Altha Weyward is 21 years old in the year 1619. She lives with her mother, Jennet, on the edge of the village of Crows Beck. The Weywards have drawn the suspicion of the local folk because they are folk healers. Both women are deemed witches. Altha carries on the healing arts after her mother dies, but she is disturbed by the bad treatment that her former friend, Grace, is receiving from her husband, John. Because Altha has a magical connection to nature, she can make animals and insects obey her. She uses this gift to free Grace from an abusive marriage.

Altha stands trial for witchcraft and is blamed for John’s death, but she is found not guilty because there is no evidence against her other than hearsay. Altha is proud of her abilities and, after her acquittal, refuses to run from the village that she considers her home. Despite a promise to her mother, she is determined to write about her secret powers and writes a journal to record the events surrounding her trial. This document proves invaluable centuries later, helping free her descendants, Violet and Kate, from abusive men. With this, Altha embodies the theme of

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