A SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF 2023

'A superb writer' EMMA STONEX

'Stylish and raw' ANNE ENRIGHT

'Mesmerising and beautiful' DAILY EXPRESS

'Gripping and visceral ' IRISH EXAMINER

'A powerful, riveting read ' ELIZABETH MACNEAL

'Astonishingly absorbing' i PAPER

'That's a good thing about you, Martha. You keep secrets . . .'

East Anglia, 1645. Martha Hallybread, a midwife, healer and servant , is a trusted figure in her beloved coastal village of Cleftwater - even though no one has ever heard her speak.

One day, the peaceful atmosphere is disrupted by the arrival of a witch-hunter, and suspicion threatens to tear the community apart. When Martha is drawn into the search, she finds herself torn between protecting herself or her friends. As the tide of suspicion builds and events hurtle towards a terrible reckoning, Martha's silence is a choice that could cost her everything.

Margaret Meyer grew up in New Zealand and now lives in Norwich. She was an editor and publisher before becoming a mental health therapist, working in schools, prisons and addiction recovery centres as well as in private practice. Her debut novel, The Witching Tide, was shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Award and nominated a best book of the year by the Sunday Times and New York Times. Inspired by the East Anglian witch hunt of 1645-7, it is dedicated to the many innocent women who lost their lives.