Lucianne Tonti’s deeply personal history of witch hunts overstates the role of misogyny

The witch hunts of the Early Modern period (1500–1789) are among the darkest periods of women’s history.

Tens of thousands were accused of, and executed for, practising magic and worshipping the Devil.

Approximately 85% of those were women .

Europe’s and North America’s descent into paranoia and fear around the role of women, and their connection to the devil, is still not entirely understood.

Yet, we continue to be fascinated by it.

This fascination has led to a strong legacy of books on the topic, all trying to understand how and why the witch hunts occurred.

The newest addition is by journalist Lucianne Tonti, fashion editor of the Saturday Paper and sustainability editor at large for Elle Australia.

Review: Good Witch: In Search of Our Lost Feminine Power by Lucianne Tonti (Summit Books) Good Witch: In Search of Our Lost Feminine Power is a deeply personal examination of witch hunts in Europe and North America.

Through her own exploration of locations associated with witch hunts, Tonti offers a perspective grounded in eco-feminism and sustainable practice.

Lucianne Tonti’s book, part case study, part travel diary, is grounded in eco-feminism and sustainable practice.

Anne Peters The book is broken into five sections: Gardener, Gossip, Spinster, Healer, and Nymph.

Each explores some aspect of the everyday life of contemporary women, including traditionally women’s work such as food gathering, textile production, and caring – or more social aspects, like community and sexuality.

Part case study, part travel diary, Tonti’s work explores history’s witch hunts alongside the physical and social landscapes they occurred in.

Each case study is matched to Tonti’s own exploration of the towns these women lived in – and where possible, the location of their execution.