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.

©2024 Molly Aitken (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Molly Aitken gives a powerful voice to Alice Kyteler, weaving a haunting and lyrical story from the strands of history. This was a beautiful, fascinating novel about an extraordinary woman that will linger in readers’ memories for a long time after they finish it.” —Jennifer Saint, author of Atalanta

“An astonishing second novel after her brilliant debut, Molly Aitken takes Alice Kyteler—the first woman condemned as a witch in Ireland—and breathes life into a woman as gentle as a candle’s flame, and as destructive as an inferno. Lyrical and wildly imaginative, readers will love and fear Alice in equal measure and remember her story long after they’ve finished the last page.” —Megan Barnard, author of Jezebel

“Exciting and triumphant . . . There’s poetry here, in this lyrical, deeply human, fiercely feminist story. A book that burns brighter than even its title suggests.” —Nydia Hetherington, author of A Girl Made of Air

Boring

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

Amazing

The history of a very strong conniving women. Also a history lesson of what life was like in the 1200-1300’s.

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.

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.