Product Description

This is the story of Nell who lives with her grandmother, the local cunning woman and healer, in a west country village in the seventeenth century. When one of the minister's daughters falls pregnant she and her sister attempt to conceal it by accusing Nell of putting a curse on them. The witchfinder general, Matthew Hopkins, is called in and in an atmosphere of fear, the local villagers turn nasty and Nell's grandmother falls victim to their hatred. Nell is all alone, and in great danger . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #216431 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Julie Hearn's first novel Follow Me Down was published in hardback in July 2003. The paperback was published in May 2004. She lives in Abingdon, Oxford.

Customer Reviews

Wow!
a rattling good yarn - the first time I've ever read a Julie Hearn book but not the last! I really enjoyed 'the Merrybegot'; I loved the way several different strands of folklore and history were woven together, the characters were not the usual stereotyped 'witches' and the plot was imaginative and the story was superbly told. Julie Hearn is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading more of her books - recommended!

Merry Meet........
and very happy I was to meet the characters in this thought provoking novel. The author transports the reader back to a very
turbulent time in English history where hypocrisy, religious intolerance and bigotry were rife.

Nell and her Grandmother the so called Cunning Woman are initially highly regarded in the community for their skills in midwifery and healing until a series of events lead to a tragedy.
One person is responsible for this and her actions cause a chain effect with far reaching consequences.

This novel is extremely well researched with vivid descriptions of preternatural creatures and magic spells. Thoroughly enjoyable with some exquisite twists and turns in the plot. Is someone not quite who we think they are?????

Merrybegot a great take on the witch trials
This book is an excellent view of the period surrounding the English Witch trial scares. It doesn't sensationalise the events and presents a sympathetic view of the village wisewoman and how her actions can be misconstrued by ignorant mob rule. I found it very well written and liked the way the spells were presented in a different type ,it made it seems as though you were reading 2 books. One a straightforward novel, the other a wisewomans book of spells and charms
Hughly recommended for any age