The Last Witch of Scotland : Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2024

Inspired by the true story of the last person to be tried and executed as a witch in the British Isles, The Last Witch of Scotland reimagines how Janet Horne came to be accused of witchcraft.

<p><b>'Compelling, evocative, heart-wrenching and beautifully written. Highly recommended.' - <i>Fiona Valpy, author of </i>The Storyteller of Casablanca</b><br><br><b>Being a woman was her only crime.</b><br><br><b>Scottish Highlands, 1727. <br></b><br>In the aftermath of a tragic fire that kills her father, <b>Aila and her mother, Janet</b>, move to the remote parish of Loth, north-west of Inverness. Blending in does not come easily to the women: Aila was badly burned in the fire and left with visible injuries, while her mother struggles to maintain her grip on reality. When a temporary minister is appointed in the area, rather than welcome the two women, he develops a strange curiosity for them that sets them even further apart from the community.<br><br>Then arrives a motley troupe of travelling entertainers from Edinburgh, led by the <b>charismatic but mysterious Jack</b>. It is just the distraction Janet, and particularly Aila, needs: for the first time in a long while, their lives are filling with joy and friendship, and a kind of hope Aila hasn't known since her father's death. <b>But in this small community, faith is more powerful than truth, and whispers more dangerous even than fire.<br></b><br>Haunting and deeply moving, <i>The Last Witch of </i><i>Scotland</i> is a story of love, loyalty and sacrifice, <b>inspired by the true story of the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Britain.</b><br><br>Perfect for fans of <i><b>Outlander</b>, <b>The Mercies </b></i>and <i><b>The Witches of Vardo</b>, or for anyone with an interest in</i> the history of witchcraft, late renaissance Scotland and Highland history.</p>