Margaret Meyer

Martha Hallybread, the protagonist , has lived in the seaside village of Cleftwater for some forty years. Born mute, she serves her kind master and his pregnant wife, Agnes. She works as a midwife and herbal healer as well. One autumn morning in 1645, East Anglia, Cleftwater, a witch finder, Silas Makepeace comes to town. Very quickly, the supposed " witches" are gathered up, jailed and tortured. Soon after, Martha finds herself assisting the witchfinder, helpless to defend herself.

Silas Makepeace wants her help to " examine the accused...for suspicious marks, especially paps or teats left on their bodies where a witch has joined with the Devil or where imps have suckled..such marks - Devils marks- are oft found on witches." p 111
Martha does her best to defend and help the jailed women, all the while using a wax witching doll, a poppet, inherited from her mother.

A fascinating and at times, horrifying read, this is beautifully told.It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Inspired by the real life witching hunt in East Anglia, 1645-1647.

Highly recommended.… (more)

Martha, a mute midwife, watches in horror as the witchfinder comes to town. As woman after woman is taken and questioned she decides to take matters into her own hands. She unearths a wax witching doll that was gifted to her by her mother. Once pricked, the doll can cause chaos or offer protection. When Martha is chosen as one of the helpers to examine the accused women, suspicion quickly turns to her.

I couldn't put this book down. It was well paced and well developed. I felt the terror, hopelessness, and defiance of the women. My biggest complaint is that while Martha was mute - she had no trouble relating complex sentences or thoughts to those around her. No one seemed to have problems knowing what she was trying to say. This just did not seem realistic. I also wish some of the other women had been better developed. Perhaps alternating points of view could have helped develop these characters. Despite these criticisms, I enjoyed this book. 4 out of 5 stars.… (more)

"The Witching Tide" serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers and consequences that can arise from blindly following demagogues. Fear, cruelty, mass hysteria, suspicion, and betrayal are almost inevitable outcomes. Dubious conspiracy theories can then arise to justify all of the mayhem. The many parallels between medieval witch hunts and current events seem clear. The rights of women and minorities are eroded; freedom and law are threatened; truth becomes questionable; and common-sense falls by the wayside.

Meyer takes as her inspiration the witch trials that occurred in East Anglia during the 17th century. She convincingly evokes the cruelty, misogyny, paranoia, fear, and mass hysteria that always seem to accompany such events throughout history. In her novel, Meyer particularly takes aim at the role played by men in the persecution of women.

Martha Hallybread is a middle-aged woman living peacefully in the fictional coastal village of Cleftwater when the witchfinder arrives. Her skills as an herbalist, midwife and healer are important assets for this isolated close-knit community. Nonetheless, she is marginalized because of a vague condition that has left her unable to speak. Clearly, this is meant to serve as a powerful symbol for the silencing of women. However, Meyer’s treatment of Martha’s affliction seems awkward. Despite providing her with a rich inner life and emphasizing her thoughts in italics, one is never quite sure how Martha actually communicates. Gestures seem important, and her close friends do seem to understand her well enough. However, all of this handwaving seems quite improbable. Another unresolved problem with the voice issue is its nature. Martha’s belief that some form of worm or snake inhabits her throat is not a very satisfying explanation.

Witch hunts are common plot devices in literature, but Meyer’s rendition seems exceptionally dark. The victims are tortured to extract confessions. They are broken down by endless walking and swimming; deprived of food, water, and sleep; and kept under inhumane conditions in a filthy jail cell, which at one point is inundated by coastal flooding. The treatment of the pregnant Agnes is particularly vile as she is forced to give birth under these appalling conditions. Meyer employs an intriguing wrinkle to the witch trope, however. She places Martha in the compromising position of actually working with the witchfinders to betray her friends.

Another twist to the classical witch hunt plot is Martha’s concern that she may actually be a real witch and eventually would be discovered. She inherited a mysterious doll (poppet) from her mother and was told it would protect her. Such artifacts are not uncommon in the historical record. However, Meyer’s treatment of this poppet seems vague. The thing is only made of wax, and despite being abused in lots of ways during the novel, it never seems to lose its shape. Moreover, how one is supposed to use it is neither adequately revealed nor is it ever even shown to be a useful form of protection against the witch hunt.

Notwithstanding these shortcomings, Meyer's vivid storytelling and well-researched historical backdrop make this an engaging and thought-provoking read. She excels at capturing the atmosphere and mindset of the time and place. From the descriptions of the village and its inhabitants to the superstitious beliefs and religious fervor of the era, she brings the Middle Ages to life, immersing readers in a world that can be quite chilling.

Meyer’s plot skillfully highlights the dark side of human nature by delving into the psychology of mob mentality and the destructive power of scapegoating. Yet its resolution is not very satisfying. Everything just seems to evaporate in the end. No one ever pays a price and one is thus left wondering if mankind can learn anything from this kind of hysteria.… (more)