Burnt Offerings

How far would you go to save yourself when the truth can't set you free?

Scotland, 1589.

Besse Craw is a young mother whose husband has mysteriously vanished. And in a time when women were powerless, she is accused of witchcraft, abused by her employer, and destined to lose her daughter, her freedom and her life.

Set during the infamous North Berwick Witch Trials, that saw many persecuted, tortured and killed, Besse uncovers long-held secrets as she fights for justice and truth in a world of suspicion and lies.

'Turns back time to the turbulent and terrifying tale of a young woman caught up in the 16th century North Berwick witch trials... powerful'

-- Nora McElhone Dundee Courier

'A love-letter to independent, strong women who live life on their own terms, the novel explores the power dynamic of a patriarchal society that seeks to blame those who dare to challenge it'

-- Sally McDonald Sunday Post

'This book is a really cracking good read, an absolutely excellent description of a time and of a historic situation in North Berwick. You’ve really achieved a wonderful atmosphere… Absolutely essential reading'

-- Breege Smyth Oban FM

'Gripping and emotional... Bound to be a word-of-mouth hit'

-- Daniel Aubrey, author of Dark Island

'A heartbreaking story... it had me holding my breath, and the tears ran while awaiting the fates of the women' 

@booksthatsusereviews

Danielle Devlin is a writer from Durham and a senior editor for Virtual Zine Mag, which specialises in the voices of underrepresented writers. Burnt Offerings is her first novel.

How far would you go to save yourself when the truth can't set you free? Set in the Scottish Lowlands in 1593, told from the point of view of three women from the same family, Burnt Offerings is the story of Besse Duncan, a young mother whose husband is missing, who is accused of witchcraft by the man who attempts to rape her. Destined to lose her daughter, her freedom and her life, this is the story of one woman's fight for vindication through a patriarchal landscape of torture and persecution while her life hangs in the balance.

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