How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women

Nothing brings people together like a common enemy, and witches were the greatest enemy of all.

Scotland, 1563: Crops failed, people starved. And the Devil's influence was stronger than ever--at least, that's what everyone believed. During the chaos of the Reformation, violence against women was codified for the first time in the Witchcraft Act --a tool of theocratic control with one chilling goal: to root out witches (who were overwhelmingly women) and rid the land of evil. What followed was a dark and misogynistic chapter in history that fanned the flames of witch hunts across the globe, including in the United States and beyond.

In How to Kill a Witch, Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell, hosts of the popular Witches of Scotland podcast, unravel the grim yet absurdly bureaucratic process of identifying, accusing, trying, and executing witches. With sharp wit and keen feminist insight, they reveal the inner workings of a patriarchal system designed to weaponize fear and oppress women.

This captivating (and often infuriating) account exposes how witch hunts of old mirror today's struggles for justice and equality. How to Kill a Witch is a powerful, darkly humorous reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and the resilience of those who dare to challenge it.

History may have condemned the witches, but this book ensures their stories won't be forgotten.