Description

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A fierce, electrifying novel inspired by the true story of the first woman to be condemned as a witch in Ireland

In thirteenth-century Ireland, a woman with power is a woman to be feared.

Alice, the daughter of a wealthy innkeeper in Kilkenny, grows up watching her mother wither under the constraints of family responsibilities—and she vows that she will never suffer the same fate. In time, she discovers she has a flair for making money, and takes her father's flourishing business to new heights. But as her riches and stature grow, so too do rumors about her private life. By the time she marries her fourth husband—the three earlier are dead—a storm of local gossip and resentment culminates in a life-threatening accusation . . . 

A breathtaking act of imagination, Bright I Burn gives voice to a woman lost to history, who dared to carve a space of her own in a man’s world.

About the Author

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MOLLY AITKEN grew up on the south coast of Ireland. Her first novel, The Island Child, was longlisted for the Authors’ Club First Novel Award. Her short fiction has appeared in Ploughshares, for which she won the Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction, and has been dramatized for BBC Radio 4. She is currently studying for a PhD in Creative Writing and History at Sheffield Hallam University.

Praise For…

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“This is lustrous elemental writing, full of rich earth, smouldering flames and roiling waters—which left me gasping for air. It consumed me like a fire.” —Katie Hale, author of The Edge of Solitude
 
“Exciting and triumphant . . . There’s poetry here, in this lyrical, deeply human, fiercely feminist story. A book that burns brighter than even its title suggests.” —Nydia Hetherington, author of A Girl Made of Air
 
“Aitken’s beguiling lyricism reminds us of the deeper truths that linger in the shadows of the riverbank, at the edge of the woods.” —Karen Powell, author of Fifteen Wild Decembers
 
“Bright, bold and riotous . . . The prose is distinct and memorable from an author who is unafraid to breathe life and humanity into history and legend.” —Sophie Parkes, author of Out of Human Sight
 
“A story of power and destruction, that surprised me at every turn . . . We need narratives like these, which bring the past to life in new ways and challenge us to think differently about women and their influence.” —India Rakusen, producer

“Extraordinary . . . Some of the best prose I’ve read.” —Elaine Feeney, author of How to Build a Boat

“A gorgeous, blazing novel, that makes history crackle to life. Fans of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet or A.K. Blakemore’s The Manningtree Witches will love Aitken’s complex, sensual anti-heroine.” —Clare Pollard, author of Delphi

“A lushly fevered tale of marriage, murder and moneylending . . . Haunting and powerful.” —Jane Healey, author of The Beantown Girls
 
“An incandescent story, ablaze with the passion and determination of a woman centuries ahead of her time.” —Polly Crosby, author of The Book of Hidden Wonders
 
“Spellbinding . . . A stunning rendition of one fierce Irish woman’s voice pitted against the patriarchal power constructs of Medieval Ireland.” —Anya Bergman, author of The Witches of Vardø

“Aitken is a distinct, singular, stunning voice in historical fiction, and Bright I Burn is a triumph. It took my breath away.”  —Jenny Mustard, author of Okay Days

“I was captivated. Every sentence reads like poetry. A stunning, magical, beguiling book.” —Huma Qureshi, author of Playing Games

“Beautifully told, full of passion and fire, Aitken evokes a vivid sense of time and place through her powerful depiction of a woman determined to maintain her position in a society driven by men. Stunning.” —Jenny Quintana, author of Missing Girl

“Darkly atmospheric, this beautiful novel transported me straight to Medieval Ireland.” —Haleh Agar, author of Out of Touch

“Gripping, poetic, a glorious story of a remarkable woman’s passion and her revenge.” —Louisa Reid, author of The Poet