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    Witch Child
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    Witch Child
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    Witch Child
    Audiobook5 hours

    Witch Child

    Written by Celia Rees

    Narrated by Jennifer Ehle and Carole Shelley

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    It is 1659 and Mary Newbury, theyoung granddaughter of a witch, sees her wise and beloved grandmother tortured and hanged as a servant of the Devil. Then a stranger with hauntingly familiar eyes approaches her with an opportunity-safe passage to America. But the difficult ocean voyage only leads her to a community of inflexible, fearful grownups who try to decide for her who and what she will be. Mary must disguise herself as a pious Puritan girl, hiding her true nature, or else face terrible danger once again.

    Now that the pages of Mary's journal have come to light, discovered in their centuries-old hiding place between the patches of a quilt, listeners can experience what it was like living in a society where differences were feared and defiance was deadly.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 9, 2008
    ISBN9780307582294

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    Reviews for Witch Child

    3.5/5

    515 ratings40 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I read this book years ago, in high school.

      I really enjoyed it! It's about a girl called Mary whose grandmother is condemned to death for witchcraft. I remember (vaguely) enjoying the voice of the protagonist but also the pace of the book. It was quite chunky for me when I read it at the time but there was just something about Mary that grabbed me.

      I also remember the satisfying feeling when I got to the ending, too.

      Maybe I'll read it again one day.

      ... once I get through all the other books on my TBR. Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha.
    • 4/5
      Good listen.
    • 2/5
      When her grandmother is hung for witchcraft, Mary throws in her lot with a Puritan congregation and sets sail for the New World.I wish I had insightful things to say about this book, I really do, but it just didn't work for me. It faded from my mind with the speed of thought.I'm a bit miffed about that, really, because I was looking forward to this one. I've heard scads of good things about Celia Rees. I love fictional journals. (They're similar to epistolary novels in that they give us lots and lots of layers that build off of one another in the most beguiling ways). The first entry was promising. I thought I'd love the book, or at least rather like it. As it stands, though, I'm pretty durned glad I never have to think about it again.I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Mary was flat as a rail-pressed penny. That first entry drummed up a ton of empathy for her, but I didn't feel like Rees managed to sustain the tension. She made so little impression me that I can't think of a single thing to say about her. The secondary characters followed suit.I don't have much to say about their world, either. I'm sure I'd have found Rees's depiction of Puritan life in seventeenth century Massachusetts quite convincing, if I'd been able to concentrate on it. There's a ton of detail, and Rees seems to have dealt with both the First Nations issues and the religious stuff in a fairly sensitive manner. (I say "seems" because I was, um, not really paying much attention by the time it all rolled around).I think that part of the problem was that I already knew the story. Witchy girl gets tangled up with Puritans. Gee, I wonder how that's gonna play out? Sigh. I can see how it'd have been wonderful if Rees managed to draw me in and trick me into forgetting that I knew exactly what was going to happen, but she didn't so it wasn't.And that's it. It did nothing for me. I can't recommend it.(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
    • 5/5
      After her grandmother is tortured and murdered as a witch, Mary Newbury escapes England disguised as a Pilgrim headed for the New World. She finds that her new companions can be just as rigid in their rules and narrow-mindedness, and she must watch herself and hide her abilities as best she can.Written as a series of diary entries found in later years, this YA novel does a good job of giving a sense of urgency to the story; I found myself rooting for Mary from the first page and worrying for her safety in nearly every page thereafter. It also showcases the ridiculous amount of danger the simple fact of being a woman could place you in and the insanely various forms that danger could take, from childbirth to accusations of witchcraft for appearing to be too smart or too independent for your gender.
