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Witch Child (Witch Child #1)

by Celia Rees (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 7,163 ratings · 665 reviews

"With its theme of religious intolerance and its touches of the supernatural, this is sure to be in high demand for a long time." — Kirkus Reviews

Welcome to the world of young Mary Newbury, a world where simply being different can cost a person her life. Hidden until now in the pages of her diary, Mary’s startling story begins in 1659, the year her beloved grandmother is h...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published May 12th 2009 by Candlewick (first published January 1st 2000)

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Lists with This Book

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Teen Historical Fiction

23rd out of 534 books — 1,397 voters

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

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Wicca and other Pagan-based Fiction

4th out of 201 books — 442 voters

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Feb 03, 2009 Wendi rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tina, Sarah

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 1659. A time of fear and persecution. Mary, granddaughter of a witch, keeps a diary. It begins: I am Mary. I am a witch…

She sees her grandmother hanged, is rescued by a stranger, takes ship for America and finds a place in a Puritan community there. All that befalls her, she records in her diary and as she writes, she stitches the pages inside a quilt for discovery would mean death.

For a young adult book this was very good. No patronizing "teenage girl" voice that you would find in "Twilight". I...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Elisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In genere inizio le recensioni con una piccola citazione. Questa volta, però, non ho sottolineato niente. Non perché il libro non abbia note di merito, ma perché non è il frutto di una penna che scava nel groviglio della realtà districandone i nodi. Non è uno di quei libri in cui il lettore si ritrova ad annuire convinto e sente di potersi quasi specchiare sulla superficie della pagina. E' un libro che scorre tra le dita come un rosario di avvenimenti: grano dopo grano, evento dopo evento, si ar...more In genere inizio le recensioni con una piccola citazione. Questa volta, però, non ho sottolineato niente. Non perché il libro non abbia note di merito, ma perché non è il frutto di una penna che scava nel groviglio della realtà districandone i nodi. Non è uno di quei libri in cui il lettore si ritrova ad annuire convinto e sente di potersi quasi specchiare sulla superficie della pagina. E' un libro che scorre tra le dita come un rosario di avvenimenti: grano dopo grano, evento dopo evento, si arriva alla fine del circolo, si aprono gli occhi e tutto è terminato.

E' la metà del 1600. La narratrice (e protagonista) è Mary, ragazzina inglese costretta a fuggire dall'Inghilterra a causa dell'accusa di stregoneria che ha trascinato sulla forca sua nonna materna e, per logica consequenzialità, ora dirige il suo naso sospettoso contro di lei. La destinazione è il Nuovo Mondo, unica speranza per chi come Mary deve abbandonare in fretta un'identità scomoda per poter sopravvivere. I suoi compagni di viaggio sono paradossalmente esponenti della stessa religione che ha rovinato la sua vita: la dittatura di Cromwell è agli sgoccioli, e il figlio del re assassinato dai puritani tornerà nel paese da un momento all'altro. La vita si preannuncia dura per i puritani che restano, soprattutto per gli Anziani che si resero complici dell'assassinio del re, considerato dai più come un sacrilegio. La stessa nave accoglie vittime e carnefici, desiderosi di riscatto e salvezza. Al momento dell'arrivo, però, la comunione dei desideri dei viaggiatori si incrina e si declina negli stessi meccanismi sociali di ostracismo e isolamento che hanno reso tanto famosi i puritani da un lato e dall'altro dell'Oceano.

