The Witchfinder's Sister: a story of a forgotten piece of history

The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown is the story about the infamous Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins. The story is told from the perspective of his sister, Alice, who returns home after the sudden and tragic death of her husband. She quickly becomes suspicious of her brother’s business dealings and learns of the horrifying deeds he’s doing in the name of God. When local village women are accused of witchcraft, Alice doesn’t believe it and tries to persuade him to stop. But Matthew is insistent, specifically using a verse from Exodus that witches must die. She begins to work in secret to stop him. She begins to look into the family’s past, only to find horrifying secrets. When she confronts Matthew with what she has discovered, Matthew locks her away. Will Matthew stop his witch hunting? Will Alice be able to escape her brother’s hold?

The Witchfinder’s Sister is a fictionalized story of a terrifying figure in history. Very little is known about Matthew Hopkins’s past or family. However, his witch hunting is well documented and he is credited with killing over 300 women during 1644-1646. He is solely responsible for the increased number of witch trials in the area. He even wrote a book, The Discovery of Witches (1647) which helped influence the Salem Witch Trials (1692-1693). The story of The Witchfinder’s Sister is a look into possible influences to Matthew Hopkins’ obsession with witches and his drive to rid society of them. It is an interesting take on a man which history seems to have forgotten. A man who had done so much damage. I recommend The Witchfinder’s Sister. The story will intrigue you and you will not be able to put it down.

The Witchfinder’s Sister

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