    • 4/5
      This was a great book to read. The writing really drew me into the story. It's written like a diary and I believe this was the perfect style to put across the idiocy and superstitious clap trap that prevailed during early colonial times. I found myself becoming frustrated reading the actions of the townspeople. It just seems so idiotic to revert to a backward style of living. Having read this I see similarities to today with fear and paranoia of different religions taking hold. Hopefully thing don't progress to the heights they did during the 1600's. I highly recommend reading this novel.
    • 4/5
      Witch Child by Celia Rees is a YA historical fiction novel about Mary Newbury, a foundling child who has been raised by a women who was tortured and hung as a witch. Mary’s real mother is able to spirit her away and put her on a ship to America, but unfortunately she has been placed with a group of highly religious Puritans. Although Mary tries to fit in and follow all the rules, she is different. She enjoys her solo wanderings in the forest and she also befriends an Indian boy who teaches her much about the flora and fauna of this new world. When she is recognized as the ward of a witch, fingers start to point at her, those that are jealous of her spout lies and Mary is put in the position of having to flee to the wilderness for her life.The author ties Mary’s story into the actual history of the pilgrim settlements near Salem, Massachusetts and the outcome is quite seamless. Mary’s story is told through the pages of her diary and through it the setting comes vividly to life. I felt the book revealed itself as YA when it came to the characters however as they seemed stereotypical with the Puritans being overly stiff and intolerant, while the two Indian characters, although painted in a positive light, felt like cardboard characters in that one was a wise healer, and the other, an obvious romantic interest, had been raised by whites and spoke perfect English. These quibbles aside, I enjoyed the story and I even can forgive the abrupt ending as I knew in advance that there is a sequel and I already have it sitting on my shelf.
    • 2/5
      Ok. Salem Witch trials retold. Predictable as well.
    • 3/5
      Great tension and a great reader made up for the drab and simplistic characters and narrative.
    • 3/5
      Ugh. It started decently enough - intriguing (though I hate the "this is real, I swear it is!" trope); however, it descended into yet another Salem witch trial derivative. So much so that some scenes appeared to come straight from The Crucible. Oh well...
    • 4/5
      Other than thinking it a good book, I wish to mention that of the wonders that Elias Cornwell is writing about in chapter 72, the invisible drummer boys may refer to the 'Reports of cannon and rifle shots and beating of drums in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were widespread in 1658, two years before the Tedworth trouble.' [from the 'Drummer of Tedworth' entry in The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft & Demonology by Rossell Hope Robbins. My copy is the 1981 edition published by Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-517-362457. I note that it's a book about witchcraft trials and is not for the squeamish. Thank you, Ms. Rees, for having Mary fear hanging, not burning. According to the same Robbins encyclopesia's entry on witchcraft in England, witches were not burned in that country, unlike Scotland or the European continent. There's even a list of penalties for witchcraft from 1543 - 1736. Burning was for treason. Witches were hanged. Salem followed the English practice, although Giles Corey was pressed to death.
    • 4/5
      I rather liked this little story. It's well told and I felt more gripped by the fact it was written in journal format, slowly unfolded, and dates uncertain, as though we were walking in the hazy shadows of memory where only certain seconds were pulled into startling clarity.

