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A review by booksbythewindow
The Familiars by Stacey Halls
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
(Full review to come)
Summary: The Familiars follows the story of Fleetwood Shuttleworth, who is very ill with her pregnancy after having suffered several miscarriages. The discovery of a letter that indicates her husband, Richard, has been keeping hidden the true health danger that she is in prompts Fleetwood to start taking some decisions on her own, beginning with the hiring of a mid-wife through a chance encounter with Alice Gray. In the midst of the growing fear of witches in the area, Fleetwood begins to realise that Alice’s unorthodox approach to midwifery might lead them both into danger, particularly as Richard is good friends with many of those involved in prosecuting any witches found. As Fleetwood’s pregnancy and the trials approach a climax, she takes desperate measures to prove the innocence of her friend, forcing those around her to decide where their own loyalties lie.
Overall Thoughts: Halls’ strength in The Familiars lies in her ability to evoke the atmosphere and tension of this particular period of Lancashire history. The fear of strangers and accusations permeate every conversation and interaction that Fleetwood has with those around her, building throughout the novel as Fleetwood’s awareness of the situation grows. However, I struggled to connect with many of the characters and particularly with the protagonist, Fleetwood. On the one hand, she is an easy character to sympathise with, being in a position where she has no agency of her own and no-one to turn to in her dark moments. On the other hand, despite her friendship with Alice, she does remain very internally focused throughout the narrative, only becoming aware of the injustices and power imbalances surrounding her once they start to affect her inner circle. Despite the lack of connection with the protagonist, The Familiars was overall a really enjoyable, engaging read that brings a tragic part of history to life. As a novel, it gave me exactly what I was looking for at the time I read it: a narrative to be absorbed by while I was travelling.
Summary: The Familiars follows the story of Fleetwood Shuttleworth, who is very ill with her pregnancy after having suffered several miscarriages. The discovery of a letter that indicates her husband, Richard, has been keeping hidden the true health danger that she is in prompts Fleetwood to start taking some decisions on her own, beginning with the hiring of a mid-wife through a chance encounter with Alice Gray. In the midst of the growing fear of witches in the area, Fleetwood begins to realise that Alice’s unorthodox approach to midwifery might lead them both into danger, particularly as Richard is good friends with many of those involved in prosecuting any witches found. As Fleetwood’s pregnancy and the trials approach a climax, she takes desperate measures to prove the innocence of her friend, forcing those around her to decide where their own loyalties lie.
Overall Thoughts: Halls’ strength in The Familiars lies in her ability to evoke the atmosphere and tension of this particular period of Lancashire history. The fear of strangers and accusations permeate every conversation and interaction that Fleetwood has with those around her, building throughout the novel as Fleetwood’s awareness of the situation grows. However, I struggled to connect with many of the characters and particularly with the protagonist, Fleetwood. On the one hand, she is an easy character to sympathise with, being in a position where she has no agency of her own and no-one to turn to in her dark moments. On the other hand, despite her friendship with Alice, she does remain very internally focused throughout the narrative, only becoming aware of the injustices and power imbalances surrounding her once they start to affect her inner circle. Despite the lack of connection with the protagonist, The Familiars was overall a really enjoyable, engaging read that brings a tragic part of history to life. As a novel, it gave me exactly what I was looking for at the time I read it: a narrative to be absorbed by while I was travelling.