Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials

How it reads

Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials is narrative nonfiction (history of witch trials, specifically), and its dominant mood is eerie. It's atmospheric and uncanny, with a sense that something is wrong. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in several locations, in the historical past, told through letters, documents or mixed forms. Its central concerns are faith, justice and power and politics. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is left open, for you to argue about. At 320 pages it's an ordinary novel's length. It's well known, the kind of book most keen readers have heard of.