Witches and Neighbours

Drawing heavily on trial records from Lorraine, Briggs reconstructs witchcraft as lived experience in village communities. He examines quarrels, illnesses, healing, gender dynamics and the slow build-up of suspicion that preceded formal accusations. The book resists single-cause explanations and emphasises the ordinary social fabric behind the trials. Readable and humane, it suits both students and general readers wanting a ground-level view of early modern witchcraft.