I personaggi sono dipinti in modo frettoloso. La stessa protagonista è appena abbozzata, e alcuni elementi del suo racconto stonano nella lettura. Mary è una figura costruita per essere moderna: conosce le erbe mediche, riesce a distinguere le chiacchiere da comari e la superstizione dalla verità. Però vede nell'agire delle quattro ragazzine perfide del villaggio l'orma della stregoneria, e non lo fa per modo di dire. Potrebbe essere un simbolo per indicare che la vera stregoneria sta nella cattiveria umana, ma Mary quando la sua amica ha le doglie prima del tempo osserva con sospetto la ragazzina che stritola tra le mani la sua bambola come nei riti voodoo. Perché ciò che non vale per un personaggio deve valere per l'altro, solo perché è uno degli anti-eroi? Insomma, si predica la liberazione dalla superstizione per tingere le pagine della stessa superstizione.
La figura della madre, poi, figura di passaggio nella prima parte, riemerge a tratti nella narrazione senza alcun nesso logico. Mary ha il potere della divinazione, riesce a vedere il futuro e il passato (anche se lo fa una volta sola). La nonna era un'esperta di erbe mediche e praticava la divinazione attraverso la classica interpretazione delle foglie galleggianti in un bicchiere d'acqua (in tutte le sue varianti). La logica porterebbe a pensare che sia un dono ereditato dalla nonna, ma lei è sicura: "Questo viene da mia madre, che è più potente". Ottima conclusione, ma perché? Il lettore vorrebbe sapere qualcosa di più, su cosa basi questa convinzione, dato che hai visto tua madre una volta e - con una rapidità strabiliante, potevamo non inventare il test del DNA - hai capito chi era grazie al colore dei suoi occhi?

La frase che compare in copertina per spronare il lettore impaurito all'acquisto recita: "Un romanzo scritto con intelligenza, uno stile raffinato, un ritmo incalzante, ricostruisce magistralmente gli aspetti psicologici e storici della caccia alle streghe" (The Guardian). Ecco, magari il giornalista del Guardian dovrebbe tenersi la pallottola del "magistralmente" per prede migliori.

Il succo del romanzo è: l'uomo è più propenso a vedere il male fuori da sé che nella propria testa. Anche nel momento in cui la sua ipocrisia diventa palpabile, la strada della ragione viene spesso abbandonata per la più comoda piazzola dell'accusa indiscriminata. E' quello che accade ai personaggi di questo romanzo che si rivolgono alle esperte di erbe per curare i propri cari. Il consulto viene venerato se risulta benefico, ma se la cura non sortisce i suoi effetti la colpa della malattia stessa frana sul curatore, seppellendolo.

La parte che maggiormente ho apprezzato è stata quella relativa a Penna Azzurra. Mi è sembrato il personaggio disegnato con più precisione. I suoi movimenti silenziosi, la sua completa unione e commistione con la natura che gli permette di godere dei suoi frutti senza turbarne l'equilibrio. La libertà della ghiandaia si staglia nitidamente contro la rigidità dei cappelli alti come campanili sotto cui si rintanano i puritani, con la loro prepotenza nel scacciare le fedi altrui per imporre col pugno di ferro la loro versione della verità. Il mondo indigeno guerreggia ideologicamente con quello puritano anche per quanto riguarda la figura della donna: Aquila Bianca dà un nome a Mary associando il suo sguardo fiero a quello del lupo, lo stesso sguardo che la ragazza deve tenere basso nella vita in comunità per non attirare su di sé l'odio del potente reverendo Johnson.

E' un libro a tratti piacevole, anche se ammetto di essermi annoiata per una buona parte della lettura. Dà spunti di riflessione, ma li lascia lì, sospesi, e sta a te coglierli e ricavarne il succo. Una lettura attiva, certo, ma in genere da un libro magistrale ci si aspetta di non dover ricavare da soli le riflessioni sulla vicenda, anche perché altrimenti Celia Rees avrebbe potuto consegnarci la coperta in cui è nascosto il manoscritto e dirci: "Qui c'è il materiale, ricavane qualcosa. Buon lavoro!".(less)

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Nov 30, 2008 Eliza Brittni rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people intrested in history

Recommended to Eliza Brittni by: my mom

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Oct 06, 2011 Jane added it

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Apr 12, 2009 Lily added it Recommends it for: anyone who likes magical controversy

Witch Child, by Celia Rees explores a very contradictory issue that existed in America for a vast amount of time. The Salem Witch trials are studied in classes to this day, and the events that took place still haunt many people. This novel does not focus directly or bluntly state the events of the Salem Witch Trials, but is obviously focused in that central time period. The setting of this novel is essential in the plot, which is something I do not regularly see in other texts. This unique focus...more

