In 1612, 17-year-old Fleetwood Shuttleworth is once again pregnant after three miscarriages and is desperate to bring the child to term and provide her husband the heir he so desperately wants. She is genuinely fearful for her life and that of her child and, even if she survives, she fears for her status as a barren wife. One day while out walking she finds another young woman poaching on her land and strikes up an unlikely friendship with her. Alice Gray is a midwife and tells Fleetwood what she wants to hear – that a successful pregnancy is possible.

But this is a time when skilled and wise women are subject to a great deal of suspicion, and Alice is accused of witchcraft and taken to face trial with many others. Fleetwood is both incensed for her friend whom she knows to be gentle and kind, and worried about her own health; so much is riding on the birth of this babe. And so against the odds, and against the wishes of powerful men in her community, Fleetwood sets out to prove Alice’s innocence and save her friend, herself and her unborn child.

This is based on the true events of the time; Fleetwood, her husband and Alice Gray were all real people. Fleetwood’s character completely dominates the story and she grows in confidence and tenacity as the story progresses. But the other characters are ill defined; Alice herself is rather bland, and I would have enjoyed reading more about medical practices of the time. It is also considerably more slow moving than I would have liked, and uses relatively modern language at times, which doesn’t sit well with the era. Ultimately, it is quite well written and entertaining, but I really wanted to love it, and am disappointed I didn’t.

Reviewed by Lesley West