"A vivid and atmospheric historical retelling of one of the Vardo witchcraft trials in Norway which took place between 1662 and 1663. "
Incredibly powerful and moving, this fictional look at the Norwegian witchcraft trials on the island of Vardo at the northern most point of Norway is created with a chilling intensity. In 1662 Anna is imprisoned by her King in the fortress, her only way out is to betray the local women by accusing them of witchcraft. These years saw the third of the Vardo witch trials, a time of horrific persecution. Author Anya Bergman highlights the plight faced by women when to even attempt to be independent or different ensured suspicious eyes followed their every move. She has created the most immensely satisfying sense of place, you can feel the wild nature of the landscape and can almost reach out and touch the featured wildlife. The Sami culture sings with colour and vibrancy in the freezing depths of the north. The children, Ingeborg and Maren, are oh-so relatable as they grieve for their lost innocence and fight for a form of justice. I was on tenterhooks throughout, dreading the outcome, yet unable to to stop being a part of this shocking yet beautifully eloquent tale. Witten with huge empathy, The Witches of Vardo provokes emotions as it observes the horrors inflicted on the women accused of witchcraft, I just had to choose it as LoveReading Star Book and a Liz Pick for its month of publication.
If you loved The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, which was based in the times of an earlier Vardo witch trial, then The Witches of Vardo will be the perfect book to put to the top of your to be read pile.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