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Feb 11, 2009 Telka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Witch Child is about a girl named Mary Newbery. She thinks she is a witch because the people in England accused her grandmother of being a witch. this story takes place in 1659, and is written in multiple diary entries from Mary's point of view. Once Mary's Grandmother dies, she goes on a ship to Salem, Massachusetts. Later in the story, Mary is certain that she will get hanged by the townspeople. After all, Salem was known for its harsh witch trials...
I can make a text-to-world connect with t...more

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Feb 11, 2009 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is about a girl named Mary. Her grandmother gets killed because the towns people thought she was a withch. Now Mary has to leave her home before she gets killed as well. Her long lost mother came to save her and she got placed in a loving home with Martha, her forever freind who is like a second mother to her. All is going well untill the town's pastor Reverend Johnson suspects that Mary is a witch. This gets confirmed by the man who told the people in her old home that her grandmothe...more

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Feb 11, 2009 David Sof 2014 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7th-grade-ir-books-stacy

Witch Child is about a young girl and her grandomother witch who was captured and killed with proof thats shes a witch.Mary was then to the mysterious women whosent a letter and gave it to Mary to a guy named John rivers.She helped wher because Mary's grandmother saved her life and she would do anything to repaid of what kindness she did.
During the boat ride Mary met a lot of new people that doesn't know if she a witch or not including herself.She met Martha a kind women, Jonah and Tobias,Jake,S...more

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Feb 11, 2009 Kristian rated it 3 of 5 stars

this book is very intence. this girl named Mary is a witch so in the begining of the book people came to there house and took her grandma. They knew she was a witch so they put her through these tasks she failed 1 test and then they hung her. right before the hanging some lady grabbed Mary and took her to her home. Mary still had no clue who this was she was a rich lady and then after a while Mary figured out that that rich lady was he mother. Mary was like what. her mother explained the whole t...more this book is very intence. this girl named Mary is a witch so in the begining of the book people came to there house and took her grandma. They knew she was a witch so they put her through these tasks she failed 1 test and then they hung her. right before the hanging some lady grabbed Mary and took her to her home. Mary still had no clue who this was she was a rich lady and then after a while Mary figured out that that rich lady was he mother. Mary was like what. her mother explained the whole thing. she also said that they are in danger so she had to go to the colonies. she did and she met new people and had people like a family to her. some lady had a baby and when the baby came out dead so mary gave the baby some air then it came back to life. that was a bad idea because now people suspect that she is a witch and no one can know. she made it to the colonies pretty safely and before she left a boy kissed her because she liked him and he liked her. she got off the boat and got comfterble in a house with widow Heskith. this girl Rebeca is now Marys best friend and she likes this guy Tobias so people keep making fun of her because of that which is not cool. more eon into the story this other old man jonah gets sick and his leg begins to hurt so mary went and got help and then he got better so mary got dressed into some guys clothing and went to a pond and she was dirty so she found a pond and then washed in it. some kid was watching her naked in the water. when Mary found out that he was looking at her she ran. more on into the story people found out that some girls where dancing in the barn naked and they blamed it on a witchcraft so they had a maeating and they knew that there was a witch in the room so then out of no where they began blaming Mary and she got mad so she left and she didnt want to because her best friend was having a baby. it was for her best to run off.
i can connect this book to my life because mary had never met her mom and i never met my uncle since like a week. he cam from oregen and hes my hero just like marys mom is her hero.
i give this book a 3 because it did not keep me so onto the book and it was not the most interesting book. i would recoment this book who likes historical fiction.
(less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Charlotte Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, children-s-books

Despite the very mixed reviews on Goodreads, I found this book gripping, entertaining anda real page turner. Firstly, I was immediately drawn in by the cover. Usually I prefer books with illustrated covers, but I found that the photograph on this and the sepia tones really reflect the feel and atmostphere of the book.

