Hello there, bookworms! Happy Monday and Happy October. I know I should’ve been on days ago to make that phrase more accurate however, my internet has been broken on-and-off for weeks now and I’m about to lose my mind. At least with my phone, I could connect to cell data and still live life and update things, but lately, I can’t even get my computer to feed off my phone’s LTE signal (which it used to do) soooo.. here we are. I’m online and counting my lucky stars and just hoping my signal doesn’t cut out again because I have things to do!
That being said, it’s been a challenge to balance work, home life, the blog, and writing my book. I’m down to the last 10 chapters before my first draft is complete so that has been taking priority over both my reading and my other writing. However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, so I just have to juggle those things for a bit longer and then who knows what will happen with my book if I choose to try to revise and do anything with it. We’ll see!
Anyway, I’m getting off track, but I promise I’m here for a book review so let’s get down to it and get everyone in a spooky mood as we wait for Halloween. Let’s talk about The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent.
Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and willful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. Often at odds with one another, mother and daughter are forced to stand together against the escalating hysteria of the trials and the superstitious tyranny that led to the torture and imprisonment of more than 200 people accused of witchcraft. This is the story of Martha’s courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived.
Kathleen Kent is a tenth generation descendant of Martha Carrier. She paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England, but also of one family’s deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution.
Funny story. I actually bought this book the last time I was in Salem this past February. My friend and I visited the Salem Witch Museum where after a bit of a presentation and a historical depiction of witches and witch hunts trickling into our modern era, I was able to browse the gift shop where they had a small collection of books. I grabbed this as well as a copy of The Penguin Book of Witches and couldn’t wait to read. With the witching hour approaching, I thought I’d give this a go on Audible while at the office.
Honestly, I wish I loved this book. I wanted so badly to love it. I love American History and learning from aspects of our dark, tragic pasts, but this book somehow made learning about the Salem Witch Trials boring.
This story is told from the perspective of Martha Carrier’s young daughter, Sarah, and for the majority of this book, the plot is nothing short of mechanical as it moves through life in day-to-day Massachusetts via 1690-1692 and later. Every time I thought the book was finally going to pick up and begin with the accusations and the unfolding of the trials, the mundane life just continued. No wonder everyone got so nuts and started pointing fingers. They all must’ve been bored to death.
If you’re interested in the goings on of Puritan life in Salem; planting crops, bringing escaped cows back to your neighbor’s house, small pox epidemics, attending church for hours on end, and more, then this is a perfect book for you.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s well-written and the author has done her research and must’ve had interesting stories passed down through her family as to the fate of her ancestors, but out of 10 chapters in this book, I think at least 6 & 1/2 or 7 are fairly uneventful.
The end of the book is where the dark chapter in history seeps its way into the pages. Countless people are jailed and put on trial for crimes they aren’t guilty of committing. The evidence is staggering in that in modern day, we all know it’s an absurd stretch to try to grasp and build a solid case against the condemned with such obscure information. Relying on young girls having spontaneous fits, or invisible spectres soaring around the courtroom didn’t exactly present an open-and-shut case by 2019 standards. in 1692, however, hearsay was enough to convict and kill 20 people and lock up even more. Listening to the information being read just made it really hit home and I felt similar to how I felt when I actually spent time in Salem, like I was bogged down with emotion. This tumultuous time really caused a severe fall out in our early society and has morphed into its own beast in our more current days.
If you’re interested in a purely historical depiction of Puritan Massachusetts or you’re looking to get in that Halloween mood, this story might be a decent (but SLOW) segue into the season. If you’re seeking a creepy or even terrifying account of how demons and the paranormal changed the courses of 20 innocent lives that were ended unjustly and abruptly, then this isn’t the book for you.
Until next time, bibliophiles… happy reading!
