Blog Tour Giveaway & Review of The Burning of Isobel Key by Jen McConnel

Publisher: BrightFish Press
Format Read: Kindle edition
Release Date: September 14, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble   

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

When Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess. She’s twenty-six, unemployed, and unsure of herself. It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy, her best friend, who is everything Lou is not.

At first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide. When Brian tells the tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to listen. And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose.

She sets out to learn the truth of the condemned witch, but she isn’t prepared for the knowledge that waits for her. Lou must face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.

Quote:

Their memories were as short as the day, from the morning after her terrible deeds were revealed and the witch was brought into town bound in the back of the pony cart. It was suddenly as if none of the villagers knew the poor creature at all. None could recall seeking her help, and none would avow that she had always been kind and ready to bake breads for town feasts or to watch the little ones play while their parents danced together. Kindness lingers less than murder, for it was obvious to all that the woman had murdered at least three souls, if not countless others.  Justice was being served, and her blood would not stain the god fearing hands in St. Andrews. She was not their responsibility, and they wanted to take no claim for her evil.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I enjoyed Isobel's story very much; I've always had a fascination for the history of witches and Europe, like the US, hunted down women, and some women, who were accused of witchcraft. Often, the guilty were social outcasts, had something that their accuser wanted or had knowledge, such as herbalry and midwifery, that was sometimes looked on suspiciously. The character of Isobel is a midwife and healer and when tragedy strikes, her grief starts her down a path that results in her being charged as a witch. Isobel was engaging and her story was fascinating, even knowing how her story ends.


I was less engaged in Lou's story. Maybe it's been too long since I was that young and that unsure of myself but I had a hard time relating to her. Although, her critical mother reminded me very much of my stepmother; they both mean well but have difficulty showing their love in non-critical ways. I did like that Lou changed and grew during the book; she grew a spine and became more confident. I also appreciated that McConnel didn't rush the romance between Lou and the tour guide, Brian. It developed slowly and realistically.

The story is a fast read despite its length and I didn't at all mind the back and forth between the past and the present and between Isobel and Lou's perspectives. The author is working on a sequel, presumably starring Lou, and Brian so if you read and enjoy this, you shouldn't have long to wait for the next one.

I received a PDF from RABT for review.

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