Witchcraft and alchemy, when they appear in literature, often do so in a young adult novel teaching about the difference between such crafting and reality. In a twist, Jennifer Sherman Roberts attempt to spin these entities into a tale of historical fiction geared towards adults. Set in 17th-century England – the age of Republican passions and Reformation excesses – this tale weaves together a sketchy “witchfinder” and a plain but strong village healer. The female protagonist seeks to help her neighbors and keep together the little family that she has. From this combination emerges themes about the enduring value of love, whether of family, of romantic partners, or of neighbors.
All Mary Fawcett has left in life are her younger brother and her small business healing her village’s ailments. However, when a “witchfinder” (patterned after a real historical character) comes to town, he sows dissension among once-amicable neighbors. Noble characters, like Mary, are thrown into jail for suspected witchcraft… even though, in truth, they were really just trying to help others out. In an era when Oliver Cromwell battled the King’s forces, abuses run rampant in England, and the law is loosely interpreted.
Roberts sets up a series of characters’ situations into a tight knot so that she can unpack them in one deft climactic ending. She seems to hint at the outcome throughout the book, but I did not anticipate the resolution’s precise form! Both life in an English village and life in London in the 1600s are profiled in a way that brings them to life. It’s hard to imagine life before the advent of democracy and modern science, but Roberts stimulates the imagination to do so.
While this book’s topic hovers around witchcraft and discerning fact from fiction, Roberts still uses a little hocus pocus (in Mary’s mysterious manipulations of characters) to make the plot work. I find this technique unfortunate because such magic seems to take away from the main thrust of a new era of emerging truth. While this tale is still good, this shortcoming, central to the action, prevents it from becoming great.
This book is geared more towards adult readers who can appreciate a setting of England in a prior era. History buffs will appreciate the nerdy emphasis on alchemy and the perversion of religious impulses. Not much keeps this from hitting a teenage crowd other than a prerequisite appreciation for history. I find themes centering around when to trust one’s neighbors eerily familiar in light of modern politics. Unfortunately, eminent so-called leaders still like to sow dissent and distrust in order to gain power. Roberts’ book can help us sort out truth from lies in a familiar scenario that, sadly, remains with us.
The Village Healer’s Book of Cures
By Jennifer Sherman Roberts
Copyright (c) 2023
Lake Union
ASIN B0BSNY1GC4
Page Count: 282
Genre: Historical Fiction
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