THE WITCH'S TRINITY by Erika Mailman
Publisher Crown/Random House, September 2007
Amidst terrible famine a woman who has strange visions is accused of
witchcraft by her daughter-in-law. Is she guilty or is her mind simply
failing her?
A widow, Güde lives with her son and his wife, Irmeltrud, and their
children. Irmeltrud resents her presence: she is too old to work yet she
eats from the family's table. When famine grips the small German town,
Irmeltrud sends Güde out to beg for food. As the old woman wanders she
imagines that the devil asks for her soul in exchange for a basket of meat.
Later, she arrives home with a basket she did not have before she left. She
is unsure if what she saw in the woods was real; perhaps she signed the
devil’s contract after all.
Then a friar arrives claiming that he can end the famine by finding the
witch among them and bringing her to God's justice. At once the village is
full of suspicion and accusation, and Güde falls prey to further
dreams—visions that feel real—in which her dead husband appears, women fly,
and unspeakable things happen in the dark. Seeing an opportunity to be rid
of Güde, Irmeltrud offers to help the friar in his quest. But does she
believe her mother-in-law has entered a pact with the devil? And if she
names Güde as a witch, how will she keep suspicion from also falling on
herself? 
"A well-constructed novel and a gripping, well-told story of faith and
truth."
-- Khaled Hosseini, #1 New York Times best selling author of The
Kite Runner
“Evocative and totally engrossing, it brought to mind The Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks.”
-- Robert Alexander, author of The Kitchen Boy and
Rasputin’s Daughter
“Haunting and unforgettable”
-- India Edghill, author of Wisdom’s Daughter
“Surprising and engrossing, The Witch’s Trinity draws you in and then keeps
you gripped till the very last page.”
-- Martin Davies, author of The Conjurer’s Bird
"The Witch's Trinity is one of those mind-bending histories that make
you wonder how many women in the 16th century hid in fear of being condemned
for their healing powers. Erika Mailman superbly re-creates the terror of
the women who lost, and the hope of those who managed to survive, the most
egregious war of the sexes."
-- Holly Payne, author of The Virgin's Knot and The Sound
of Blue
|
