The Witch’s Daughter
by Paula Brackston
Summary
My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. If you will listen, I will tell you a tale of witches. A tale of magic and love and loss. A story of how simple ignorance breeds fear, and how deadly that fear can be. Let me tell you what it means to be a witch.
In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate: the Warlock Gideon Masters. Secluded at his cottage, Gideon instructs Bess, awakening formidable powers she didn’t know she had. She couldn’t have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life.
In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life. She has spent the centuries in solitude, moving from place to place, surviving plagues, wars, and the heartbreak that comes with immortality. Her loneliness comes to an abrupt end when she is befriended by a teenage girl called Tegan. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth opens her heart to Tegan and begins teaching her the ways of the Hedge Witch. But will she be able to stand against Gideon—who will stop at nothing to reclaim her soul—in order to protect the girl who has become the daughter she never had?
My Review
This was my first time reading Paula Brackston, and I am so glad I finally picked up this book. I really enjoyed this sweeping, historical, witchy tale that moves across centuries. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did an incredible job. She brought every scene to life and created such an atmospheric and intriguing experience.
The writing style is lush, immersive, and beautifully descriptive. It pulled me into the story in a way that felt very transportive. Listening to Bess share her life felt like sitting beside a campfire on a cool autumn evening, roasting s’mores while hearing an epic story unfold. The tone is dark, moody, and full of atmosphere. It is definitely a slow burn that focuses more on character depth than plot twists, and it uses very little overt magic. It reads more like a historical drama with romantic threads rather than a full fantasy heavy on spells. It is perfect for a rainy autumn day with a warm drink and a blanket.
I appreciated that Bess does not embrace black magic even though she is a witch. She dedicates herself to healing and helping others. Her relationship with Tegan in the present timeline was one of my favorite parts of the book. She opens her home and her heart to this young girl who desperately needs guidance, comfort, and support.
This story reminded me so much of V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Gideon has the same eerie charisma as the Dark Lord, and Bess feels very similar to Addie as she moves through the centuries. We explore three different historical eras through Bess’s stories: the witch hunts in the early 1600s, the era of Jack the Ripper in the late 1800s, and the years surrounding the First World War. Brackston wove Bess’s life into real historical events like the plague, the witch trials, Jack the Ripper, and the war. It was fascinating to see how each moment shaped her journey. The way Bess slowly reveals her past to Tegan felt intimate and emotional, full of love, loss, survival, and the difficult choices she has had to make.
One aspect that felt a little heavy at times was the feminist messaging. Bess often reads like a woman who is centuries ahead of her time. Her mother raised her with a strong sense of independence and confidence, which was extremely uncommon in the 1600s. It did not ruin the story, but it occasionally stood out in a way that pulled me back from the historical setting.
The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, which leaves plenty of space for the sequel. I am excited to continue this duology and explore more of Brackston’s work.
This is a rich, well-written witchy historical fantasy that blends magic with real history in such an engaging way. If you enjoy stories about witches, time, and deeply emotional character journeys, I highly recommend picking this one up.