Diary of a Witch

by Colleen Passard

Set in the early 17th century, Diary of a Witch is a raw and haunting novel based on a four hundred year old manuscript discovered in 2012 buried in the walls of a Scottish farmhouse. The secret diary of Elspeth MacGregor, a midwife accused of being a witch, is the first female chronicle of "The Burning Times." Imprisoned in a frigid, rat-infested tolbooth in Kilmarnock, Scotland, Elspeth MacGregor confesses a story untold in the annals of the true story of midwives, healers, herbalists and common women who practiced the "old religion," revered the earth, and exulted in their sexuality. So formidable were these women, so threatening to the patriarchal society surrounding them, that they were terrorized by a ruling class hell-bent on eradicating them.
Diary of a Witch unravels the knot of time and transplants the reader to the squalor and beauty of Elizabethan London. Elspeth's narrative weaves in and out of her childhood, her marriage at fifteen to a player in Shakespeare's company, her unbounded love for her daughter, and the torture and humiliation of her witch trial. In the graveyard of her filthy cell, a breathless hope sings through Elspeth's words―will she escape her fate?

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

372 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Mistress Dare]

Fast-paced and tautly written, this novel describes the horror of the Scottish witch hunts so vividly and viscerally it gets into your bones. The narrative is born out of Elspeth MacGregor’s directive to write a confession for her crime of witchcraft but instead she writes about her life. I was fascinated and drawn in by the lush language and the palpable emotional rawness and deep soulful reflections of this “witch.” Strangely timely this “her” story is a haunting education about a patriarchal period in history that is reverberating very loudly today. There is healing and medicine in this book for every woman.

[Karen]

I really wanted to love this book. It is impossible to buy into the premise. Characters and story line are one dimensional and very predictable. Not to mention unlikeable. Sorry! Like I said. I really wanted to love this book. But clearly I’m in the minority of reviewers so it’s probably just me.

[Chris]

I only wish I could find an audio version.

[The]

It ran flat somewhere. I found myself wanting to know more about one of the temporary characters than the actual character. No depth to character nor story.

[Jacqueline Gonzalez]

Excellent piece of historical fiction.

[Jon Hughes]

The lost diary of Elspeth MacGregor, a Scottish midwife accused of being a witch, is riveting and hauntingly intense. Ignoring her Inquisitors’ instructions to write her confession, Elspeth MacGregor instead, with searing honesty, recounts her fascinating life story as well as the torture and humiliation of her witch trial. Wed to an actor in Shakespeare’s company, Elspeth’s narrative draws the reader into an intimate and vivid picture of Elizabethan London. Elspeth is a practitioner of the “crafts of the wise” and her intimate union with the Earth and inner world transports the reader into the journey of a soul faced with torturous death. With beguiling and lyrical prose this novel will keep you spellbound until the final page.

[Jerry]

Diary of Witch lifts the veil of time and transports the reader to Elizabethan London and the horrors of the Protestant Reformation in Scotland. The diary of a midwife accused of being a witch, the narrative moves back and forth in time from Elspeth MacGregor’s dungeon cell to the riveting tale of her fascinating life. Written in a prose befitting its time, this novel vividly invokes the terror of The Burning Times. This is a suspenseful, spellbinding novel of love, horror, betrayal and the luminosity of the soul. The ever-mounting tension in the story will compel you to read long into the night.

[Abigail Fraser]

A thrilling can't-put-down page-turner set in the early 17th century. This book chronicles the trial and life of a Scottish mid-wife accused of being a witch during the Scottish Reformation. The language is lush and poetic and the tale gripped me from beginning to end. I hope the author does a sequel. This book really honors the women who practiced the crafts of the wise and suffered greatly for it.This richly detailed story of Elspeth MacGregor's life is powerful and profound.

[Callie Cardamon]

Gorgeously poetic and rich with archetypal wisdom and insight, Diary of a Witch will keep you engaged until the last remarkable page. The attention to detail, the rich historical backdrop, and the eloquence of Elspeth interweave to create a powerful tale you won’t soon forget. Mesmerizing.