Bright I Burn

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

When a young Alice Kyteler sees her mother wither under the constraints of family responsibilities, she vows that she will not suffer the same fate. When she discovers she has a flair for making money, she soon builds a flourishing trade. But as her wealth and stature grow, so too do the rumours about her private life. By the time she has moved on to her fourth husband, a blaze of local gossip and resentment culminates in an accusation that could prove fatal.

Inspired by the first recorded person in Ireland to have been condemned as a witch, Bright I Burn gives voice to a woman lost to history, who dared to carve her own space in a man’s world.

Reviews of Bright I Burn

A lushly fevered tale of marriage, murder and moneylending . . . Haunting and powerful — JANE HEALEY Aitken's beguiling lyricism reminds us of the deeper truths that linger in the shadows of the riverbank, at the edge of the woods — KAREN POWELL I was captivated. Every sentence reads like poetry. A stunning, magical, beguiling book — HUMA QURESHI This is lustrous elemental writing, full of rich earth, smouldering flames and roiling waters – which left me gasping for air. It consumed me like a fire — KATIE HALE Gripping, poetic, a glorious story of a remarkable woman's passion and her revenge — LOUISA REID Beautifully told, full of passion and fire, Aitken evokes a vivid sense of time and place through her powerful depiction of a woman determined to maintain her position in a society driven by men. Stunning — JENNY QUINTANA Praise for The Island Child: An exquisite debut from an exciting new voice in Irish fiction * * Daily Telegraph * * A thrillingly original debut, and I can't wait to see what Aitken does next — NAOISE DOLAN It's a rare pleasure to come across quite such an accomplished novel . . . This is a work positively brimming with pathos and emotion, articulated in truly exquisite prose — NATHAN FILER A haunting tale about the power and danger in a mother's love * * Irish Times * *