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 descendent 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.
As other reviewers have already outlined, this book takes place during the Salem Witch Trials, and the author is a tenth-generation descendant of Martha Carrier, one of the first women to be tried under the trials. The book is told from the perspective of her pre-adolescent daughter Sarah.
The author has done her research, and she does a beautiful job of depicting the harsh realities of life during this time, including plagues, crop failures, and attacks by indigenous tribes. This harshness is partly what fuels the trials' momentum, as a fearful community struggles with the causes of their suffering. Surely there must be some offense, some sin, that God is punishing them for? In their desperation, they seek out the 'sinners' amongst them, literally demonizing their own neighbors for the smallest of offenses. They seek to scapegoat and purge - as so many have done in the name of religion throughout history.
From there, the paralysis of fear takes over, with each new charge silencing more people within the community, all seeking to protect their own lives and families. Children as young as four are taken into custody - since the 'devil' is behind it all, and can take over anyone's mind, no one is considered innocent. Quite the contrary, during the trials the defendants are most definitely considered guilty until proven innocent. And their innocence is in the hands of several hysterical, adolescent girls no less (I'll let you read the book to learn more about this.)
One of the most touching aspects of the book is how Martha gets Sarah to save herself, helping Sarah to realize that behind her mother's stern exterior lies the greatest of maternal loves. While Sarah at first despises her mother's difficult personality, wishing she would just capitulate to others, she comes to realize her mother's seeming obstinance is actually born of tremendous faith and wisdom. This is exactly the opposite of what her community elders teach - that strict obedience is the foundation for faith. As Sarah observes, that obedience, along with fear, is what allows the madness to continue for so long.
And so The Heretic's Daughter works on at least three levels. First, as a gripping historical novel that masterfully depicts a certain setting and time period. Second, as a personal story of a mother and adolescent daughter struggling to understand each other. And third, as a cautionary tale about how religion can be twisted when a society is ruled by fear.
writes,
The Heretic's Daughter tells the story of the Salem witch trials from the perspective of 10-year-old Sarah Carrier, whose family becomes a target of her community's hysteria. Kent's unadorned prose captures the immediacy and emotion of Sarah's story and evokes an authentic setting by using old-fashioned phrases and metaphors drawn from familiar tasks (scything grass, harvesting wheat) and materials (beeswax, homespun cloth) of the era. The quick-moving plot and well-developed characters make this an easy book to get caught up in.
Because Sarah is a young narrator, she doesn't fully understand the horrible events unfolding around her. This perspective adds an agreeable innocence to the tale, but also creates a bit of distance between the action and the reader's experience of the action. As a narrator, Sarah is incapable of stepping back from the events at hand and considering the frightening implications of those events for human society in general. Overall, The Heretic's Daughter is a heartbreaking story well told.
writes,
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent chronicles the life of Sarah Carrier, a young girl whose mother Martha Carrier is accused and condemned in the Salem Witch Trials. The story is beautifully painted with rich historical details and the realism of the novel is quite astounding.
Told through Sarah's perspective of youth and innocence the horrors of the Witch Trials become the impetus for her maturity. As her character develops through the novel, a poignant story of friendship, family ties, love and betrayal is woven around her.
Kathleen Kent is a descendant of the Carriers so her emotional attachment to the characters and real events add great impact to the plot. Although this is her first novel, her talent as a writer is clearly showcased and I will be seeking out her name in future works.
