The White Witch

Elizabeth Goudge's later books are full of wondrous historical fiction, and this is one of her shining ones. It is a rare author who can so explicitly portray characters on so many levels. This is one of my favorite books. It leaves us thinking for many years, and it fills those blank spots that history leaves out...

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. "The White Witch" is like an onion; there are so many levels to the story. The uppermost involves the English civil war between Charles II and the newly developed Puritans, Catholics and Protestants and how the new religion affects one particular family. Robert Haselwood turns to the Protestants due to his relationship with one of the leaders - this causes conflict in his family, who enjoyed the lavishness of living under the rule of Charles II. One member of the his family has a background in the gypsies and this is a different "skin" - Froniga tries to live her life suspended between the two cultures. Her gypsy background is at "war" with her gorgio background and this affects her dealings with members of both families. Two men, both working for the king, drift in and out of the lives of the Haselwoods and Froniga, and each other. Then there is the battle between Good and Evil. Froniga uses her "white witch" gypsy medicinal talents to heal and comes to realize that crossing over to the dark practices is a very fine line. Elizabeth Goudge has such a wonderful way of dealing with the buiding up of the motivations (not really the work I'm looking for), emotions of the characters and painting word pictures that soar with beauty. This has been one of my favorite books for years; I've gone through three copies. This book is hard to come across and really should be reissued.

It's been years since I've read this book but the feel of it lingers still. It is the struggle between the evil and good of a dark witch and a white witch in old England. These witches are really almost ordinary women caught in the times they live in where the dark witch is old and filled with the dark thoughts that life can bring while the white witch looks towards the light. There is a struggle between their forces which one can see as how life is without understanding and reaching out between people. Elizabeth Goudge wrote with that wonderful sense that gives you the taste, touch, feel, and vision of how things must have been. I would love to read this book again as well as others she wrote. I hope her books will be rediscoverd as Edith Whartons were and republished for future generations to enjoy.