The Merrybegot

The Merrybegotby Julie HearnI bought this book because Michelle Harrison told me to. She raved about it. She's a bloody pusher for this book. She pushed it on Jenny at Wondrous Reads, too! The woman has it bad for this book.I did enjoy this book greatly, although I do not think I have the same mad love for it as Michelle does. I entered into this book thinking it would be something different, I was surprised when I discovered it was a witch hunt story. I thought it would have much more to do with faeries. There were piskies, but not at the focus of the story.Why I didn't realize this was a story about a witch hunt when I read the summary I have no idea. Probably because I read it ages ago and only just now picked up the book. But I was delighted when that's the turn the story took. I love me a good witch hunt. It makes me anxious and cramps my stomach and clams up my hands, but it's the best thriller I can think of. Poor witches, witches are awesome.But Nell wasn't a witch. She was the granddaughter of the local cunning woman (healer, midwife) and the mean girls of 1645, the Minister's daughters set out to make her life miserable. All because the eldest daughter went and got herself all knocked up by the blacksmith's boy. Tsk. Mean girls are mean girls, no matter the era.I liked Nell a lot. I loved her dun chicken. And the only part of the story that made me cry was when a woman went to rescue the chicken, who was thought dead, from the empty house after Nell was taken away. As soon as I knew what that woman was doing the tears sprang to my eyes and I was dripping on the pages. I am such a sap. Nell tied up and about to hang? Dry eyes. Finding out the chicken was alive and being rescued? Sobbing.It's a CHICKEN!I am a sap. Big ol' sap.Although I was rather emotional when the townsfolk tried to drown Nell's Granny and then realized she was drowning so she musn't be a witch and then she was so frail. I didn't tear up but I felt the pain of losing someone dear.What I didn't get was the end of the story. The last journal/confession of the youngest Minister's daughter. She sent people after her sister, saying she was a witch. Was that just to get back at her for all the years of misery? Or was she trying to deflect the suspicion from herself? And why was the fact that all three girls seem to have shared a mother never really addressed? I kept waiting for that plot point to resurface and it didn't really.Is there a sequel to this book? Am I just as dim as that chicken that I'm not getting the ending? I am so confused!The story-telling and writing was melodious. I know that sounds like an odd way to describe words on a page, but that's how they came off to me. It's a dramatic yet beautiful fair tale about witch hunting. I think that takes talent. ;)So, Michelle Harrison was right when she said I should read this book. And so should you.