Book Review: The Familiars by Stacey Halls

The Familiars is the debut novel by fellow northerner Stacey Halls, published in 2019. It went on to be a bestseller and was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick in 2019.

I was keen to know more about the notorious witch trials that swept the north of England in the 17th century and couldn’t wait to read the novel described as “historical fiction at its feminist best” by Red Magazine.

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Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Stacey Halls

Buy: Amazon | Waterstones

Published: 2019

Plot

While it is a work of fiction, The Familiars contains real characters and events from the early 1600s. It’s a darkly atmospheric tale of friendship, loyalty and witchcraft.

The Pendle Witch Trials serve as the backdrop to the story as it centres around Fleetwood Shuttleworth, the young mistress of Gawthorpe Hall. After losing three babies, we join Fleetwood as she is pregnant for the fourth time and hires Alice Gray to be her midwife, after reading a letter that leads her to believe she won’t survive childbirth.

Alice is later accused of witchcraft and faces death if she’s found guilty. After hiring Alice to try and save her and her baby’s life, Fleetwood has to risk everything to try and save her new friend.

The Familiars Book Review

This story is a tale of impressive women and disappointing men, not unlike most stories from history! I loved the unlikely friendship and connection between Fleetwood and Alice that transcended class barriers.

Rather than a tale centred around the Pendle Witch Trials, it would be truer to say that the trials ran adjacent to the story. I would have enjoyed learning more about the “witches” and indeed about Alice herself, but this story was Fleetwood’s.

Similarly, the story mentions “the familiars” a couple of times and hints at it in the mysterious appearance of animals, but these titular entities could have been explored a lot more.

The story highlights the dangers of being a woman in the 17th Century where the use of herbs or a disfigured face was enough to be accused of witchcraft. It reminds us how, thankfully, times have changed.

I liked the character of Fleetwood and found her to be a really realistic character. She made naive, rash and often immature decisions. This reminds us that although she is the mistress of Gawthorpe Hall, she is still a young teenage girl. I enjoyed her character development, from a meek, baby-making machine to a woman determined to use her voice and privileged status to help her friend.

There were a few implausible moments, such as a heavily pregnant Fleetwood travelling for miles on horseback. Some of the distances covered by both her and Richard would surely have taken days, not a few hours as claimed in the book. These few moments of unrealism however don’t detract from the authenticity of the story. The reader can easily believe the obstacles and the betrayals the women face in their quest for survival.

This is a powerful story of female friendship and loyalty that perfectly displays the strength of women. I would love to see a sequel and read the story from Alice’s perspective.

What should I read after The Familiars by Stacey Halls?

If you enjoyed reading The Familiars, I’d definitely suggest reading more books by Stacey Halls, such as Mrs England, The Foundling and The Household.

If you’re looking for more books set during the 17th century, I’d also recommend reading The Maiden by Kate Foster and The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

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