The Witches of Vardo: THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: 'Powerful, deeply moving' - Sunday Times

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Here we have a mix of past and present women’s strife in a lyrical narrative telling the interwoven story of a three women and three children arrested for being witches, and that of one noblewoman sharing the same castle exiled by the king for being too outspoken and not going into the shadows as old women are meant to. The story, based on the trial of witches on the Norwegian island of Vardo,is steeped in folklore and tradition, through the descriptions of life in the small fishing village, Ekkory and the journeys to the island of Vardo we get a real sense of 17th century Norway and the landscapes.

Ingeborg sets off to Vardo on a quest to rescue her mother accompanied by wild natured and outspoken Maren (daughter of an accused witch) and friend Zare.

As the author says this book is one to give voice to the thousands of innocents murdered by the fearful, hateful and petty that manipulated the minds of the superstitious and aggrieved, and to make them echo into the present and future, forever living in the hearts of the people like them. Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. The novel is inspired by a very real story and very real people as the author details in her author note at the end of the book. BookTrail Travel to The Witches of Vardø Perhaps it was this remoteness that caused Finnmark to suffer a much higher rate of witch accusations than anywhere else in Norway. Between 1593 and 1692, 91 people—mostly women—were found guilty of witchcraft and killed in a remote part of Northern Norway. This book tells the story of three women and their fight for survival against the persecution of witchcraft.

Whilst this book is women's historical fiction, it is based on actual people and events from the 1600's; and as a woman reading of these events, I found myself whipped up with righteous indignation at the unscrupulous treatment of women in the 1600's during the witch hunts and trials. The men characters are particularly disgusting, although none of the women characters are particularly likeable either (with the exception of Maren), but you can empathise with the women's plight nonetheless. This book follows two characters - Anna, the former king's mistress sent to Vardo in disgrace, and Ingeborg, whose mother was accused of witchcraft.Anna fills her time with mournful regret, speaking to ‘my king’ in a series of letters through which we share her life. She has been historically blamed for the events of 1662-1663, but her moral conflict is drawn sympathetically here. Points of view alternate between Anna and Ingeborg. Zigri and the other women are accused of consorting with the Dark Lord, but with no shortage of personal vendettas and high-handed moral agendas, the reader wonders: who is the devil in this menacing charade? The misogyny, patriarchal society and the downtrodden status of women is contrasted against the strength of the women characters. The Lutheran religion is also highly restrictive condemning dance, song and outspokenness of those accused. Equally the rights of Royality are accepted. The women are largely dependent on the men for their status and provisions. The incidences of rape are blamed on the females. All these issues are sadly relevant still in various degrees the world. The issue of accusations of witchcraft and prejudice, ignorance and cruelty (which was graphically described) did make me feel indignant.

As inspiration, this book takes real witch trials that happened in Norwegian Vardo in the 17th century. This topic interested me and I read a couple of books about witch hunts the last year. This book happens in the same setting The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave took place. And even though I didn't love The Mercies, reading this book made me value and appreciate it much more.If you loved The Merciesby Kiran Millwood Hargrave, which was based in the times of an earlier Vardo witch trial, then The Witches of Vardowill be the perfect book to put to the top of your to be read pile. The Witches of Vardø is a powerful work of historical fiction that draws on the records of the witch trials in 17th Century Norway, focusing on the lives of a number of women caught up in these events. It is an incredible debut and a superb example of literary historical fiction. It is completely engaging and meticulously researched. I had a real sense of the deep connection that Anya Bergman felt to her subject whilst reading. The story highlights the systemic misogyny and patriarchal mindset of that era. The blind belief in religion and royalty also comes out clearly. a b Willumsen, Liv Helene (2013-02-01). "Children accused of witchcraft in 17th-century Finnmark". Scandinavian Journal of History. 38 (1): 18–41. doi: 10.1080/03468755.2012.741450. ISSN 0346-8755. S2CID 96469672.