Excellent! Fascinating and throughly absorbing.

Wonderful book to have on hand for any Pagan interested in some of the history of "wise women" or "cunning folk", basically anyone who used natural resources in the past. Basically, those who were eventually called Witches. I liked the fact that it stayed middle of the road as far as paganism goes and didn't lean towards any one belief system.

As a Wiccan myself, I liked the different used for the herbs, both medicinal and not. My herblore is sadly lacking and this will help. I also enjoyed the charms and spells that were provided, I am definitely adding some of these to my BOS

The reason for the 4-star review is simple. Even though I am pagan, I still have to use pharmaceutical products for my health and I felt that the author was on the side of an all-natural approach. While I wish that I could to that, it is not to be and I feel that maybe she should have left this more middle of the road instead of being anti-pharmaceutical.

This was a very interesting read for me. Rather out of the ordinary, in fact. But the appeal it held based solely on the historical aspect drew me in. I must say there are many things that I have applied to my own life and many others that I plan to go back and reread so that I may attempt to incorporate in my own life. Very interesting.

The Secret People: Parish-pump witchcraft, Wise-women, and Cunning Ways is filled with many delicious hidden gems of the old ways. This book is about the humble ways of everyday living long ago. As you thumb through book you can highlight some of the ideas and traditions that appeal to you. The author touches on a lot of basic ingredients most people keep in their homes today. For example, I found an oatmeal bath for eczema that I plan to try on my little one. It lists different ways to use countless herbs, Vinegar, honey and lemons etc. It touches on numerous things such as treating sore throats, athletes foot and hangovers. This book provides the basics for making a tincture It also contains recipes for food and festive drinks such as apple water, lemonade, wine and beer. I think my favorite part of the book was reading about the divination. It included methods and spells you don't see such as Casting of Lots. I appreciated the detail in that section. When I finished the book it left me hoping there will be another book to follow with even more recipes that can be whipped up in the kitchen.

My interest in this book was two-fold: I'm incubating a book in which a character might need much of this information, and of course simple curiosity in this author's take on the subject. It's an utterly practical compilation of recipes and hints that do not require the reader to be a "parish pump witch" or wise woman. All you have to be is someone looking for natural solutions to common problems – looking for common sense and time-worn remedies. There are tidbits pulled from Mrs. Beeton's book right alongside things that could be found in any decent grimoire.

There is a magical bent much to the information – a holly will balance the magical energies of a rowan or apple tree in your garden, for example – but there's nothing airy-fairy about this book; advice like that feels more like feng shui. Even the section on divination feels more solid and straightforward than others I've seen.

I went into this expecting to harvest bits and pieces I could reference if my fantasy-eighteenth-century physician ever comes more to life. I came out of it with actual useful ideas for cleaning, for treating headaches and sore throats, for repelling pests, for celebrating Twelfth Night, and simply for being more aware of the seasons. "If a girl-friend has been having a run of misfortune, give her a bunch of carnations, or Gillyflowers, and this will turn her luck to good." Carnations all around, I think …

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

The Secret People was a well written and accessible book looking at the old wisdom that has been handed down for centuries from one country wise woman to the next. Melusine Draco drew from a wide variety of historical sources to trace the knowledge that would have been commonplace for our grandmothers or great grandmothers.
I really liked the mix of practical and esoteric information. The advice was no nonsense and the practical warnings regarding herblore helped me trust the author.
The Secret People should be appealing to a wide audience ranging from those interested in pagan rituals to people interested in incorporating some of the old ways back into their lives. The lively mix of history, modern anecdotes, and recipes makes this a fun and informative book!