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The Heretic's Daughter

By Kathleen Kent

(13)

| eBook | 9780230739512

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Book Description

Martha Carrier was hanged on August 19th 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, unyielding in her refusal to admit to being a witch, going to her death rather than joining the ranks of men and women who confessed and were thereby spared execution. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and wilful, opContinue

Martha Carrier was hanged on August 19th 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, unyielding in her refusal to admit to being a witch, going to her death rather than joining the ranks of men and women who confessed and were thereby spared execution. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and wilful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. In this startling novel, she narrates the story of her early life in Andover, near Salem. Her father is a farmer, English in origin, quietly stoical but with a secret history. Her mother is a herbalist, tough but loving, and above all a good mother. Often at odds with each other, Sarah and her mother have a close but also cold relationship, yet it is clear that Martha understands her daughter like no other. When Martha is accused of witchcraft, and the whisperings in the community escalate, she makes her daughter promise not to stand up for her if the case is taken to court. As Sarah and her brothers are hauled into the prison themselves, the vicious cruelty of the trials is apparent, as the Carrier family, along with other innocents, are starved and deprived of any decency, battling their way through the hysteria with the sheer willpower their mother has taught them.

Critics

  • Book Review: The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent Share

    If you are interested in one of the most fateful chapters of early American history and want to experience the Salem witch trials from the viewpoint of a young girl, there is much to like in The Heretic's Daughter . It's hard to fail with a story abo ... (read full critics)

    blogcritics published on Sun, 23 Jan 2011

  • Trials and tribulations in a time of persecution

    The story of the Salem witch trials was made notorious by Arthur Miller, who used the mass hysteria of 17th-century Massachusetts to hold up a mirror to the McCarthyism of the early 1950s in The Crucible. Kathleen Kent's exceptionally accomplished de ... (read full critics)

    guardian.co.uk published on Fri, 24 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

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  • Emotional story worth a read through

    Never has a book given me so many strong emotions as this one. It’s amazing how mass hysteria can produce such irrational, mind baffling ideas that make the impossible become reality. I just couldn’t believe they could get away with accusing these innocent people (even children) with the most ridicu ... (continue)

    Never has a book given me so many strong emotions as this one. It’s amazing how mass hysteria can produce such irrational, mind baffling ideas that make the impossible become reality. I just couldn’t believe they could get away with accusing these innocent people (even children) with the most ridiculous charges. I could actually feel myself get angry at such injustices. Especially towards Sarah and her mother. It made me want to go in there and give everybody a good slap and wake up call. Nevertheless, I thought the book was a good read. A book that stirs such emotions is definitely worth a read. There was a point in the book (the trial part) where it literally made my blood boil and I had to set it down a couple of times, to me, that just means the book was good. Really good.

    The characters in the book were very well written. I loved the relationship between Sarah and her mother. Although strained, and even cold, it’s a lot like the mother-daughter relationships today. When Sarah comes to terms with her mother, it’s sad and quite possibly filled with regrets but it changes Sarah from a naive young girl to a mature one, who now sees the world in a very different way. I also thought her relationship with her father was interesting as well and it’s an eye opener when she realizes that her parents are loving and caring even if they don’t display it openly. I really did like reading this through Sarah’s point of view. It’s amazing and I really enjoyed her character development. I also liked Martha (Sarah’s mother) as well. She was so strong willed and strong minded, she was an extremely admirable woman and her actions while in jail were extremely brave.

    This book also got me to hate certain characters far more than usual. Mercy and her little sidekick Phoebe were absolutely hateful and are just as bad as present day bullies at school. Mercy really got to me though, if it wasn’t for her, Sarah’s life might have been different. Argh. Horrible hateful Mercy!

    The only real complaint I have is the ‘red book’ mentioned. It is given to Sarah yet the contents within the book were never revealed. That was a bit of a disappointment for me, I was curious and wanting to know what secrets it might have, and to have it never discussed made the ending lacking. Also, the focus on Sarah’s moments in prison were a little too long winded and dragged for a bit. It could have been slightly shorter.

    Pick this book up and be ready for the emotional ride. The book is well written and generates a lot of feeling from the reader. Don’t expect any happy feelings from this one though. It covers tragic events and is an eye opener on how mass hysteria can run amok, and how easily people (even family) can turn against one another.

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    Sensitivemuse said on Jan 12, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

  • A very well written account of the Salem Witch Trials, one of the black marks on the history of the this country. First time author Kent is a direct descendant of one of the women tried, convicted and hung.

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    Rameycreek said on Feb 24, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

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