The Familiars by Stacey Halls | Book Review | July 2021

 It's taken me a while to get through some books this summer, partly because I've started a full-time job so all my time unfortunately is not preoccupied with a book in my hands (the dream). I found this autumnal and mysterious looking novel at a charity shop (the holy grail for books these days!), and was sucked in (pardon the pun) to the witchy theme of the North of England. I find historical fiction so interesting and magical, even if it is the most gruesome and sombre of tales. 

The Familiars centres on the life of Fleetwood Shuttleworth, and her pregnancy endeavours. She has previously suffered from many miscarriages and the medieval myths of pregnant females aim to confine her to being bed-ridden for the full nine months. Fleetwood is not one of those women, and the men can't even oppress her with their patriarchal tendencies in to her 'place'. She's as you would say, wild. 

Through Fleetwood's pregnancies, and as she's from an upper class family, with an upper class husband she has the offerings of midwives to get her through each trimester. However, she doesn't seem to connect with any of them, then along comes Alice Gray. She first comes across Alice, when she sees her on her land, trying to poach some rabbits. She disappears suddenly, and from there Fleetwood is sucked in to the mysteriousness of Alice and her defiance nature. 

The Pendle Witch Trial that was of all the height of the political and social times of 1612. It's spellbinding for me to be transported to the medieval world of 1612, and how women who were slightly 'different' in the community were scapegoating for various deaths and mysterious circumstances. Women were treated differently due to their biological make-up, their menstrual cycle and the patriarchal force of the 17th century. Alice Gray gets caught up in the witch trial, and with the strong personality of Fleetwood sees the moral imperfection in the accusations of witchcraft on these several women. She visits Alice and the cohort of witches at the Gaol, using her high power and status to get access and discourse in to the barbaric jail. Even though she has the life of her unborn baby to nurture, she puts the innocence of Alice before her own life, trailing through the land with the risk of miscarriage and death. 

Another twist to add to the mix, is the affair that Fleetwood's husband has with a younger woman. Even though Fleetwood is said to have been 17 herself (how much younger can you get in those times?!). There comes the conflict between one pregnant woman to another. Jealousy and hormones, not a good mix. Fleetwood feels betrayed and flees her marital home for her unhappy childhood home. Fleetwood gives birth, yet her first thought is Alice and not her little one. She fights justice in a world that degrades women in to the household and bedroom. 

The book is made up of fiction and fact. I had no idea that the Pendle Witch Trials were in fact historically true. Halls research may have also inspired the characters of the book, and the heroine of Fleetwood surely would stand out in both medieval times and now as the ever-changing, revolutionary, feminist woman. 

Stacey Hall's most recent book, Mrs England is out now and personally I can't wait to get my hands on it. Hall has a gift for writing characters in to historical fiction, they're very powerful and innovative in their ways yet imbedding them in to the culture and history of the setting. 

Happy Reading, 

Rose x