"A gripping, well-told story of faith and truth."
--Khaled Hosseini, bestselling author of "The Kite Runner"
"A disturbingly effective historical novel."
--"Boston Globe"
"Beautifully written, nary a word out of place, and with a few moments that throw you beyond--the way good books do ... deeply satisfying."
--"San Francisco Chronicle"
"San Francisco Chronicle" Notable Book of 2007
The year is 1507, and severe famine strikes a small town in Germany. A friar arrives from a large city, claiming that the town is under the spell of witches in league with the devil. He brings with him a book called the Malleus Maleficarum--"The Witch's Hammer." It is a guide to gaining confessions of witchcraft. The friar promises he will identify the guilty woman who has brought God's anger upon the town, burn her, and restore bounty.
The elderly Gude Muller suffers stark and frightening visions; none in the village knows this, and Gude herself worries that the sharpness of her mind has begun to fade. Yet of one thing she is absolutely certain: She has become an object of scorn and a burden to her son's wife. In these desperate times, her daughter-in-law would prefer one less hungry mouth at the family table. As the friar turns his eye on each member of the tiny community, Gude dreads what her daughter-in-law might say to win his favor, and that her secret visions will be revealed.
Industry Reviews
"A well-constructed novel and a gripping, well-told story of faith and truth."
--Khaled Hosseini, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kite Runner
"Evocative and engrossing...a frightening tale of both the weakness and strength of the human soul. I was gripped immediately by the story; it reminded me of Year of Wonders and I read it in nearly one sitting."
--Robert Alexander, national bestselling author of The Kitchen Boy and Rasputin's Daughter "Powerful and thought-provoking, The Witch's Trinity questions the nature of truth while bringing to vivid life the power men's fear has over women's lives. Haunting and unforgettable."
--India Edghill, author of Wisdom's Daughter
"Surprising and engrossing, The Witch's Trinity draws you in and then keeps you gripped till the very last page.
--Martin Davies, The Conjurer's Bird
"A linguistic enchantress has arrived among us, gifted in transmogrifying the mundanities of historical fiction into tableaux of indelible terror and abiding beauty."
--James Morrow, author of The Last Witchfinder
"The Witch's Trinity is one of those mind-bending histories that make you wonder how many women in the 16th century hid in fear of being condemned for their healing powers. Erika Mailman superbly re-creates the terror of the women who lost, and the hope of those who managed to survive, the most egregious war of the sexes."
--Holly Payne, author of The Virgin's Knot
"A Gothic horror story-starvation, superstition and persecution, if you believe in witches-this is a disturbing and compelling read."
--Tobsha Learner, author of The Witch of Cologne
"Beautifully written, nary a word out of place...deeply satisfying."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"Plunges readers into the storm of ignorance, superstition, and religious frenzy that incited mass hysteria...a disturbing story told with clarity and precision, an old story that has resonance today."
--Boston Globe
From the Hardcover edition.
