If you haven't guessed already - I cannot refuse a witchy read. I've always had an interest in all things to do with witchcraft and the persecution of women in history. I spotted this one when it came out, and thanks to an Amazon gift voucher, I treated myself to The Witches of Vardo.
Based on true events, The Witches of Vardo follows the story of a small group of women from Northern Norway who are held on suspicion of witchcraft. You can read about the witch trial here.
This story is harrowing. Of course, the account of the actual trial is fiction but even the statements made against them and prosecution lead against them is steeping in recorded accounts in history which makes this all the more troubling. As there is always likely to be - there is an element of the supernatural in the story leading to a Are They/Aren't They question but generally, the story definitely highlights the absurdity of the claims.
And it all comes back to this; whilst they couldn't live without women, the men wanted to control and restrict the women so they couldn't interfere with how the men saw fit to rule.
Even down to the fact that men would take what they wanted from women and their bodies and then use the argument that they were bewitched...
I say it often enough - why are men?
Bringing Anna, the physicians into the story was a very good move as it highlighted the basic understanding of fact at the time in relation to healing. Anna was a botanist and the daughter of a physician at the time but the fact that she used plants in her healing also lead her to be suspected of witchcraft because it went against the -then- belief that health and wellness were dictated purely but the four humours and the ills propensity to spirituality and religion.
If you are a fan of Weyward or hold any interest in the witch trials of history, then you will enjoy this book. 
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