Much of what passes for 'witchcraft' today was everyday knowledge to our forebears, especially those who lived and worked in the countryside. Here were to be found practical household hints, remedies and family recipes that had been handed down from generation to generation, some still existing in the form of treasured journals and notebooks. There is, however, nothing fanciful or far-fetched about this information - in fact, The Secret People is a remembrance of times past and a preservation of 'parish-pump witchcraft, wise-women and cunning ways' adapted for use in the 21st century. It may also go a long way in helping those present-generation pagans in search of an identity and answer the questions: Who ... what am I?