Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials
Jan 2024 · Sold by Simon and Schuster
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National Bestseller
A New Yorker Best Book of 2024
A “thought-provoking and timely” (The Times, London) global history of witch trials across Europe, Africa, and the Americas, told through thirteen distinct trials that illuminate a pattern of demonization and conspiratorial thinking that has profoundly shaped human history.
This “inventive and compelling” (The Times Literary Supplement, London) work of social history travels through thirteen witch trials across history, some famous—like the Salem witch trials—and some lesser-known: on Vardø island, Norway, in the 1620s, where an indigenous Sami woman was accused of murder; in France in 1731, during the country’s last witch trial, where a young woman was pitted against her confessor and cult leader; in Lesotho in 1948, where British colonial authorities executed local leaders. Exploring how witchcraft was feared, then decriminalized, and then reimagined as gendered persecution, Witchcraft takes on the intersections between gender and power, indigenous spirituality and colonial rule, political conspiracy and individual resistance.
Offering a striking, dramatic journey unspooling over centuries and across continents, Witchcraft is a “well-rounded insight into some of the strangest and cruelest moments in history” (Buzz Magazine), giving voice to those who have been silenced by history.
A New Yorker Best Book of 2024
A “thought-provoking and timely” (The Times, London) global history of witch trials across Europe, Africa, and the Americas, told through thirteen distinct trials that illuminate a pattern of demonization and conspiratorial thinking that has profoundly shaped human history.
This “inventive and compelling” (The Times Literary Supplement, London) work of social history travels through thirteen witch trials across history, some famous—like the Salem witch trials—and some lesser-known: on Vardø island, Norway, in the 1620s, where an indigenous Sami woman was accused of murder; in France in 1731, during the country’s last witch trial, where a young woman was pitted against her confessor and cult leader; in Lesotho in 1948, where British colonial authorities executed local leaders. Exploring how witchcraft was feared, then decriminalized, and then reimagined as gendered persecution, Witchcraft takes on the intersections between gender and power, indigenous spirituality and colonial rule, political conspiracy and individual resistance.
Offering a striking, dramatic journey unspooling over centuries and across continents, Witchcraft is a “well-rounded insight into some of the strangest and cruelest moments in history” (Buzz Magazine), giving voice to those who have been silenced by history.
National Bestseller
A New Yorker Best Book of 2024
A “thought-provoking and timely” (The Times, London) global history of witch trials across Europe, Africa, and the Americas, told through thirteen distinct trials that illuminate a pattern of demonization and conspiratorial thinking that has pro...
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Ratings and reviews
1 review
Andrea Romance
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January 16, 2024
This book delves into 13 witch trials throughout history, exploring the evolving perceptions of witchcraft from feared crime to feminist symbol. It amplifies long-silenced voices and sheds light on the complex narrative behind societal attitudes and gendered persecution of witches over the centuries. This book takes a global view of witchcraft persecution rather than looking at it just from a European perspective. It’s fascinating and easy to understand. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.
About the author
Marion Gibson is a bestselling author and historian of witchcraft and magic. In addition to her first trade book, Witchcraft, Marion has published eight academic books on witches in history and literature, edited five books, and published many articles on witches and magic. Emerita Professor of Renaissance and Magical Literatures at the University of Exeter, she lives in Devonshire, England.
Marion Gibson is a bestselling author and historian of witchcraft and magic. In addition to her first trade book, Witchcraft, Marion has published eight academic books on witches in history and literature, edited five books, and published many articles on witches and magic. Emerita Professor of R...
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