      I was very taken with Mary, the not-quite a Witch by choice, except in name and stricken requests, who had become a Puritan by no means of her own. I cannot wait to see what book two has in store for me once I get my hands on it.
    • 2/5
      I don't think I was really in the mood for this. It's a fairly straightforward historical fiction, with a fairly standard frame story of a found diary type deal. It's very easy to read; definitely aimed at young adults, if not at kids. Probably that's part of it -- it was so easy there was nothing to hold onto. The set-up is interesting enough, and for what it is, it's well-written, but there wasn't enough substance for me.
    • 5/5
      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's book, being shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction prize in 2001, but I think it would definitely be suitable for a teenage or even adult audience also. As this book is not a work of fiction, more passages from an irregularly kept diary dating back from the colonial period, more commonly known as 'the Mary papers', I found some of the chapters very emotional and thought-provoking, as I knew they were based on reality.

      I am finding it difficult to write a review for this book, as I honestly cannot fault it in any way. I loved the simplistic yet poetic writing style, the story that this girl lived and also the characters that she met along the way. 'Witch Child' by Celia Rees is a definite 5 out of 5 stars for me, and I would thoroughly recommend it to readers of any age, as I think it gives an important lesson in the superstitions and cruelties of human nature, and is a beautiful quick read.
    • 4/5
      Like many women my age, I grew up reading Scholastic paperbacks about the Salem Witch Trials, all with the same underlying message: how terrible that the innocent were (and are) persecuted simply for appearing slightly different. Rees takes this laudable enough idea and stretches it farther - what if the girls really were witches, and therefore, by the standards of a Christian society, not 'innocent' at all? Still not ok to persecute them, right? And to take it yet another step further, what if one of these girls did what all of us young readers hoped those doomed Salem victims would do, and decide she didn't want to just sit around to get crushed with rocks or hanged, and fought to save herself? 100 percent historically accurate it may not be, but MAN this book is a satisfying read. And re-read.
    • 4/5
      Must have been tough to live during the times of witch hunts, especially if you were a real live witch. That’s the essential premise of Witch Child. It’s 1659, and Mary, a young English girl, finds herself on her own and under suspicion after her grandmother’s witch trial. Then, an ever-so-helpful soul sends Mary off to the New World with the Puritans. Talk about going from the frying pan to the fire.Anyone who has read Arthur Miller’s The Crucible knows how this story is going to go, but for some reason I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Rees is a captivating story-teller, and she’s created a strong and smart character in Mary.Mary is certainly no Puritan pansy, just waiting for them to come for her with the ropes and the implements of torture. She’s a survivor.The “magic” in Witch Child is understated. Don’t expect any fantabulous displays, but the more subtle approach gave the book a more realistic feel and helped drive home its messages about intolerance and cruelty.Now, the ending ticked me off a bit because it is so open that it made me feel like this book isn’t complete in itself. I like series, but I feel a somewhat robbed when the first one isn’t a whole story in itself. So if you let Witch Child cast its spell on you, you are going to have to read the next one too: Sorceress.*Note: the version I read came from my local library and was published in 2000. The version currently on Amazon was published in 2009.
    • 4/5
      This book is about a girl is a witch. She is trying to get away from the people. She can flow and other things can witch does. She is confused about her family because her parent arent witches. So how is she a witch she thought. She lives with in the woods and she goes to school. I like this book because the charcter has great feelings. This book has alot of action and mystery about her in the book.
    • 3/5
      Witch Child by Celia Rees is about a fourteen year old Mary whose grandmother has been hanged as a witch. She is taken at the hanging and sent on an oversea voyage to America to start a new life. Young adults will like the descriptions and suspense in the novel, but it doesn't have a point that provokes the readers total interest. This novel moved somewhat slowly and had several different journeys that were very descriptive, but with out major occurrences in them. Mary's character to me is not very believable. She seems very quiet and confident in the book and makes many decisions herself. The reader doesn't develop deep bonds with her.I was disappointed in Rees's novel, especially having read her work before. I expected more of a resolution and more of a climax. I loved the descriptions of the time and some of the gift of "Sight" that Mary experienced and expected more of such for this novel.
    • 4/5
      I loved the start of this book and couldnt wait to really get stuck in. The images of the hanging were fantastic and the writing style exciting and powerful. However I was really disappointed that the pace slowed and the book became more about a journey. I had to remind myself that the book was about a witch - it didn't seem witch-like, the diary didn't seem diary-like and it all really seemed quite mediocre. Really disappointing as it had so much potential and if it had continued in the powerful way it started it would have been 5* for sure.
    • 5/5
