The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

C.J. Cooke's The Book of Witching is a dual-timeline gothic novel that bridges a sixteenth-century Scottish witch trial with a modern-day family crisis. The historical narrative centers on Alison Balfour, a real woman from Orkney who was brutally tortured into a false confession and executed in 1594 under Earl Patrick Stewart. In the contemporary thread, a Glasgow mother named Clem investigates a catastrophic fire on a remote island that leaves her daughter unconscious and claiming a new identity. Blending historical trauma with supernatural elements like a sentient grimoire and a secret magical clan, the story examines how institutional power weaponizes the label of witchcraft against women. Ultimately, the work serves as an exploration of maternal resistance, connecting past injustices and present-day mysteries through generations of mothers fighting for their children.

"Open a book. Discover a world."

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