The Witch's Daughter - Paula Brackston

Date Started: September 30, 2013
Date Finished: October 6, 2013

This is what having a baby does to you (among many other things) - throws your reading habit for a loop. I actually bought this book on January 12, 2013. I only just now read it. And it is only the third book I've read since having my son. I'll be honest, I chose to read it because I thought it would be an easy read. I haven't quite worked my way back to heavier stuff just yet. And that assessment was right on - this was an easy, fairly enjoyable read.


This is the story of Elizabeth Hawksmith and the "man" responsible for making her into a witch, Gideon. We follow her as Bess loses her family to the plague in the 1600s, trains to become a witch, then gets arrested for witchcraft, which ultimately leads her down the path of becoming a true witch. She disavows Gideon, and he pursues her through the years, as they are both now immortal (though they still age...somewhat confused on that point). We also meet her as Eliza (a doctor in Victorian London), Elise (a nurse in WWI, 1917) and Elizabeth of current day.

It's basically the tale of good versus evil in classic form. Elizabeth befriends and trains a young girl, Tegan, and it is Tegan who ultimately finishes the novel by telling how the battle between Elizabeth and Gideon played out (spoiler alert: good wins!). Interestingly, she notes that the "Summerlands" where the witches took Gideon to remove him from the earth, is not a permanent place and one that witches can return from. So I'm assuming a sequel is in the works?

Here's what I liked: it's a good story and Paula is a good writer who engages you from the start. You feel immersed in the time-periods she covers; they were clearly well researched. Would I read another book she wrote? Absolutely.

What I didn't like: we learn early on that Elizabeth appears to be around fifty years old, though she is closer to 400. But at some point in the book she explains that her appearance ages by about five years for every century she spends on earth. Is it me or does that math not add up, assuming she was about in the 16-18 year old range when she became a witch? Its a small point but one that kind of bothered me. Also, we understand that she lives a solitary life because she doesn't want to attract Gideon's attention and to make any friends would be to put them in danger. But...the lack of connections, save her love, Archie, who also died at Gideon's hands in 1917, just...I don't know, it somehow seemed unrealistic.

Anyway, so there we have it, book three post-baby is done!