155:, and it suddenly occurred to me that the beliefs and skills which would have condemned a woman to death in one society would have been revered in another. In North America, at that time, two communities with these sharply differing values could have been living side by side – Native Americans were, broadly speaking, a shamanistic people. That got me thinking, what if there was a girl who could move between these two worlds? … Mary came into my head and
258:: Mary settles in to the community as they build cabins in preparation for the hard winter. Mary often walks in the forest and sometimes meets Jaybird a native boy who provides her with medicine. Jaybird brings Mary to his grandfather where he senses Mary's grandmother as a hare. Martha warns Mary not to wander into the forest as rumours about her spread.
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is quite positive: "The text is haunting despite a lack of antiquity in the language. Perhaps wisely, Rees forgoes emphasizing historical or theological accuracy and instead focuses on providing immediate characters. With its theme of religious intolerance and its touches of the supernatural, this is
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says "Celia Rees writes a compelling story of love, trust, history and old superstitions. Ancient beliefs and the descriptions of harsh punishments for those who step outside the bonds of
Christianity also give the book its torment and flavour...This tragic start to the novel is written in the style
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near Bath, recalling her studies of
American History at University. She recounts that "I remember being struck by the isolation of the first settlers who founded New England and thinking about how they must have felt, surrounded by vast forests, on the edge of an unexplored continent, an ocean away
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has reservations: "Though the story is filled with authentic-seeming historic detail, Mary behaves more like a 21st-century teenager with a penchant for things New Age than a product of her own era...Hampered by wandering story lines and some stereotyped supporting cast members, this seductive
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flawlessly evokes the claustrophobic precariousness of early settler
America. But what elevates the novel beyond the genre is the ambiguous, enigmatic voice of Mary herself. Rees perfectly captures the haunting tone of a young girl who is both less and more than she
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from home. Many years later I was reading a book about 17th century witch persecutions. One of the accounts was of the Salem witch trials, and those fearful isolated communities came back to me. In the same book I found a description of the activities of one
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writes that "Rees has always been able to turn on the suspense for her readers. With this novel she ups the ante, breaking new ground with a superbly plotted and gripping historical novel...A brilliant portrayal of
Puritan zeal and paranoia,
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praises the novel: "It's a completely absorbing account of what happens when suspicion and rumour fuel secret agendas, prejudices and politics. A book to make you sigh with satisfaction."
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223:, and Mary was befriended by Martha. Pastor Cornwell suffered from seasickness asked Mary to be his scribe. The ship passes many icebergs and whales and see the
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of an irregularly kept journal. The dates are rough but still the tale takes a rhythm and flows smoothly.
134:(2003). and the Prix Roman Millepages (2002) and in Italy it was runner up for the Cento Literary Prize.
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151:, Witch Finder, at work in the English Civil War period. At about this time, I also read a book about
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shortly. The lady had to stand by her husband as he had put his name to
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as it was becoming too unwieldy. She created the sequel called
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231:to the baby afterwards. Eventually they arrive at
170:who was a Parliamentarian and commander of the
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412:The Captain’s Log – witch child (Celia Rees)
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323:sure to be in high demand for a long time."
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142:Celia Rees was inspired by visiting the
118:is a historical novel by English author
426:Afterword, published 2020 by Bloomsbury
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330:material never quite comes together."
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162:Rees loosely based Mary's mother on
130:(2001), won two French prizes, the
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364:Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
128:Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
253:guide them as they reach Beulah.
126:. It was shortlisted for the
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193:and then tested if she could
229:mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
520:Bloomsbury Publishing books
219:: The puritans set sail on
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540:British young adult novels
400:British Council Literature
545:Novels set in New England
122:and published in 2000 by
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16:2000 novel by Celia Rees
168:Colonel John Hutchinson
388:prezi.com Novel awards
339:Rees decided to split
498:Retrieved 16/11/2022.
486:Retrieved 15/11/2022.
474:Retrieved 15/11/2022.
414:Retrieved 15/11/2022.
402:Retrieved 15/11/2022.
390:Retrieved 15/11/2022.
378:Retrieved 15/11/2022.
366:Retrieved 15/11/2022.
247:Journey 3: wilderness
217:Journey 2: the voyage
124:Bloomsbury Publishing
67:Bloomsbury Publishing
496:On writing Sorceress
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530:Fiction set in 1659
515:2000 British novels
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305:Emma Poulsen from
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20:Witch Child
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287:Witch Child
221:The Annabel
208:Southampton
174:during the
157:Witch Child
138:Inspiration
115:Witch Child
509:Categories
351:References
256:Settlement
251:Pennacooks
120:Celia Rees
41:Celia Rees
345:Sorceress
273:Reception
266:Testimony
238:New World
200:Journey 1
187:Beginning
153:shamanism
63:Publisher
307:Brisbane
204:puritans
55:Language
261:Witness
191:pricked
58:English
335:Sequel
290:seems.
37:Author
233:Salem
195:float
92:Pages
182:Plot
101:ISBN
79:2000
69:(UK)
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