A captivating reimagining of the life lived by the powerful witch Sycorax before her banishment to the island in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Born of the sun and moon, shaped by fire and malady, comes a young woman whose story has never been told…
They call her Sycorax. Seer. Sage. Sorceress.
Outcast by society and all alone in the world, Sycorax must find a way to understand her true nature. But as her powers begin to grow, so too do the suspicions of the local townspeople. For knowledge can be dangerous, and a woman’s knowledge is the most dangerous of all…
With a great storm brewing on the horizon, Sycorax finds herself in increasing peril – but will her powers save her, or will they spell the end for them all? Find out in this gripping and vivid narrative exploration of one of literature’s most mysterious figures.
Originally from Leeds, Nydia Hetherington moved to London in her twenties to embark on an acting career. Later she moved to Paris where she studied at the Jacques Lecoq Theatre School before creating her own theatre company. When she returned to London, she completed a creative writing degree at Birkbeck and is the author of A Girl Made of Air.
My thoughts: Sycorax is only briefly mentioned in The Tempest, mother to Caliban, she could predict storms. From these tiny threads Nadia Hetherington has spun a magical, tragic tale of a woman outcast and alone, who only wants to help others, to belong.
Born to a mother who is of the Moon and a father who is of the Sun, the girl who would become Sycorax is afflicted with chronic pain, an illness she has inherited from her healer mother. She battles with her own body and with the scorn of the local townsfolk, who will buy her potions and curse her at the same time.
The pirate Barbarossa saves her, she warns him of a storm that lays waste to an approaching enemy army, but not his men, who he chooses not to send out following her words.
But before he can ensure her safety, she is preyed upon by a man beloved by the people but secretly cruel and manipulative. She’s alone except for one elderly woman who tries to help her.
It’s a sad, lyrical and mystical story. The story of a young woman pushed away for being different, ill treated by the people who should have welcomed her, who should have been kinder. She could have helped them, been a useful member of their community. I really felt for her.
As someone who lives with chronic pain, it resonated with me, fighting your own body is horrible, it leaves you exhausted and frustrated, add that to being alone and rejected by your community, and it’s no wonder that she finds an isolated island a sanctuary. Long before Prospero arrives and enslaves her son.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 