Mary Hooper's laters novel, Newes from the Dead is based on a real life event. Mary started the story with her protaginist lying comatose in her coffin, reflecting on the event in her life that led to her hanging.
In 1650, Anne Green, a young servant girl, gave birth prematurely to an illegitimate child. Sadly the baby died and poor Anne was falsely accused of infanticide. In front of a large crowd she was hanged and then carried to the College of Physicians to be dissected for medical science. But as Anne's corpse lay on the table and the doctors assembled, a strange rattle was heard in her throat. Could she still be alive?
Download Mary Hooper's story starter