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The Witches of Vardo
- Narrated by: Sofia Engstrand
- Length: 16 hrs and 30 mins
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The Witches of Vardo
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Summary
'Three women's fight for survival in a time of madness' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies
Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. After recently widowed Zigri's affair with the local merchant is discovered, she is sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried as a witch.
Zigri's daughter Ingeborg sets off into the wilderness to try to bring her mother back home. Accompanying her on this quest is Maren - herself the daughter of a witch - whose wild nature and unconquerable spirit gives Ingeborg the courage to venture into the unknown, and to risk all she has to save her family.
Also captive in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, once the King of Denmark's mistress, who has been sent in disgrace to the island of Vardø. What will she do - and who will she betray - to return to her privileged life at court?
These Witches of Vardø are stronger than even the King. In an age weighted against them, they refuse to be victims. They will have their justice. All they need do is show their power.
'An intricately woven, timeless novel about prejudice, misogyny, freedom and the power and strength we can find within' - Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo
'A passionate indictment of the patriarchy ... a vibrant exaltation of the resilience of women ... Anya Bergman summons a historic witch trial with breathtaking detail and immediacy' Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites
'Brilliant and powerful. Haunting and beautifully written. A complex and gripping novel reclaiming and retelling the stories of the women accused of witchcraft in Norway. Hugely atmospheric. Read it!' - Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts
Featured article: Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween
Throughout history, women have been branded as witches by people scared of their power, confidence and independence. In days past, accusations of being a witch – thrown at women for everything from being talented at working with herbs to being in the vicinity of a death – could result in banishment or even death. These 12 audiobooks, perfect for the longer nights, colder weather and the Halloween season, tell the stories of women through history, from goddesses to regular women, through a mix of horror, fantasy and historical fiction.
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What listeners say about The Witches of Vardo
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 18-11-23
Fascinating read
Loved the history and women’s stories. Tragic and also wonderful. Based on real events in Norway.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 29-08-23
Absolutely brilliant
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Couldn’t stop listening. Loved the facts about the characters at the end and the respectful attention given to those the book was was based on.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Åse
- 26-04-23
Wanted to stop but couldn’t
What a story. Spellbinding, horrible and sad. Tells of women’s struggles and men’s need to have power over them. Wanted to stop listening at times as it was so horrendous but had to continue at the same time. Loved the narrators beautiful reading. The characters were captured in a real and captivating way,
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- G
- 15-07-23
Amazing
A simply amazing book a must read loved it from start to finish. Incredible story
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 06-02-23
Captivating and bewitching in every detail
I have always had a pull towards the history of the witch trials all across the world. I originally bought this book in physical copy because I saw it by chance and was overwhelmed with a desire to purchase it. I have Norwegian ancestry and have a deep love for herbs and their uses. I empathise deeply with what women went through in these times. It is an deep felt story of fear, persecution and cruelty but also of strength, bravery and the stoic resilience of these women, they were treated as though they were evil by those that were truly evil in their hearts. I hope those which this story took inspiration from rest in peace.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 07-02-24
Incredible story and narration!
I was captivated by the story of these women, I highly recommend listening to this! The narration helps with visualisation and names.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-09-23
Slow to get started
I had high hopes for this story but it was very slow to get going. Setting the scene and getting to the heart of the action took a long time. Once there it does pick up and it was an interesting listen. The highlight was the narrator who has a lovely clear voice and brought the story to life.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Katherine
- 12-02-24
Absolutely amazing but so long!
This book is an absolute must listen, but it really does take a while, and I just felt like it could’ve been shorter!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- M. J. Tudor
- 13-10-23
Excellent though harrowing
relentless though horrifyingly accurate depiction of misogyny and abuse without any justice till last chapter
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- safri104linda
- 23-03-24
Brilliant Read
This normally isn't my type of genre but I gave it a go after listening to The Last Witch of Scotland. The narrator brought the well developed characters to life and there were unexpected twists. The author has an exquisite use of language.
True, the book moves at a slower pace and I found the chapter where the girls are questioned about religion a little heavy going but I couldn't stop listening! I will be looking out for other books by this author. Enjoyed the book so much that I bought a hard copy to read at leisure.
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