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Something Wicked

The Lives, Crimes and Deaths of the Pendle Witches

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Something Wicked

By: Carol Ann Lee
Narrated by: Emma Gregory
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Summary

 The autumn must read: Something Wicked this way comes...

Accused. Condemned. Redefined.

On 20 August 1612, ten people from Pendle were executed before a vast crowd at Lancaster's Gallows Hill. The condemned and their associates had endured six months of accusations, imprisonment and torture; their treatment was such that one of the group died in Lancaster Castle's dungeons, while awaiting trial.

Today, a thriving tourism industry exists in and around Pendle, the former home of the so-called witches, yet virtually everything we know about the case originates from a single source: Thomas Potts' Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches, hurriedly published in 1613 and distinctly skewed in favour of the prosecution. Until now...

Sunday Times bestselling author Carol Ann Lee brings an entirely fresh perspective to the story by approaching it as true crime. Having worked in the genre for more than a decade, her research leads to revelatory discoveries, transforming our knowledge of those shadowy figures behind ill-famed names, and the terrible events that befell them.

After four centuries of superstition and surmise, the two central, warring families - each headed by a fiercely independent widow working as 'cunning women' - emerge fully formed, as the book uncovers the reality of their lives and their alleged crimes before exploring the trial and executions.

Along the way, we uncover the truth behind some of the story's most enduring mysteries: the legend of Malkin Tower and the final resting place of the Pendle witches.

This is a ground-breaking book that will take the reader on a spellbinding journey into the dark heart of England's largest and most notorious witch trial.©2023 Carol Ann Lee (P)2023 Bonnier Books UK Europe Great Britain Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts True Crime Women Magic Witchcraft Magic Users
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Fascinating and scary historical account of the lives of witches, their neighbours and those close to them.

Fascinating

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over all enjoying this book, but finding the mispronunciation of place names like Whalley and Barrowford baffling.

pretty good

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I liked the documentation which fills in content I did not know existed before reading this book.

Details

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I love the way Carol Ann Lee brings these people alive and tells their story in a measured , empathetic and interesting way . Thorough research means that many of the myths surrounding the Pendle and Samlesbury witches , perpetuated through the intervening centuries, have been debunked and at last they have been given a fair hearing and a voice. The details of crime and punishment in that era are fascinating. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Gives a voice to the voiceless

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listen from start to finish especially how the author broke it down so it was easy to follow and understand throughout the book. The narrator was very good.

A fascinating....

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