Bright I Burn

A Novel

By: Molly Aitken

Narrated by: Avena Mansergh-Wallace

BELLETRIST BOOK CLUB PICK • IRISH BESTSELLER • A fierce, electrifying novel inspired by the true story of the first woman to be condemned as a witch in Ireland

In thirteenth-century Ireland, a woman with power is a woman to be feared.

Alice, the daughter of a wealthy innkeeper in Kilkenny, grows up watching her mother wither under the constraints of family responsibilities—and she vows that she will never suffer the same fate. In time, she discovers she has a flair for making money, and takes her father's flourishing business to new heights. But as her riches and stature grow, so too do rumors about her private life. By the time she marries her fourth husband—the three earlier are dead—a storm of local gossip and resentment culminates in a life-threatening accusation . . .

A breathtaking act of imagination, Bright I Burn gives voice to a woman lost to history, who dared to carve a space of her own in a man’s world.

Boring

An interesting character that just happened to do things. There was no depth or follow through to the characters or the story.

Very descriptive

I liked it but felt I needed more background information. Felt a bit lost about ‘why’. Ending left me asking ???

Expected a witch story

I expected to be listening to a story about the first witch burned in Ireland. Instead, you don't get much about her (another character is the main focus) and zero witch trials. The story was a little difficult to follow in audio book format due to the numerous dates used as points of reference. At times this felt like watching somebody go through some serious mental health struggles including PPD, and then just spiraling into bad life choices. This may not be for you if you are expecting more witch drama.

Everything I Wasn’t Expecting

The performance couldn’t compensate for a story full of everything I couldn’t care about being in the story with everything I thought this story would have being excluded. It was so astounding boring that even when interesting things happen it’s written in such a passive way that it reads like listening to a dictionary description of an event.

A sexual awakining???

This book unfortunately has nothing to do with the summary on the back of the book. this is entirely about a woman discovering and using her sexual power. it doesn't fit with the idea of the story or the setting. there could have been a very interesting story in here if we actually told it. also the fact that this was a real person makes the obsession with her sex life and sexual self concept very voyeuristic but in a gross way.