      i stumbled upon this book when i was about 11 and i fell in love with historical fiction. this book is so realistic with events and linkage to events that could have happened. this book would br great to read during a lesson about the puritan way of life, the witch hunts, or about native americans. the captivating tale of this courageous young woman should be shared with anyone with a slight interest in this time period.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book, it's just that at times it was very slow. The boat ride was what really got to me. I just felt like I was dragging my feet trying to get to when they hit land. But once they got all settled in it started picking up and I started to fully enjoy it.I love the history, which was why I picked the book up in the first place. The book actually had me thinking back to my history class during the hour and 45 minute lectures about american history. About how the witch trials didn't happen in the bigger part of Salem, but the smaller town of Salem. I absolutely loved that Rees payed attention to detail and the history.I loved Mary. All though she was a witch, I connected with her. I was rooting for her through out the whole book. I felt bad for her when she had to leave the only home she knew and go over the ocean with a whole bunch of people she didn't know. I really enjoyed reading about her journey.Even though it was a little slow, it wasn't bad. It had it's moments where it would pick up and I wouldn't want to put it down.
    • 3/5
      ** spoiler alert ** This book is based on the diaries of Mary Newberry that escapes the witch-hunts in England to come settle into America, and her struggles and fears.This book sounded so interesting as the stories of the salem witch trials and witch-hunts always intrigued me, but this story didn't do it for me. The beginning with the death of her grandmother that was thought to be a witch, i thought it was going to lead into so much more, but it was more about her travels to America from England, then her struggles on people thinking she was a witch, in fact i didn't even feel i was reading a story based on "witch" at all. There wasn't anything really supporting that focus and it left me dissapointed, I would still like to read the second novel "The Sorceress" to see where she goes with the story, but after reading this im not expecting anything more then medicore.
    • 4/5
      I recently bought a copy of Celia Rees's Witch Child on a whim in a mini-spree from Better World Books. I had seen the book many times, and was absolutely in love with the cover, but for whatever reason (and it's still not clear in my mind) I was convinced that this book was going to disappoint me.Maybe I've been burned too many times by pretty, pretty books that are really shitty, shitty. I don't know, I was just hesitant.But since it was in the bargain bin at Better World Books, meaning I got as part of my 5 for $15 (free shipping!), and since I needed things to read for Helluva Halloween, I went ahead and got it.I don't regret that decision.Witch Child takes the form of a diary written by Mary Nuttal (claiming to be Mary Newbury). After her grandmother is killed for supposedly being a witch, Mary is sent to America to assume a new identity and sever all ties with her past, ties which may get her killed. She takes up with a colony of Puritans traveling to the New World, and soon finds a place among them. But she also finds herself the center of jealousies and scandals that will raise the question of witchcraft again, making her safety in the new world as questionable as it was in the old.I was caught up in this story from the very beginning. Setting aside the "convenient" aspects of the story (the fact that the dialogue is fairly modern, which is explained away, and the fact that she always just happens to have access to her diary and recalls events w/ complete clarity, etc), Mary's voice was always engaging, and she was completely relatable and her story captivating. This is very readable. The language is simple and flows well. Mary is an admirable girl, raised to be strong and self-reliant, which is a dangerous thing to be as an English woman in the mid 1600s. She is smart and self-assured, a great role model for modern girls, but because independent women were seen as a threat, she lives in fear of the day that her world will crumble and the people around her turn on her.This really brought home to me what freaks me out about humans. The witch trials have always fascinated me, and the truth is, Puritans freak me out. Seriously. Witch Child really demonstrated why this is. The idea of basically condemning people to death (in horrible, horrible ways) because of petty jealousies or to make them fall in line is terrifying to me. They turn on each other so quickly over everything, and it just snowballs. That mob mentality, which is always violent and always deadly, Freaks. Me. Out.[Of course, this is partly because I am fairly convinced that I would have died -- I struggle to keep my big mouth shut. Or, I guess the problem is that I don't struggle enough.]But Mary is a good person, and she helps where she can. She is strong and so, so young. But this will mean nothing if she angers the wrong person. The sense of danger is always present, and there is a tautness and tension to the story as a result.There was an ambiguity to the story that I really liked as well. Mary herself believes that she is a witch. She never does any sort of conjuring or casts any spells, she never actively does anything to earn the label witch. But raised in the woods by her talented and independent grandmother, who she believes must have had some powers, Mary believes that she, too, must have powers in turn. Strange things do happen on occasion, but because Mary is not some cloak-wearing, midnight-forest-traveling, familiar-petting "witch", there is a nice ambiguity to the story where you can view Mary how you wish. Does Mary really have some kind of power? Or is she just a smart, capable and intuitive young girl?There is also ambiguity in the way the story ends, and though I was a little irritated at my copy for having an excerpt of the sequel, Sorceress, because that ruined some of the ambiguity of the ending, it was still kind of nice to know that I can continue Mary's story.My advice? Pick up a copy of Witch Child and a mug of tea. This is the perfect story for the season, especially if you want something more on the human side, and less on the gore-fest side.
