An Ash Blonde Witch | Kenneth Lillington

Many years ago, I read a book called An Ash-Blonde Witch by Kenneth Lillington. It has been one of those books that stuck in my head since I read it, and now, ten or so years after I returned it to Stromness library, I have acquired my own copy. (£3.10 from amazon - plus £3.75 postage!!)

It concerns a young woman, Sophie Margaret Oakroyd, who is a citizen of the 22nd century. In this time, the world is an enlightened place - psychology is the religion and everyone is adept at hypnosis and therapy as a means of dealing with problems. Emotions are called 'stress' and are whisked away by picturing orange groves. In this era, there are pockets of archaic people, left to their archaic ways. One such place is Urstwhile: a valley where witches and enchanted forests hold the imagination. It is to here that Sophie's father is sent to observe behaviour of the dwellers of Urstwhile - Sophie is to mingle unseen and to report back to her father on the daily rituals of the townsfolks lives.

Of course, she is noticed instantly. Firstly, Prudence, the tax collector's daughter (who intends becoming a high priestess) is trying to prove Dorcas the Witch, is a witch by nailing her footprint to the ground. Well, Dorcas knows she's a witch only because everyone believes in them, and because she has a hooked nose and chin; she also knows the power of suggestion and hyposis. She curses Prudence as she grasps the hammer, virtually nailing her to the ground. When Sophie comes along all the commotion, she tells Prudence to left go of the hammer - which, to scandlised gasps, Prudence does.

So this book..it's really funny - an easy read I suppose; it nicely counterpoints some ludicrous modern perceptions by showing us the normality of the days of supersition