Salem Witch Trials

As a girl growing up in Massachusetts, I was obsessed for awhile with reading anything and everything about the Salem Witch Trials.  Though my reading interests have broadened since then, I am still fascinated by the maelstrom of social, political and psychological events that led to witchcraft accusations and mass hysteria.  Recently I have been staying up way too late reading a new novel called Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent.  I just can’t seem to pull myself away from the feverish world of early 17^th century Salem.  Narrated by Sarah Carrier, daughter of the accused witch Martha Carrier, this book provides a window into an intriguing time period.  Though mother and daughter were often at odds with each other, they are pulled closer together by the terrible ordeal of accusations and imprisonment.  Sarah and Martha Carrier were real historical figures, and the author Kathleen Kent is one of their descendents. 

 Another mesmerizing novel about the Salem Witch Trials is I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde.  This gripping tale is narrated by the West Indies slave who was at the center of the witchcraft hysteria.  Although the historical record is pretty thin regarding Tituba’s life, Conde fleshes out her childhood in Barbados, her years as a slave in Salem, and her old age.  In this telling, Tituba is endowed with a strong wit and she provides a searing criticism of the racism and sexism practiced by the “good citizens” of Salem.