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The Last Witch of Scotland

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The Last Witch of Scotland

By: Philip Paris
Narrated by: Samara MacLaren, Steven Cree
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About this listen

 'Compelling, evocative, heart-wrenching and beautifully written. Highly recommended.' - Fiona Valpy, author of The Storyteller of Casablanca

Being a woman was her only crime.

Scottish Highlands, 1727.

In the aftermath of a tragic fire that kills her father, Aila and her mother, Janet, move to the remote parish of Loth, north-west of Inverness. Blending in does not come easily to the women: Aila was badly burned in the fire and left with visible injuries, while her mother struggles to maintain her grip on reality. When a temporary minister is appointed in the area, rather than welcome the two women, he develops a strange curiosity for them that sets them even further apart from the community.

Then arrives a motley troupe of travelling entertainers from Edinburgh, led by the charismatic but mysterious Jack. It is just the distraction Janet, and particularly Aila, needs: for the first time in a long while, their lives are filling with joy and friendship, and a kind of hope Aila hasn't known since her father's death. But in this small community, faith is more powerful than truth, and whispers more dangerous even than fire.

Haunting and deeply moving, The Last Witch of Scotland is a story of love, loyalty and sacrifice, inspired by the true story of the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Britain.

Perfect for fans of Outlander, The Mercies and The Witches of Vardo, or for anyone with an interest in the history of witchcraft, late renaissance Scotland and Highland history.©2023 Philip Paris (P)2023 Bonnier Books UK Fiction Great Britain Historical Historical Fiction Magic Romance Witchcraft Highlander Scotland Heartfelt Magic Users

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Throughout history, women have been branded as witches by people scared of their power, confidence and independence. In days past, accusations of being a witch – thrown at women for everything from being talented at working with herbs to being in the vicinity of a death – could result in banishment or even death. These 12 audiobooks, perfect for the longer nights, colder weather and the Halloween season, tell the stories of women through history, from goddesses to regular women, through a mix of horror, fantasy and historical fiction.

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A well written, immersive and moving story.
I listen to audible books whilst I go about my housework. I found myself finding extra jobs to do so that I could continue listening to this book.
The narrators perfectly fit the tone of the book.

A moving story

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I honestly loved this so much! The narrators do a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life and it is beautifully written. Best audiobook I’ve listened to

Beautiful

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Found the story and its historical background really interesting. I liked the female narrator but found that while the male narrator did interesting accents/voices for dialogue, the uplifts at the end of each of his sentences made it sound like a 20-something delivering a TED talk… really irritating! This bothered me for the first half of the book but I learned to ignore it eventually and was glad when the female narrator took on the bulk of the story.

Great story, weird narration at times

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loved it , captured by the story. Moved by it, abd the incredible power of lovebabd cruelty woven in the story.

a less recognised time in history

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Inspiring read and a true appreciation of the history that once these women went through nicely written

Unforgettable read

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