With regards to the premise and the style of writing, this book contains diary entries written by Mary, the granddaughter of a witch, around 1659-1660. It is regarded as a children...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Ramie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: librarycopy, fiction

All of my reviews (and those by some other awesome chicks) can be found at: http://www.chicksgetlit.com/

Witch Child is historical fiction done the way it should be done, the way that makes some people wonder if it's fiction at all. The book starts off by letting us know that the pages of a diary have been found, stitched in between the fabric of an old quilt. That diary belonged to a young girl named Mary. Mary's story is a sad one, raised by her grandmother during the 1600s. She had no idea who...more All of my reviews (and those by some other awesome chicks) can be found at: http://www.chicksgetlit.com/

Witch Child is historical fiction done the way it should be done, the way that makes some people wonder if it's fiction at all. The book starts off by letting us know that the pages of a diary have been found, stitched in between the fabric of an old quilt. That diary belonged to a young girl named Mary. Mary's story is a sad one, raised by her grandmother during the 1600s. She had no idea who either her mother or father were. When her grandmother was accused of a being and consequently hanged, Mary knew that she'd likely follow. That is until a mysterious woman yanks her off of the street, saving her, offering her passage aboard a ship sailing to America. America, a land where people could be free to be who they wanted to be, free from silly baseless persecutions -- in theory.

Mary's new "family" is a group of Puritans who were also afraid they'd not accepted for religious reasons. They too felt America was a safe place. They, however, would not accept a witch. Mary knows this. She knows she must hide her family history. To fit in, to have a home, she will. She'll change her last name, she'll go with an invented back story. She'll play down her knowledge of things that could be seen as witchy.

This is the 1600s though. A pregnancy goes wrong? There must be a witch who cursed the mother. An animal is acting out of the ordinary? A witch is nearby! You don't like someone? Call them a witch! Poverty, desperation, religious fanaticism, and just flat out cruelty caused people to abuse that one accusatory word "WITCH" to the point that anyone and everyone was in danger of losing their life. Mary knew that she especially was at risk. If anyone figured out her history, she'd surely be accused. If they realized she had "the sight", she'd be accused. Even Puritan girls are boy crazy, they see Mary as a threat, what if they decide to accuse her publicly of something?

Still, despite all of the fears, Mary has made a friend or two. Her life isn't easy in their little town, but it is a life she can handle. Then one day the signs and accusations get out of hand and Mary's life is on the line. She writes about it furiously, stuffing as much information as she can into the quilt lining, wanting to be sure she leaves a written record of her final days at the Puritan camp. But will she get out alive or not?

If only the author had ended this book just a little sooner, it might have been perfect. There is sequel: Sorceress (which I have not read and at this point have no plans to read). Generally when there is a character that you care about, you want more more more. There should be no loose ends. This, however, is a rare exception. I feel like there are a lot of aspects of Mary that should be a mystery. Were she real (and I have no doubts there have been many a Mary throughout the course of history) she'd have disappeared from the face of the planet) her story would not have been told at all, finding the diary would have been a lucky find, filling in the missing details would surely never happen. I won't spoil it, but I am sure that anyone who reads this book can guess where I'd end it.

Overall an excellent book, written in diary format, about life in the 1600s. About how "words have power". About how sometimes even if you're worried about treated horribly for being different, eh, you have no problem with going after others who might be different. A little of everything in a book of its size (about 300 pages).(less)

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Nov 21, 2012 Beth Bonini rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-book-club

This is a particularly compelling example of historical fiction. So compelling, in fact,that I think my students may well ask, "Is this real?" I have to continually explain that good fiction SHOULD convince you that "it" (the characters, the emotions, the storyline) is "real," but sometimes they find that concept confusing. Well, author Celia Rees does a terrific job of making you feel like a historian/anthropologist who has just discovered an amazing find: the diary of a young colonial girl whi...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book for 50 cents at the Carlsbad Public Library after a week of beach camping. Had to hurry home to clean, do laundry, put food away but made time in between tasks to read this book. An excellent book for busy people too since the entries are written as a journal; short and to the point. Not many long, off the topic, descriptive narratives that go on for pages which is nice. I couldn't put it down and read it in two days which is really unusual for me. The main character is Mary wh...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Danielle Wright rated it 3 of 5 stars

Witch Child is a novel, fictionally based around the pages of a diary found stitched into a quilt from the colonial period. We are introduced to Mary and her grandmother, who is a very good healer in a little English town. The town’s people think that the grandmother is a witch and within the first chapter we, through Marie’s eyes, witness the execution of her grandmother. Mary escapes, with the help of other witches, is put on a ship bound for the wilderness of America. She travels with a congr...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Stephen Tori rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Mar 18, 2012 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, magical-realism-ish, strong-female-lead, ya-teen, tween

Many of the reviews mention that this book is similar to other Salem-era witch hunt stories, and it's true that some elements of the same. But I think that there are some important differences in Rees' story, and it's those differences that I ended up liking the best.

