The Making of a Witch by Judy Molland follows real life 17th century Alice Molland, the last woman to be hanged for witchcraft in England. I actually happened to take a picture of the historical placard when I was in Exeter in 2024:
As you’ve probably surmised, Alice was an ancestor of author Judy which adds a personal layer to this story. In 17th century Exeter, Judy Molland introduces us to Alice as a child witnessing the execution of the local wise woman and Alice’s former teacher in the herbal healing arts. As the years progress, Alice experiences loss after loss alongside her own fledgling career as an herbalist healer. Alice chafes against Christianity and God, wondering why God could take so much from her. She questions the church’s assertion that she has sinned as a child and young woman, eventually turning away from Christianity for the old ways. Alice’s cousin, Matthew, introduces her to a pagan, earth-based religion that reads very much as modern, new-age Wicca or paganism. While folklore and cultural traditions surrounding pagan beliefs may have persisted into the 17th century, I do not know how common it was for people to actually still follow “the old ways” as a religion in a world where Christianity was so prevalent and all encompassing in government, society, norms, etc. In that sense, I had to suspend my disbelief that Alice and a group of like-minded individuals actively worshiped the moon and conducted rituals in accordance with pagan tradition.
The Making of a Witch follows many of the same beats as the other historical fiction witch stories I’ve read with a woman (or women) wronged and the inherent patriarchy in Christianity shaping and dictating the fates of these women. Alice engages in a tryst with the son of a local merchant, his true intentions of which will be no surprise to readers. Alice, like countless women through the ages, is left to fend for herself in a new and challenging situation. All the while, her beliefs and healing practices garner more and more suspicion.
The story was most engaging around mid-way through, which much of the beginning and end chapters comprising mostly summary, which is a style I am not a fan of. The years fly by very fast from chapter to chapter, which may leave readers disoriented. I found the ending a bit abrupt, as well as the lead up being a lot of summary with some threads not followed up on or given closure. That said, I appreciated the author’s ancestral connection to this story and real events, as well as her research into uncovering Alice’s life.
The Making of a Witch will be released on June 9, 2026
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