    • 5/5
      when the main charter mary's grandmother was hung for witich craft. mary is sent to go to live withe puritain trying to find how to live a normal life with them proved to be a challange. they sail to the new world she meets a guy and sees his furture or the end of him. she knows not when but how he will die so oshe could not marrey him. on the sail over there a mother went into labor she saved the little boy by dunking him in water. there were salors complaining that strange "whitchy" thing happining it was proving hard for mary to fit in. that is some parts of the book.this book is placed in the 1600s and uses old time word that some may not understand. i think it is great for higher level 7th-10th. the aouther did a great job on catching the readers eyes on the discrion. that was good the book was even better. this book creates an illusion in your head. that is why i love this book.
    • 5/5
      In the book Witch Child, a girl named Mary, must go to America to save her life. Her grandmother was hung for witchcraft. Mary's mother and father disappeared when Mary was very young. But before Mary left to go to America, she met her mother for one day. On the way to America, Mary has trouble hiding the fact that she is a witch. Sailors are complaining that mysterious things are happening on the ship that could only be done by witchcraft. When the ship gets to land, Mary and her companions walk to Beulah. Mary gets along fine in Beulah until a man called Obadiah Wilson comes and tells the whole town that Mary is a witch. Mary flees the town and is not heard from again.This book was really good. Mary is a mysterious kind of person. She keeps to herself and never tells anybody what she really thinks. It's frustrating sometimes to figure out what Mary wants. But I liked how Mary chose her friends very carefully.
    • 5/5
      "Witch Child" by Celia Rees is about Mary, a young girl forced to flee her home with strangers in order to protect her from religious persicution. Forced to travel across the ocean with strangers, Mary tries to follow the beliefs of her new "family" in the hopes of leading a normal life. As time goes on Mary learns that a normal life may not be possible for her.This book was not what I expected but I loved it! This book is an eye opening account of the tribulations any strong-willed, intelligent female faced durring the 1600s. Celia Rees brought out each and every character in the story and made you feel thier pain, fear, and hope at arriving in their new home.I will recommend this book to my daughter for a book report. She will learn about human faults and stop and think how much the world has changed, or hasn't changed, in the last 400 years.
    • 1/5
      This book is about a girl who is persecuted because people believe here to be a witch, They hang her grandmother because they believe her to be a witch too she is tormented through her life because she is thought to be a witch
    • 3/5
      Interesting and different. Recommended for those who like historical fiction. Aimed at teens so I read quickly.
    • 2/5
      First off, I was not tremendously moved by this book. Celia Rees effectively created a realistic world for the 1600's, but the pace of this book was very slow leaving my mind to wander. Mary being an orphan and a witch was a couple of the very few things that we know about this main character leaving this book lacking in character build up. Over half of this book is dedicated to the killing of Mary Grandmother and her travel to America; which is not the main plot so in most cases I would have given up trying to finish this book. That being said I did complete this book, but it is nothing that I would recommend or want to continue the series.
    • 5/5
      Mary Newbury is forced to leave her home in England after her grandmother, a healer, is tried and hanged for practicing witchcraft.With the help of a woman who turns out to be her mother, Mary boards a ship to America with a group of Puritans also bound for the New World. Mary soon realizes that she is in just as much danger in her new home. She keeps a secret diary that begins, "I am Mary. I am a witch." Mary's fascinating story unfolds in her own words.Excellent. I just ordered the sequel!
    • 5/5
      The story starts in the year 1659, and tells about the turbulent life and the numerous journal entrys of Mary Newbury a young woman who has to overcome many struggles. The thirteen year old Mary lives happily and simple-hearted with her grandmother in a small village in England. Her grandmother is well-known for her knowledge about plants and herbs. If someone is injured or sick most of the time Mary’s grandmother can help. But as the years pass, instead of thanks, more and more suspicion is given torwards her. Finally the villagers accuse her of being a witch. She denies the acusations and then the torture begins. The villagers eventually hang her. Now Mary is left alone but becomes saved by an unknown and mysterious woman, who presents herself as an old friend of her grandmother. Finally it become clear that this woman is no one else other than Mary’s mother. But she can’t stay with her because her mother is in danger herself. She brings Mary to a harbor and leaves her there entrusted in a Puritan family’s care. Mary shall travel with them over the ocean and join their community in America. But will she really do this step and what will happen to her next? Read Witch Child to find out!I expected to be bored sometimes because it is based on so much history but right after reading the first page I had to admit, I was wrong. The book totally sucked me in and in record-time I read trough the 304 pages. That the book is written in diary-form is a big plus and helps you to understand Mary’s feeling and deeper thoughts. Celia Rees was able to mix a fantastic story with much knowledge and I learned a lot about the Puritans, settlement, Native Americans and of course witch hunt. I recommend this story to everyone, who likes fiction stories about old times with a touch of history, and I promise you will enjoy it.