Wiccans avoid evil and the appearance of evil at all costs. Their motto is to “harm none,” and they strive to live a peaceful, tolerant and balanced life in tune with nature and humanity. And Elena has everything Catherine has not, like a platform and connections and no one seems to care that Elena's book will be pure speculation, tainting Ilsbeth's memory rather than preserving it. Catherine is determined that something must be done and plots to blunt her rival's pen. However she had not allowed for the fact that the past might not be so dead after all - that something is reaching out from the well, disturbing her reality. She gets more than inspired when she seems to connect with the ghost of Ilsbeth Clark, who, centuries ago, was accused of witchcraft after several children disappeared. Although acquitted, the town drowned her in the well. Elena decides her next book will be about Ilsbeth, who she feels was unfairly treated. Cathy is presented as embittered and jealous, never accepting responsibility for anything happening to her or the things she does, and always finding someone else to blame. She also refuses to compromise. Modern-day witches of the Western World still struggle to shake their historical stereotype. Most practice Wicca, an official religion in the United States and Canada.

The Witch in the Well is terrifying in its narration, as well as ironic, a story of two women engaged in a deadly rivalry.” What happened to Ilsbeth was highly unjust, and I found it was time to state that fact. I also wanted to remind you all that behind our local legend, there was a woman of flesh and blood.” Many years later, two young girls, playing in the woods discover the well and have mystical, or spiritual, or supernatural experiences there.The building upon which it is affixed (now containing the Tartan Weaving Mill) was built in 1851, for the Castlehill Reservoir. [4] [7] [5] The 1851 building replaced its 17th-century predecessor, constructed when act of parliament in 1624 enabled the bringing of fresh water into the city from the nearby Pentland Hills. [8] [9] In 1674 the reservoir was connected to 12 wells around the city, eventually closing in 1992, and converted into the Tartan Mill in 1996. [8] [9] The confrontation between the two doesn’t go well. Elena is surprised and disbelieving that Cathy is writing a book on the same subject, while she is certain hers will be the definitive one since she has Ilsbeth’s spirit guiding her. Unfortunately, Elena's old friend Cathy has been researching Ilsbeth Clark for a number of years, and is also planning on writing a book. Elena and Cathy were once close, but no longer. Now their real and imagined grudges, ambitions and attitudes will clash. Competition is dangerous. What begins as a fiercely competitive sense of ownership over Ilsbeth and her story soon turns both women’s worlds into something more haunted and dangerous than they could ever imagine. In the small, storybook town of F—, two women – once childhood friends – become rivals when they both decide to write books about the same subject: Ilsbeth Clark, a local woman who was ostracised from the community and denounced as a witch in the 19th century. The first author, Elena, is a relentlessly optimistic free-spirit type who has achieved success and minor fame after publishing a bestselling ‘spiritual guidance’ manual. The second, Cathy, is a teacher who’s been researching Ilsbeth for years and becomes bitter and paranoid when she hears about Elena’s proposed book. The Witch in the Well opens with reports of Elena’s death, and is told through her journal, Cathy’s blog and documents reportedly written by Ilsbeth herself... in the present day.

It’s unclear exactly when witches came on the historical scene, but one of the earliest records of a witch is in the Bible in the book of 1 Samuel, thought be written between 931 B.C. and 721 B.C. It tells the story of when King Saul sought the Witch of Endor to summon the dead prophet Samuel’s spirit to help him defeat the Philistine army. We have a sorry history when it comes to gossip and rumors in this town, and we should all have learned our lesson by now: Not a single wagging tongue is innocent when the witch goes down the well.”If I die of cold, the witch will keep the maids,’ said the wise woman weakly. Betty felt very sad and seeing her sadness, the wise woman said, ‘Keep me alive through the cold spell, Betty and perhaps we can still save your friends.’ The setting itself is eerie, a moldering “castle” of a house in the middle of a haunted Norwegian wood? Not going to be my choice for a relaxing getaway. The imagery and the overall vibes illustrated throughout this book were subtly chilling. I found the occult aspects of this story sufficiently creepy without being too gory or off-putting. The book is rather fast-paced, and the chapters are short.

One of the most famous witches in Virginia’s history is Grace Sherwood, whose neighbors alleged she killed their pigs and hexed their cotton. Other accusations followed and Sherwood was brought to trial in 1706. Between the years 1500 and 1660, up to 80,000 suspected witches were put to death in Europe. Around 80 percent of them were women thought to be in cahoots with the Devil and filled with lust. Germany had the highest witchcraft execution rate, while Ireland had the lowest. a b "Castlehill Reservoir and Edinburgh's Water Supply". Edinburgh Expert Walking Tours . Retrieved 6 March 2020. But witches—whether actual or accused—still face persecution and death. Several men and women suspected of using witchcraft have been beaten and killed in Papua New Guinea since 2010, including a young mother who was burned alive. Similar episodes of violence against people accused of being witches have occurred in Africa, South America, the Middle East and in immigrant communities in Europe and the United States. SourcesElena, Cathy, and Ilsbeth all have very different stories, they are practically living in entirely different novels, but Bruce skillfully weaves them together in a way that works and draws out suspense. We have Elena, who is our "main" main character, I'd say. Her perspective is told in direct first person via diary entries. Elena's uncle's just passed away, and she's there to clean out his house to ready it for sale... but the history of the place, and the legend of a local witch (or woman accused of being one, which is a distinction without a difference given the attitudes of the time), tempt her to stay. More on this in a bit. The court decided to use a controversial water test to determine her guilt or innocence. Sherwood’s arms and legs were bound and she was thrown into a body of water. It was thought if she sank, she was innocent; if she floated, she was guilty. Sherwood didn’t sink and was convicted of being a witch. She wasn’t killed but put in prison and for eight years. This was an intense and mind-spinning read. I loved how the whole book is from journal entries and documents. Also, the opposition between the two main characters was brilliant and created an even more disturbing atmosphere. Wimbish, Whitney Curry (25 October 2019). "Opinion | Thar Be Witches, and Us". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 6 March 2020.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family. I would like to say that I had better news about The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce, but unfortunately, my experience was basically the same as the 3.09 average it has on Goodreads. I can't remember what drew my attention to this book in the first place, but I do have Bruce's You Let Me In sitting on my shelf so maybe that had something to do with it. I loved this book's gothic and witchy vibes the most, and it had an eeriness that was also quite fantastic. However, that was about where it ended for me regarding enjoyment. I found the storyline very confusing and had a hard time keeping the different characters straight. This may have been due to the audiobook, and although each chapter is broken into characters and seasons, for some reason I had a really hard time telling them all apart.The rivalry is all about a book both of them seem to be writing. And the book is all about a local witch accused of killing some kids ages ago and (metaphorically) pitchforked by the villagers for it. The witch is…well, you know where she is, the title tells you. Or perhaps, not just there, but also in the souls and minds of two very different women obsessed with her. Oh, wait, one more thing, I think you also get the perspective of Ilsbeth, but I could be wrong on this. I think so, but I'm not 100%. Also, don't get me started on how confusing the presentation of events was. I could not in a million years assemble a timeline for this story. Unfortunately, I really wish I had liked the characters, any of them. Both Cathy and Elena were rather self-centered, and both just annoyed me at different times in the book. As well, I felt the ending was a little weak.