Фамильяры ведьм

1612 god, Lankaster, Anglyya. Okhota na vedm dostygla apogeya. Vseobshchaya podozrytelnost y ogulnye obvynenyya pravyat bal. Flytvud Shattluort, khozyayka Gotorp‑kholla, boytsya umeret pry rodakh y, ne doveryaya uvazhaemym lekaryam‑muzhchynam, predpochytaet prybegnut k uslugam prostoy povytukhy Alysy Grey. Tem vremenem vokrug razrastaetsya bezumnaya okhota na vedm, gde predrassudky y relygyoznaya neterpymost perepletayutsya s borboy za vlast. Podozrevayut vsekh, dazhe lesnykh zverey, v kotorykh vydyat famylyarov — sputnykov tyomnykh syl. Kogda v koldovstve obvynyayut Alysu, Flytvud reshaet zashchytyt podrugu ot presledovanyy, no, nesmotrya na eyo vysokoe polozhenye, eto okazyvaetsya vesma neprosto. Deystvye etogo zakhvatyvayushchego gotycheskogo romana razvorachyvaetsya na fone realnykh pendlskykh protsessov nad vedmamy — odnogo yz samykh yzvestnykh epyzodov okhoty na vedm v Anglyy; ego geroy spysany s ystorycheskykh lychnostey, a samo povestvovanye pravdyvo rysuet zhyzn anglyyskykh zhenshchyn nachala XVII veka. Debyutnyy roman Steysy Kholls udostoen ryada lyteraturnykh premyy, a novyy perevod pozvolyt po‑novomu vzglyanut na etu mrachnuyu y napryazhyonnuyu ystoryyu.

1612, Lancaster, England. The witch hunt has reached its peak. General suspicion and sweeping accusations rule the ball. Fleetwood Shuttleworth, the mistress of Hawthorpe Hall, is afraid of dying in childbirth and, not trusting respected male doctors, prefers to resort to the services of a simple midwife Alice Gray. Meanwhile, a crazy witch hunt is growing all around, where prejudice and religious intolerance are intertwined with a struggle for power. Everyone is suspected, even forest animals, which are seen as familiars — companions of the dark forces. When Alice is accused of witchcraft, Fleetwood decides to protect her friend from persecution, but despite her high position, it turns out to be very difficult. This fascinating Gothic novel is set against the backdrop of the real Pendle witch trials, one of the most famous episodes of the witch hunt in England; its characters are based on historical figures, and the narrative itself truthfully depicts the lives of English women of the early 17th century. Stacy Halls' debut novel has been awarded a number of literary prizes, and the new translation will provide a fresh look at this dark and tense story.