The Witch Elm by Sally-Anne Martyn Review: A Village That Wants Your Baby

The Witch Elm by Sally-Anne Martyn is a folk horror novel published by Boldwood Books that interweaves two parallel narratives. In the present day, midwife Melissa Hendrix arrives in the village of Heredge, where twelve women are due to give birth simultaneously. In 1656, young healer Elizabeth Wade encounters a travelling circus beneath an ancient elm on the same land. The reviewer praises Martyn’s use of the midwife protagonist as an ideal folk horror heroine with access to village secrets through her professional role. The Open Arms church, led by Lucien, orchestrates a cult plan involving the pregnancies. Both timelines explore themes of bodily autonomy and belief versus skepticism, with the village’s humor and normalcy making it more frightening than sensationalism. The novel employs a thriller writer’s pacing and builds dread through small, cold details rather than gore. The reviewer awards five stars, noting Martyn’s successful transition from thriller writing to folk horror grounded in Peak District traditions.

Original article published on Ginger Nuts of Horror — AI-generated summary. Read the full article at the source.