At this time of year, the understated but powerful novella Hex by Jenni Fagan is one to read. Hex acts as a reminder of the stories hidden within the word. It is the quintessential telling of women’s anger and faith in one another. The novella tells a mix of a historical and fictionalised account of the trial and subsequent execution of a young woman in 1591. This woman was the real Geillis Duncan, who was accused of witchcraft in Scotland which sparked the larger North Berwick Witch Trials. This gives a voice to the tortured women of the past.
The story is split between the perspective of Geillis and the perspective of another woman, a steadfast character named Iris from contemporary Scotland. The nature of her character is revealed throughout the novella as she comes to comfort and support Geillis the night before her execution. There’s a strong underlying melancholy throughout the story as the historical facts determine the ending. However, Fagans’ writing style conveys a deep sense of anger and injustice, combined with a devastating exploration of human connection. The result is a tantalising conversation between two women of two different time periods, who come to share an understanding based on the echoes of their experiences felt from the other.
“The things they say! Our power must be homage to a man, even if he is the Devil, no?”
We come to ask ourselves what has changed in hundreds of years. The effects of a society consumed by fear and vast persecution. This novella is written in such a way to read in one sitting, told in just under 100 pages. By the end, Fagan creates this everlasting feeling of hope, emerging from the subtlety and depths of human connection.
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