Review: "The Witchfinder's Sister" by Beth Underdown

From 1644 to 1646, over 300 women (this is a conservative estimate) lost their lives in Essex, England and the surrounding area. Why? Because they were accused of being witches! Their accuser was Matthew Hopkins and this is his story told by his sister. Not a lot is known about Matthew or his family, making this is a historical fiction. This novel tries to explain why Matthew viciously accused these women, some mentally incapacitated and how he brought about their hangings. Up until this time few women lost their lives for this crime but he changed all this.

This story is told from the viewpoint of Matthew’s sister, Alice. It is told in her voice as she is documenting the horrifying details of the past two years and how she was forced to assist him. In this way, she is attempting to ensure that history would not repeat itself. This method of storytelling allows the author to present details of both their lives which makes the story interesting and page turning. It tells both characters’ past and present lives and the suspense slowly builds as you realize the details that have turned Matthew into the monster that he is. The story comes to a traumatic, shocking conclusion that can’t be foreseen and leaves you shaking your head.

I found this book to be very thought-provoking. Since little is actually known about the Hopkins family, fact and fiction are interspersed throughout. When I was done reading, I was compelled to look up the history of this man and also about the witch hunts that many women lost their lives to. I would recommend this book more for young adult to adult readers because some of the information contained may be disturbing to young readers.