Title: Malkin Child
Author: Livi Michael
Release Date:18th August 2012
Publisher: Foxtail Publishing
Jennet’s family all
believe they are witches. Other folk think they are, too. But 1612 is a
dangerous time to be a witch. When her family are imprisoned and put on trial
in Lancaster Castle, Jennet’s evidence will help decide their fate.
Commissioned by Lancashire County Council to commemorate the
trial of the Pendle Witches’ in 1612, this book captures the innocence of a
young child. Jennet Device was a young child when her family were arrested
under suspicion of witch craft. Convinced, along with the rest of the
townsfolk, that her family are witches, she admitted her beliefs when
questioned by Justice of the Peace, Roger Nowell. Jennet’s testimony resulted
in the conviction and subsequent death of the ‘Pendle Witches’.
Steeped in the history surrounding my local area, there aren’t
many Lancashire folk who don’t know the tale of the Pendle Witches. But this
novel allows Jennet’s side of the story to be explored - Jennet interrupts the narrative within the
first chapter of this book to tell her version of events and how she was manipulated
into contributing to the guilty sentence that was passed on those who met at
Malkin Tower in 1612.
The style of the novel is deliberately simplistic, to reveal
the mind of the young girl. Each of Jennet’s little tales are titled and explore
her life before the trials as well as immediately afterwards. The chunking of
the paragraphs together with the colloquialisms and a young girl’s vocabulary
make the book easy to read and persuasively child like. Jennet’s confusion and
emotional conflict are portrayed convincingly and to the point, showing her
immediate reactions to the arrest of her family and how she felt as an outcast,
with no magical powers. Dealing with issues of identity and family, as many teenage
novels do, but in a historical setting and addressing a familiar story from a
different viewpoint, the narrative is captivating and engaging.
As a crossover (aimed at both
children and adults), the novel won’t be everyone’s cup of tea as it could
appear unsophisticated. However, I found the style of the book unique, inspired
by the real tale of Jennet and her family and utilising Jennet’s innocence to
develop the style of the book. I would suggest that you don’t need to know the
tale of the Pendle Witches to understand the tale, but it would aid in your
interpretation of Jennet’s character and the events of her life. It was
interesting for me to read about my local area 400 years ago and anyone with an
interest in the Pendle Witches should find this an intriguing read.
4/5 Effectively brings to life a
400 year old character and her tale.
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