, so I have probably become slightly desensitzed to it as topic. 

The author does a decent job of building up the fear of the characters, as Mathew Hopkins moves from village to village on his deathly progress and he meets a very fitting end at the finish of the book which is satisfying to the reader.  However, the author acknowledges that there is no proof that Hopkins had any connection to America and the Salam witch trials, so it seems strange that she should propogate that myth in her novel. Perhaps it is meant to be ironic, but I found it to be an unnecessary link between two different episodes of witch trials. 

The end papers of the book list the names of some of Mathew Hopkins' victims and there are historical documents incorporated into the novel, which makes for chilling reading.  The simplicity with which these women were dispatched, on no greater charge than that of hearsay and spiteful accusations from other villagers, is horrifying.  

These days we understand that the UK witch trials was a form of social cleansing - most of the victims were elderly women with no-one to speak for them and no means of self-support, so they were a drain on society.  Good Christian people couldn't be seen to refuse charity to their elderly parishioners, but hanging witches was perfectly permissible, thereby saving the village money in the long term and making money for the witch-finder - let's not forget that Mathew Hopkins worked on commission; no wonder he was so successful at finding and condemning 'witches' wherever he went!

For me the most chilling aspect of reading this novel lies in the realization that these issues haven't really gone away and still exist in our modern world.  The elderly and infirm are still viewed as a drain - you only have to look at the mess of the Social Care system to recognize that.  We still don't want to pay for the care and comfort of the elderly; consecutive governments have failed to provide adequate funding and people complain whenever their taxes go up.  In short, no-one wants to fund an aging population, and while we might not be hanging them as witches anymore, refusing certain operations and treatments to people over 70, or in the wrong post code, is surely just as bad.  So the social issues that fueled the witch-hunts of the past are still in existence, but these days we call it Austerity, not witchcraft. 

Sadly there are still people like Mathew Hopkins walking among us too - the finger-pointing fanatic who would stir up trouble for those they envy and are jealous of;  the spiteful woman, rallying her pals in a vendetta of gossip and lies against another female; the terrorists who are threatened by the freedom of the Western world - they are all cut from the same cloth as Mathew Hopkins.  It still goes on; we just name it differently. 

The Witch Finder's Sister is a fantastic novel for exploring these lingering similarities between their society and ours, which is probably why it's such a favourite title with book clubs.  It is a mirror of a book that makes you think and it is a great talking point too.   

I enjoyed the story of this novel and although it didn't scare me (finger-pointing fanatics really don't intimidate me, no matter who they are) I would say that it is quite chilling in places, especially where the historical documentation has been included, which is a hauntingly authentic touch that I haven't seen in any other novel dealing with Mathew Hopkins as a subject.  

So if you have an interest in the witch trials of the UK and you want to delve deeper into that world - or if you have a book club but no book - you might want to read this novel and take a good long look in the mirror. 

And to all the witches, past and present, Blessed Be, my sisters.

"Ever mind the rule of three; 

What thou sends out, returns to thee!"