Mary starts the book in a village in England where her grandmother is accused of and hanged for witchcraft. A mysterious stranger saves Mary from persecution and sends her over the Atlantic to the New World with a group of Puritans...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Lari Don rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book with a bit of trepidation. Books with photos of pretty girls on the front always make me suspect a romantic heart to a story, which is not usually my thing. But my own latest book, Drawing a Veil, has a teenage girl photo on the front (in a Muslim headscarf, which I suppose sends a different message) so I decided to read past my prejudices and give this very well-reviewed YA historical novel a go. And it was entirely worth it. A young girl sees her grandmother tortured and execu...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Roberta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

Galleggia!

In città vivono nove streghe, tre vestite di lana, tre vestite di stracci, tre del miglior velluto...

Inghilterra, 1659. La giovane Mary assiste all'impiccagione per stregoneria della nonna Alice Nuttall. Subito dopo viene aiutata da una giovane e graziosa donna che organizza la sua partenza verso il Nuovo Mondo insieme a un gruppo di puritani in fuga dall'Inghilterra.

Non aspettatevi un libro fantasy o horror sulle streghe. La stregoneria di cui parla Celia Rees è quella reale, per cui...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Alexander Abreu added it

Witch Child is about a girl who's grandmother was hanged for being a witch, so she was tooken away by a women that looked rich. she was brought to an inn to stay there for the night. The next day she was taken to a ship, and met John Rivers and his family. She met a women named Martha Everdale she was traveling all alone like Mary was so she decided to stick with Martha. Traveled together to America and they arrived at Salem, then they had to travel through the woods after they made it to the en...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Lya06 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Qui la recensione completa: http://bookland89.blogspot.com/2011/0...

Il libro si apre con un appunto fatto dall’autrice che ci dice che ha per caso scoperto un diario datato 1659 all’interno di una trapunta molto antico. Per quale motivo un diario dovrebbe essere stato cucito all’interno di una coperta? Chi era la misteriosa scrittrice?
Proprio a queste domande il diario risponde raccontando la storia di Mary, ragazza di quattordici anni che all’improvviso rimane sola poiché vive in tempi diffici...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Relyn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teen lit lovers

Recommended to Relyn by: spotted at a Phoenix used book shop

One of the things I was really looking forward to about this vacation is all the time in the car to read. Humph! I didn't bring a single book that I wanted to read. No kidding. At the time I packed, I was tired and I grabbed really light reading. When it came time to read, I really wanted a story, you know? Instead, I read all my magazines and bought more.

One of the things Jeffrey and I always do in a new city is go to the art museum and seek out good used bookstores. I found this one at Bards...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Ms. LaPorte rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle_school, summer-2011, historical_fiction-or-connection, colonial_history

I read this title looking for material to connect with Colonial History. Certainy "witches" would peak student interest.

Why did people seek passage to the new world? (page 19) "We live in diffficult times." Charles is in excile. "Putitans, separatists, people who fear that their faith will no longer be tolerated. They are leaving for a new life. In America."

With them, they took prejudice...

They met the men who caused girls to squeal. "They were shod in soft leather bound with thongs..." (page 1...more

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May 01, 2011 Jessie Blackwood rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought this book well researched and an interesting angle to take, quite plausible to hide the journal in the folds of a quilt, but I would personally have issue with it surviving that long. An individual page folded and placed in a quilt would suffer, no doubt of it. Having worked in a museum with a paper conservation department, I found that bit a little on the borderline of unbelievable. I have to say that I would be pedantic in the extreme to suggest it might never happen, though, and whe...more I thought this book well researched and an interesting angle to take, quite plausible to hide the journal in the folds of a quilt, but I would personally have issue with it surviving that long. An individual page folded and placed in a quilt would suffer, no doubt of it. Having worked in a museum with a paper conservation department, I found that bit a little on the borderline of unbelievable. I have to say that I would be pedantic in the extreme to suggest it might never happen, though, and where this story is concerned I prefer to err on the side of maybe. I liked reading it and as such, I was able to suspend disbelief.

