The Minister’s Daughter
Young Nell the merrybegot converses with piskies and fairies. Her grandmother, the healer and midwife in their English village, fosters her connection to the unseen world. But in 1645, suspicion and persecution—political and religious—runs rampant. The local minister has two daughters: Grace, whose virtue does not match her beauty, and Patience, who narrates portions of the story. They accuse Nell and her grandmother of tormenting them; their father, determined to rid the town of their evil influence, calls in a witch hunter. The villagers judge harshly, and Nell suffers a painful loss, yet she finds her powers will alter the course of history. An impressive and evocative novel. (Ages 14+)
