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Back The Darkest Shore
Chapters (76)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Also by Karen Brooks
  4. Title Page
  5. Dedication
  6. EXPLANATORY NOTE
  7. PART ONE
  8. One
  9. Two
  10. Three
  11. Four
  12. Five
  13. Six
  14. Seven
  15. Eight
  16. Nine
  17. Ten
  18. Eleven
  19. Twelve
  20. Thirteen
  21. Fourteen
  22. Fifteen
  23. Sixteen
  24. Seventeen
  25. Eighteen
  26. Nineteen
  27. Twenty
  28. Twenty-One
  29. Twenty-Two
  30. Twenty-Three
  31. Twenty-Four
  32. Twenty-Five
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. PART TWO
  37. Twenty-Nine
  38. Thirty
  39. Thirty-One
  40. Thirty-Two
  41. Thirty-Three
  42. Thirty-Four
  43. Thirty-Five
  44. PART THREE
  45. Thirty-Six
  46. Thirty-Seven
  47. Thirty-Eight
  48. Thirty-Nine
  49. Forty
  50. Forty-One
  51. Forty-Two
  52. Forty-Three
  53. Forty-Four
  54. Forty-Five
  55. Forty-Six
  56. Forty-Seven
  57. Forty-Eight
  58. Forty-Nine
  59. Fifty
  60. Fifty-One
  61. Fifty-Two
  62. PART FOUR
  63. Fifty-Three
  64. Fifty-Four
  65. Fifty-Five
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Fifty-Seven
  68. Fifty-Eight
  69. Fifty-Nine
  70. Sixty
  71. Sixty-One
  72. Epilogue: Autumn 1706
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. GLOSSARY
  75. LIST OF CHARACTERS
  76. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

When I finally read Leonard Low’s book, I was horrified, mesmerised and enthralled in equal measure. I also became a little obsessed. What followed was intensive research. I read history books, archives, a great deal of academic research on witches, about the Bargarran case mentioned in the novel — which was real — and many others that occurred in Pittenweem and the surrounding areas throughout the period. I also read contemporary sources of the era (including letters and local council records) and so much more. I knew I simply had to bring the women involved in this terrible tale (who are often just names and dates in the various sources, which tend to provide conflicting information) as well as their families and friends, to life, to flesh them out, give them words, emotions, loves, friends, enemies and occupations and in doing so, somehow explain or at least try to understand what motivated such a dreadful series of events.

After I returned to Australia, I discovered that for a number of years Leonard Low has been trying to get a monument or plaque erected to Janet Cornfoot and Thomas Brown. In fact, a few years ago, Mr Low began a petition. While thousands signed, it was ultimately defeated. There were more in the Fife area who did not want to be reminded of the shameful events of yesteryear. So to this day, there is still nothing to commemorate the victims of the terrible witch hunt of 1704–1705. In 2019 it was announced that the BBC were about to start filming a documentary about witches and witchcraft in Scotland, including the Pittenweem witches, which may yet change people’s views on a memorial. Let’s hope so.

In some ways I understand the locals’ reaction, but I’m also of the conviction that you cannot embrace growth and change and a promising future without acknowledging every aspect of the past, including the horrific and dishonourable — that goes for individuals, nations and towns. If we don’t acknowledge our mistakes, the tragedies, how can we learn from them let alone be certain we won’t repeat them?

Despite this, it’s due to the diligence and wisdom of many writers — from historians both amateur and professional, journalists, hobbyists, fiction writers and others — that my novel was given some good bones, including from those who still call the Weem home.