The book is nothing new, a story of a young girl suspected of certain powers viewed the way countless characters have viewed it in the past, but told with a sympathy and simplicity I found refreshing. I loved that she could 'see' a person's future, had no prejudice when faced with the native tribesmen and my romantic brain wrote the ending for me-that she survived and joined the tribe and 'married' the young man she met and got to know. It ended without us knowing what happened to her. She could as easily have died in the forest from exposure and hunger or attack by wild animals. But somehow I could choose to write the ending in my head that I wanted. I liked that we were left to wonder and it made it all the more right somehow.

The journalistic approach was also good, although Celia Rees used the same plot as other writers-a make believe that this was a real 17th century journal translated for a modern audience. Some people might find this a weak premise for a book like this, but I found it a good read. It certainly hasn't stopped me from trying the author's other books and I am intrigued to read the sequel, Sorceress, which deals with one of Mary's descendants. So I am set to find out if my speculation about what happened to her is true.

Ultimately it was another novel showing the fickle nature of humans and their tendencies toward mob mentality and eagerness to follow charismatic but dangerous leaders. I particularly liked the strong nature of some of the women, those who could stand up to others and defend their fellow woman from persecution with calm and reason, even when at risk themselves.

Altogether a good read, if nothing new in some regards. I look forward to reading the sequel.(less)

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Apr 18, 2011 TheBookAddictedGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone Over 11 Who Love Powerful Characters, Magic, And Historical Fiction You Can't Put Down!

Shelves: british-fiction, fantasy, paranormal, pre-teen, read-2011, ya-child-crossover, ya, historical-fiction, magic

“I am Mary. I am a witch.”

Witch Child tells the story of a girl named Mary, whose grandmother was hanged for being a witch. She had to leave, before the townspeople turned on her as well. And so she was taken away from the only home she’s know by a mysterious woman she’s never met, Mary is sent to America for her own safety. But life aboard a ship of Puritans heading to the New World is just as dangerous as it was back home in England – maybe more so. Can she keep her secret? Or will she be disc...more “I am Mary. I am a witch.”

Witch Child tells the story of a girl named Mary, whose grandmother was hanged for being a witch. She had to leave, before the townspeople turned on her as well. And so she was taken away from the only home she’s know by a mysterious woman she’s never met, Mary is sent to America for her own safety. But life aboard a ship of Puritans heading to the New World is just as dangerous as it was back home in England – maybe more so. Can she keep her secret? Or will she be discovered, and killed just as her grandmother was?

I was captivated, and literally devoured Witch Child. It was an amazing, powerful story, and was also insanely addictive.

Told from Mary’s point of view, it’s written in the form of a diary that was found sewn into the seams of a quilt. As I read, I felt like I had travelled back to the 1600s, and there were loads of little details that just made the history feel alive.

Mary was a brilliant character, strong and brave. I loved her spirit, and found myself feeling everything she felt. Her voice was unique, and her emotions intense: she was an entirely believable character.

The supporting characters were brilliant as well, and all very real. Jaybird, the Native American Indian boy; Martha, the Puritan who took Mary in; Reverend Johnson, the one who believes he’s a prophet of God, who I believe is really the evil one. There were so many amazing characters, and they all went together to form a brilliant, realistic world.

The thing I liked most about this book was the history behind it. The witch trials both fascinate and horrify me, ever since I learnt about them at the very beginning of high school. It amazes me how narrow minded people can be, and how healers can be seen as “spawn of the Devil”. Did you know that at least 250,000 women were killed, and in some villages were left with no women at all? (I’d just like to point out that I didn’t actually get that from the book, it’s just a weird piece of information that I’ve remembered, for some reason or another.) And the Native American Indian history and beliefs intrigued me too: how the settlers forced them out, their ideas on spirits, the way they live. I wouldn’t have thought that the two would go together so well, but they did, and I loved the way they did.

