16/40: The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

From Goodreads:
An enthralling tale of modern witch Bess Hawksmith, a fiercely independent woman desperate to escape her cursed history who must confront the evil which has haunted her for centuries My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. If you will listen, I will tell you a tale of witches. A tale of magic and love and loss. A story of how simple ignorance breeds fear, and how deadly that fear can be. Let me tell you what it means to be a witch.

In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate: the Warlock Gideon Masters. Secluded at his cottage, Gideon instructs Bess, awakening formidable powers she didn’t know she had. She couldn’t have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life.

In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life. She has spent the centuries in solitude, moving from place to place, surviving plagues, wars, and the heartbreak that comes with immortality. Her loneliness comes to an abrupt end when she is befriended by a teenage girl called Tegan. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth opens her heart to Tegan and begins teaching her the ways of the Hedge Witch. But will she be able to stand against Gideon—who will stop at nothing to reclaim her soul—in order to protect the girl who has become the daughter she never had?

I enjoyed The Witch's Daughter. I thought it was well written, intriguing and had a good story. Have you seen the cover? Gorgeous!!
I picked this one off the shelf simply because of the cover and happy that I did. it was a good book. I was hooked with the historical stories and times Bess lived through and loved her present day life.
Bess is a witch, though a reluctant one. When she chooses to use her magic she uses it for good and for healing. She spends her life running from the one man who haunts her through the centuries. Using her magic for evil would draw him to her and so she tries to survive without using it at all. Circumstances however arise no matter where she is and he always seems to find her.
I found it heart breaking the stories Bess tells about her past. The pain she endures losing love over and over again was hard to read. It's human nature to look for companionship and love and being immortal means she has to endure losing it every time she finds it. There is a heart warming part to the story for the love and knowledge she shares with Tegan. She takes her under her wing and teaches her what it means to be a witch.

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