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The Witches of Vardo

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The Witches of Vardo

By: Anya Bergman
Narrated by: Sofia Engstrand
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About this listen

 They will have justice. They will show their power. They will not burn.

'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©2023 Anya Bergman (P)2023 Bonnier Books UK Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Magic Witchcraft Inspiring Heartfelt Scary Thought-Provoking Magic Users

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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.

Featured article Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween
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What a fantastic read. Steeped in Sami mysticism whilst shining a light on the Vardo witch trials, I would definitely recommend.

Just loved it….

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This is the second book I have read or listened to about witch’s and Vardø in northern Norway and have enjoyed both, I might have slightly enjoyed The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave more but both I loved.
There is hopefully a special place in hell, for the men in stories like this and because they are based on real life events so there was men who really believe that these people mainly woman really were witches.
Set in 1662 in Vardø northern Norway (The Mercies are set slightly earlier but also in Vardø). Recently widowed Zigri is distraught after losing her son and then her husband, in her grief she begins an affair. The man’s family accuses her of fornicating with a devil, she is sent to the fortress on Vardø to be tried as a witch. Zigri’s daughter Ingeborg set off to try and find her mother with her friend Maren (herself the daughter of a witch) to bring her back home.

It didn’t take much to be accused of witchcraft, one comment in the book is ‘Drinks too much ale for a woman’ and under torture most gave names or admitted to whatever they were accused of.

What absolutely blows my mind is how stupid these men were, I mean if they were really witches, they would turn them all into some creature you can stamp of or fly away.
One of the ways they checked to see if a person was a witch or not was to swim them. If they sank, they weren’t a witch if they didn’t it meant they were a witch, they did this in the sea, northern Norway, it is amazing they didn’t die straight away from shock.
Definitely recommend this one for those who enjoy these types of titles of fiction based on real events

Based on a real life event

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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.

Slow to get started

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This book is an absolute must listen, but it really does take a while, and I just felt like it could’ve been shorter!

Absolutely amazing but so long!

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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,

Wanted to stop but couldn’t

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This is definitely a book I’m not going to forget and definitely need a physical copy of. It’s so moving and beautiful but also so captivating I couldn’t stop listening. The ending brought me to tears especially when Names were read out ❤️‍🩹 I cannot recommend this book enough it’s a work of art 💌

Beautiful ♥️

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A simply amazing book a must read loved it from start to finish. Incredible story

Amazing

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I gave up. I didn’t like the narrators strong pronunciation of the characters because I simply couldn’t understand! The story was very very slow to get going.

The narration

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Loved the history and women’s stories. Tragic and also wonderful. Based on real events in Norway.

Fascinating read

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I love the stories based on witches trials. This one is well written and moving, I enjoyed the narration from different characters points of view. This story is based on the historical events but also has some magical realism elements which are well combined together.
The audible narration is also very good and it brought the characters to life.

Loved it!

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