The one and only downside: the concept of magic and witchcraft was left unclear. Mary hinted at visions, controlling storms and voodoo-like dolls, but nothing was confirmed... Unless that’s what Celia Rees meant for it to be like... to make you think, to wonder...

Overall, Witch Child was a brilliantly written story with authentic, unique characters and an amazing plot. It was intense, addictive and ended with a horrible cliffhanger. Even though it’s written for 11+, I think everyone can enjoy the history in it!

Finally, a simple question:
Do you believe in magic?(less)

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Feb 09, 2011 Cassandra Barboza rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story is from the perspective of Mary who is a witch. It is a hard thing to be in her time because she lives in the English world where the Puritans around her are forever seeing the devil around the corner. Mary lives with her grandmother who is a healer and midwife. People in their village begin to accuse her grandmother of witchcraft that she never committed and she is eventually hanged. Mary is forced to flee and is saved by her mother who she had never met before and she only has a sho...more This story is from the perspective of Mary who is a witch. It is a hard thing to be in her time because she lives in the English world where the Puritans around her are forever seeing the devil around the corner. Mary lives with her grandmother who is a healer and midwife. People in their village begin to accuse her grandmother of witchcraft that she never committed and she is eventually hanged. Mary is forced to flee and is saved by her mother who she had never met before and she only has a short time to spend with her because she is bound for a ship heading to the New World. In the New World Mary finds her niche and a group of people that respect and understand her power and that she does not use her gift for anything malicious. She befriends an Indian boy named Jaybird and spends much of her time with him because he is also different and an outsider to the Puritans. Girls in the town begin to rouse trouble and begin to make suspicion fall on Mary.And when she does not get married to one of the prominent Puritan officials she is viewed as a danger. When a witch hunter comes to the town Mary is accused of witchcraft and she must flee for her life yet again. The writer makes Mary a very intellectual and stong character that must hide under a Puritan cover, and yet allows her to make the choices that make her happy but cast doubt on her character (in the Puritan world). I found that the author did not make Mary weak in a time when that was what the society wanted. And the supporting characters were luckily more open minded and more truly moral than the Puritan officials that pretended to be that way. I want to have minor characters that support my main character that are faced with adversity. I want to create minor characters that are more than just one dimensional additions. They need to be integral to the success of the main character to truly mean something. I think the author of Witch Child really does that and makes all of her characters enertaining and effective to either helping or hindering the protagonist.(less)

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Jan 28, 2011 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks-read, young-adult, favorite-series, 5-star-books, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. AMAZING! I listened to this in audiobook format. The language and the writing were so beautiful; I was entranced from the first sentence to the last. Fortunately I had this on my ipod so that I could take it with me while picking up kids, doing chores & making dinner...or I fear my family may not have eaten tonight!
This is a wonderful example of how out of control people become when fear is involved. Taking place in the 1600's, laws and beliefs were created largely by religion. We look at t...more

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Apr 06, 2010 Polly Todd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like social history

With hardly a glimmer of any hocus pocus nonsense, Witch Child is a sympathetic portrayal of a girl educated by her grandmother in the folk-lore and herbal remedies used in the seventeenth century.

We follow Mary's flight from the persecutors who seem intent on destroying her happy family situation to teh new settlements in America. There Mary hopes to build a new life for herself, helped by many kindly people that she encounters. I particularly enjoyed the historical details, which Celia Rees h...more

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Feb 15, 2010 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, witchcraft, colonists, persecution, witch-hunting, 1600s, young-adult-fiction, religion, native-americans, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 1659, England. Mary loses her grandmother to witch hunters. Before anyone can point a finger at Mary and accuse her of witchcraft, she is whisked away by a mysterious stranger. This woman reveals that she is Mary’s mother before putting her on a ship to travel to the new world, where she hopes Mary will be safe. Mary’s new community, however, is mostly Puritan, and many of her neighbors are suspicious of Mary. Although she makes some friends, and finds a new family of sorts, it is not to last. T...more 1659, England. Mary loses her grandmother to witch hunters. Before anyone can point a finger at Mary and accuse her of witchcraft, she is whisked away by a mysterious stranger. This woman reveals that she is Mary’s mother before putting her on a ship to travel to the new world, where she hopes Mary will be safe. Mary’s new community, however, is mostly Puritan, and many of her neighbors are suspicious of Mary. Although she makes some friends, and finds a new family of sorts, it is not to last. The preacher, Reverend Johnson, suspects that Mary is a witch, and will do everything in his power to prove it. When other girls in the town are caught performing witches’ rites, they feign madness and possession and accuse Mary of bedeviling them. Mary is once again forced to flee for her life.

