Doreen Valiente, Witch

Drawing on public documents, interviews, and Doreen Valiente's own published books and personal journals, Heselton pieces together a compelling look at the life of "the mother of modern witchcraft." Having published several books on Gerald Gardner, another important figure in modern witchcraft and in Valiente's life, Heselton notes throughout the book that this particular biography does "little more than lay some foundation stones for others to build on." This speaks to the wealth of material available on Valiente, as Heselton does an excellent job covering her journey from a precocious child dissatisfied with school to an influential figure known for rewriting the Charge of the Goddess, authoring and coauthoring several books on the history of witchcraft and its relationship to Valiente's native England, and creating a vast body of poetry. Heselton balances the important accomplishments of Valiente's life with anecdotes about her personality, which paint a charming picture of someone who owned over 2000 books, would refuse all guests while watching the World Cup, and whose impressive history is prefaced by dropping out of high school after biting a prefect%E2%80%94her "best childhood memory"! Descriptions of Valiente's books, an extensive bibliography, and references to Valiente's contemporaries and their works indeed provide "foundation stones" for anyone interested in further study of Valiente, her work, and her world. (June)