Wulfwyn Reads Excessively : Witch Woman By Jeanette Baker

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Witch Woman By Jeanette Baker

Witch Woman by Jeanette Baker

ebook, 384 pages

Published January 31st 2011

*This book is being reviewed through Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tours. Book was provided for review. No compensation was received for review. All opinions are my own.*

Synopsis from Good Reads:

In two different centuries, four hundred years apart, the lives of Abigail March and her daughter, Maggie, play out along parallel lines, both women blessed and cursed by a selective birthright and marked with a startling mutation, heterochromia iridium, one brown eye, the other blue.
In 1692 Abigail and three-year-old Maggie, are accused of witchcraft. Most women who found themselves facing the hangman’s noose during this shameful time are innocent. Abigail is not. Summoning her powers, she sends her child through a time portal into twentieth century Salem.
Maggie grows to maturity knowing nothing of her birthright until her foster mother’s death bed confession. Using her clairvoyant abilities and the medium of an ancient spinning wheel, she resurrects her past through a series of troubling dreams.
Meanwhile Abigail locates the time portal and slips through, changing her identity, hoping to find her child and bring her home through the narrowing portal.
Unknown to both women are the dangers of the old world’s dark forces, a swiftly narrowing time portal, and a missing child who desperately needs Maggie’s “sight” a sight that continues to blur as her ties to old Salem strengthen.

My take:

I have been fascinated with the Salem Witch Trials since I first learned of them in grade school. I tend to read everything, non fiction or fiction, that I can find on them. When Tracee offered this book for a tour review I jumped on it. I was not disappointed. I loved reading this book.

This book is a work of fiction based upon an actual event. It goes between two different time periods; Salem today and Salem from 1692. The author takes us simultaneously between them, not missing a beat with different speech patterns and words. This, along with accuracy in the parts dealing with the actual witch trials, shows me the author did careful and thorough research. Ms Baker writes an excellent story that she unfolds in both worlds at the same pace. The characters were likable. I would have liked to know more of Nathanial, John, Abigail, Judith and their story but perhaps that will be told in a sequel. *Hint. Hint, Ms. Baker.* I figured out some parts of the story ahead of time yet the ending was a surprise to me. I liked the beginnings of a romance between Scott and Maggie although I would ultimately want Maggie with someone who was more in tune with Wicca. I noticed that Scott was very much like Maggie's father, John March, even before it was brought out. I liked the way the author brought various characters from one world into the other, blending them in. I also liked the spells that were written in. They enriched the story for me. For me, Jeanette Baker wrote a fresh and interesting story. I was drawn into it. I enjoyed it. I would like more of it. I recommend this book if you are looking for something witchy in the YA category.

Also by Jeanette Baker: