Book: Witch Child by Celia Rees

Pages: 260 (Hardcover)

What Did I Think? Witch Child is the diary of Mary Newbury, who set sail for America after her grandma was killed for being a witch. 

I loved how it was set up as a diary found in a quilt from the 1600’s that was later published.  It was really intriguing to see Mary’s thoughts on her grandmother’s death, and her escape to America in order to avoid suspicion that Mary herself was a witch.  Just as she settles into her life in America, she once again faces suspicion that she is a witch, and it ends rather abruptly.  I’m fine with the abrupt ending as it’s clear Mary can’t stay in the town she escaped to.  There are a few pages after that which gives a brief account of what happens after Mary left. 

I picked up, thinking that that it looked and sounded really interesting, and after I started reading it, I realized I had already read it!  But I decided to keep reading it, and I loved it as much as I did the first time I read it. 

The diary format worked really well, as did the abrupt ending.  It was definitely set up for the sequel, but it really made you wonder what happened to Mary and if she was okay.

There is a sequel, which is next on my reading list, and I really want to see how Mary’s story continues. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.  Overall, it was really interesting, and gave a good look at what life might have been like for someone accused of being a witch.