I found this book really interesting. Its characters are real, historical figures and it made me want to learn more about their real lives. Although the story is fictional it is grounded in the history of the Pendle witch trials and gives a real flavour of what it might have been like to be alive at this time- especially to be a woman. It gives an insight into gender roles at this time and the acceptance that woman were expected to perform particular tasks and not to think or speak too much. It also has an interesting comparison between the ladies of gentry and those who are poor. Whose life was more difficult? Is anything truly that simple? Plenty of twists and turns and a really gripping storyline.