Mary does actually have some power – which she almost never uses. She has visions on the crossing to the new world, and her caregiver, Martha, asks her to *look* for a lost boy who is later found. Others who have power recognize it in Mary – the widow in Salem, the old Indian man who guides the new arrivals to the Beulah settlement. But Mary has never used her power to do anyone harm, and she has never been guilty of the things which others have accused her. She lives in an atmosphere of fear, suspicion, hatred, jealousy, and religious fervor – an unhealthy combination. She tells her story in a journal she keeps – the pages of which are sewn into her quilt. When she leaves Beulah, pursued by witch hunters – Martha continues her story and vows to find Mary when she and the other village outsiders have found sanctuary.

The journal format of this story made it very accessible – I enjoyed learning about the ship crossing and Mary’s experience of the new world and the Native Americans. She was rather more open-minded about them than expected (perhaps because of her own persecution at the hands of witch hunters) – most of the other settlers were afraid of them. She was also fearless when it came to exploring the forest surrounding Beulah – again, something the other people feared. I admired Mary’s courage, independence, and curiosity (which were in stark contrast to the fear and suspicion and religious dogma that clouded the minds of the other settlers). It was, however, obvious from the beginning that Mary’s fate would be no different from that of her grandmother – she’d be accused of witchcraft and run out of town (if not killed). Watching that play out was frustrating, and although Mary escapes (we don’t know what becomes of her), I was still angry with the people of Beulah for being so small-minded, petty, and wicked in spite of their religion. If I had been Mary, I would have struck off on my own much sooner and gone to live with the Native Americans (assuming they’d have me). I have no patience whatsoever for fanaticism. There is a sequel to Mary’s story – Sorceress – that tells the story of one of her ancestors, so, presumably she is able to make some kind of life for herself after she escapes from Beulah. Recommend to teens who enjoy historical fiction.(less)

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Nov 05, 2009 NSAndrew Liebergen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This was my favorite book to read this week. I don’t know why, it just was the story that engrossed me into the book. You all should read this book. It is kind of a cross between a documentary, thriller, and a love story. I believe our current students would extremely enjoy this book. With the popularity of vampires and Harry Potter, children will love the supernatural aspect of this book. Teachers will love the historical facts and situations interwoven into the story.
The main character Mary N...more

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Aug 02, 2009 Syd Roh-the rated it 5 of 5 stars

"First they walked her, marching her up and down, up and down between them for a day and a night until she could no longer hobble, her feet all bloody and swollen. But she would not confess. So they set about to prove she was a witch…"

When young Mary Newbury’s grandmother is accused and hanged for being a witch Mary disguises herself as a Puritan girl set to America. Challenges find her around every turn. She reaches America after a long voyage and finds herself in a new settlement along with th...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's The Name o...: Main character was a witch. set in maybe medieval times [s]	7	67	Dec 20, 2012 05:04pm
Shut Up & Read: A witchy story - "Witch Child" - with Witchy Poo & friends	14	90	Nov 13, 2012 01:57pm
Books, Wine and G...: Buddy reads@Claire and Laura Witch Child	13	19	Sep 03, 2012 04:32pm
Cliffhanger	1	21	Oct 04, 2011 02:31pm
Differences	1	16	Sep 27, 2011 12:14pm
Land Ho!	1	9	Sep 20, 2011 02:51pm
truth	2	34	Nov 15, 2007 10:25pm

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About Celia Rees

Celia Rees (born 1949) is an English author of children's literature, including some horror and fantasy books.

She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband and teenage daughter. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, dur...more

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“Those that can heal can harm; those that can cure can kill.” — 33 people liked it

“In the town live witches nine: three in worsted, three in rags, and three in velvet fine...” — 20 people liked it

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