Her Kind

“They said we were witches. They said we could brew up love or hatred, start things and end things”

I love historical fiction especially when it’s about a lesser known piece of history so this was right up my alley.

•

•

HER KIND tells the fictionalized story of Petronelle, a maid and childhood friend to Alice Kytler. Petronelle seeks refuge with Kytler and we see the town’s greed, envy, and secrets unfold from the perspective of Petronelle and her daughter, Basilia. All of the events lead up to the Kilkenny Witch Trial which is supposed to have been the first recorded witch trial in Ireland and may have inspired the Salem Witch Trials.

•

•

I loved the switching perspectives and the retelling of these unknown women’s stories! I was inspired to pick up this book from a Bartender while visiting Kilkenny as he passionately told us the tale of Kytler and the witch trials and I’ve never been more thankful to a stranger for introducing me to a book! The story is beautifully written and paints a vivid picture, making me feel like I was in the Kytler house and High Town watching their day to day lives. I cannot express enough how amazing it is to have this author to have finally told these stories (even if it is mostly fictional) and give a voice to these women.