After the death of her beloved husband, Imogen Lacey is befriended by a group of strong, soulful women, who take joy in each other's company and celebrate their natural powers together. And when bad fortune falls her way, Imogen knows it wasn't these women who threatened her--it was they who saved her.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
In her bereavement over the accidental death of her young husband, 29-year-old Londoner Imogen Lacey finds solace from an old friend and a most unusual community. Alice Brakespear, Imogen's former schoolmistress and now the wife of the vicar in the town of Langesby, takes Imogen into her home and circle of friends. But it's nearby Haraldstone, with its mysterious circle of ancient standing stones--said to be the site of witches' rites--that speaks to Imogen's inner self and to which she moves her home and small business of making fanciful hats. Soon she is acting in a theater production in Langesby to benefit the church, being courted by a fellow player, and joining the white witches of Haraldstone in ceremonies at the stones. But there is black as well as white witchcraft afoot, and the course of true love may run awry. A slightly mannered, quite modern, and thoroughly enchanting tale. Michele Leber
From Kirkus Reviews
Four years after her poignant Family Games (1994, etc.), Stubbs returns with a subtly shaded, quietly insightful story of a young English widow who moves to the country for a fresh start, only to find herself in the middle of a pitched battle between the forces of light and darkness when she befriends a local group of witches. Imogen is still at sea after the loss of her beloved, Fred the toymaker, when she encounters old chum and protector Alice in London, and quickly accepts Alice's offer to come north to stay with her and her minister husband. Something in the dales surrounding Alice's town touches Imogen deeply, and one day when she hikes to nearby standing stones known as the Listening Women, she comes back with resolve to get on with her life. Being independently minded as well as gifted, she moves to the village beneath the stones and opens a made-to-order hat shop without consulting Alice, to find herself connecting with other craftswomen, all of whom happen to be witches. Drawn to the dark, magnetic Philip, who runs a home for juvenile offenders, but warned about him by the genial, wise old Dr. Rowley, local specialist in magic arts, Imogen tries to keep her distancewhich proves hard once both she and Philip are leads in the Elizabethan drama the good doctor is staging to benefit the church. Meanwhile, Imogen has another fan in George, the play's set builder, the church's bell-ringer, and the illegitimate son of Mary, the grand old witch of the dales. When matters come to a head on the play's opening night, Imogen has already made her choice, but face-to-face with evil she also finds a strength that will change her life forever. A bit of a slow burner, but the conflicts in a tender woman's heart are neatly conveyed here, as is the sense of a close-knit community with more than its share of secrets to hide. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Totally Bewitching!,
By
This review is from: The Witching Time (Hardcover)
Unlike the first reviewer, I fell in love with "The Witching Time". The author, Jean Stubbs, manages to evade the cliches that seem generally inherent in a story line that revolves around witchcraft. Sure, there is the obligatory stone circle and the fight between the the forces of Light and Dark, but it's done with intelligence and a lot of humor.The main character of Imogen Lacey is someone you can relate to. She's good looking without being intimidating...intelligent, but capable of making bad choices...and all-in-all, a very likeable person. In fact, all of Jean Stubb's characters are fully formed individuals. Some you like...some you hate, just like in real life. As for the village of Haraldstone, well, I'd live there in a heartbeat. And to give Stubbs her due, she does manage to make the reader feel as if they DO indeed live among the inhabitants of this quirky little hamlet. This is more than a story about witches. It's a rich blending of the fantastic, mixed with a good old fashioned "Who-Done-It". Take these elements and combine them with a touch of romance and the meaning of true friendship and what you come up with is story telling at it's best. Yes, this may be light-hearted fluff to some, but if you are in the market for an entirely enjoyable mental vacation, then this book has your name on it. I personally rate this in my top 10 books of last year. I work at a library and read over 400 books last year, so this is no small recommendation. At the least, if you are still not certain, go to your local library and check it out. I think you are in for a most pleasant surprise. Enjoy.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Well Intentioned Let Down,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Witching Time (Hardcover)
This author writes well, and manages to set up the opening situation with a grieving woman who decides to move and start a new life. The manner in which the witches become involved in her life seemed to be intentionally unemphasized, the main character's reactions rather washed out. From there, her descriptions of the characters and making the plot move forward are wonderful. Unfortunately, it seems as though the author is not truly emphasizing the role of the "good" witches so much as the "feminine" role, much more general. It just seemed as though the reader is set up for something exciting and meaningful to happen at the climax, and the climax is over before it starts. Leaving the reader puzzled and unsure of what has just happened. In my opinion, it was a feeling that I had been prevented from completing the transformation into the world of the book. As before stated, the author is technically very talented at description, but the story line seemed shaky, and perhaps the author needed to do some more research into the subject at hand.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Crafty Ladies...Witchy read.,
By Priscilla (England, Lancashire) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Witching Time (Paragon Softcover Large Print Books) (Paperback)
Although the story was not strong, I can hardly remember it. I did enjoy reading this bookIt goes something like this....Evil lurks beneath the surface in a village where women meet to 'chat' on the local hills in a religious community who don't want any form of pagan or witchcraft taking effect in their godly village. A local theatre company play a large part in the book, with all the fun and games involved in that. With a mix of eccentric characters. The Witching Time is an enjoyable descriptive read about local cozy craft shops, wise women and witches... If you like books with a witchy theme then you will probably enjoy the read also A nice read in all, but read to be entertained by the beautiful crafty descriptions and creative characters not the story........ As stated in other reviews this book is somewhat confusing and leaves you wondering where the story actaully was...
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