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The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent, 332 pages.

More than a history lesson, this book is a story chronicling a way of life for the Carrier family in the 1690s. We see it all through the eyes of young Sarah - her struggles with her parents, the desire for closeness and connection that has no place in her family where hard work is valued and affection is disdained. When Sarah's mother Martha is accused of witchcraft, Sarah's strength and loyalty are tested.

What makes this novel all the more fascinating, the author Kathleen Kent, is a descendant of Martha Carrier. Can you imagine growing up with this as part of your family history? I am curious to know which parts are fictionalized, as it all seems so real. She has woven an engrossing story, crafted not only by research but by a haunting family legacy.

It just serves to illustrate again the many holes in my education. Since I'm practically a Puritan, I am eager to learn more about the Christian view of what occurred. Yeah, yeah, boo hiss. For while I don't want to in any way gloss over the fear and horror of what it must have been like to live as one of the accused, there are two sides to every story... and I have a hard time believing that after all their struggles to establish a settlement, the religious leaders took any pleasure in dismantling it. But the point of this book is to capture the spirit of fear for the Carrier family, and it was successful in passing it along to the reader.

My thanks to Hatchette Book Group for the preview. The Heretic's Daughter is available today, right now, so go get one. And it's on this month's indie next list. So, it's a keeper.

4 stars.

The End.

If you want more info on the Salem Witch Trials:

www.salemwitchtrials.com

www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/

There is also a passage in The Light and the Glory (pp. 234-239) that touches on Cotton Mather and his colleagues. One of the judges, Samuel Sewall, "Fearful that he might have condemned some innocents to death at Salem, he did the only thing a committed Christian under heavy conviction can do: he publicly repented for what he had done." (p.238)

See also:

• The Crucible

by Arthur Miller

• The Salem Witch Trials: A Day by Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege by Marilynne K. Roach
• Salem Witch Judge: The Life and Repentance of Samuel Sewall by Eve Leplante

The Commoner by John Burnham Schwarz

The Commoner: A Novel by John Burnham Schwartz, 351 pages.

Sometimes, it is good not to know too much about what you are reading. I loved this book about the courtship, marriage, and life of Empress Michiko of Japan. I had no idea throughout, until I googled her, that she is a real person. Previously, I had poo-pooed the idea of reading a fictionalized account of a real person, i.e. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. Oops.

Well-paced, thoroughly researched, and gracefully imagined portrait of the life of Haruko  as a young girl growing up in Tokyo during and after World War II.  She was part of a new post-war generation of women that emerged ready to start breaking traditional female roles, however when she is courted by the Crown Prince those dreams begin to fall away. The story follows her marriage through the pressures of producing a male heir, and on to the day when she must persuade another commoner to marry her son. It manages to be rich in detail without being overly wordy. I highly recommend it.

Here is a fascinating article about the Empress that JoAnn sent me. I recommend reading it after you finish the book.

Time Magazine 1959

4+ stars

The End.

These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner

O Pioneers meets Little House meets Cold Mountain in this fictitious diary of Sarah Agnes Prine. It begins with her family caravaning cross country to Arizona to stake their claim. She is tough and spunky, yet naive and simple too. Written in journal form, the reader follows Sarah through the days following their trip, setting up house, starting a family, and working the land.  The funniest parts occur in her exchanges with a Captain Jack (a friend from the caravan days).  As a reader, I was glad it didn't gloss over hard times, and wasn't all sweet and country bumpkin like. That lifestyle was no joke. Survival depended on quick wit, hard work, and the grace of God.

I enjoyed this book, it moved quickly, and I continue to be fascinated with frontier living.  Most of bookclub LOVED it, I liked it.  If it sounds good to you, you probably won't be disappointed. And there are more:

Sarah's Quilt

The Star Garden

I would also recommend the PBS documentary from a few years ago where people volunteered to live as frontier families.

Anyone else see it? Good stuff.

3.5-3.75 stars.

The End.

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill, 471 pages

Powerful stuff. The setting is the mid to late 1700s, Aminata lives happily with her parents in an African village. At 11 she is stolen, put on a slave ship, and sold in South Carolina. Her story is painful and at times difficult to read. Her quickness and bright mind serve her well, and she is able to learn much - including reading and writing, rare skills that she uses time and again to further her quest to return to Africa. There are several heartbreaking passages, yet through it all there is hope.

Aminata's journey is unlike any other book of its kind. I learned a lot about slavery during the Revolutionary War period that I had never known. The author has done meticulous research and it shows. It may, however, be too much information, as it can seem as though he tried to fit everything he uncovered into one story. As a result, I began to get antsy if the main character stayed in one place too long.  But as Miji pointed out to me, that would be the fault of the editor, no?  And the author's ability to narrate from the perspective of a female slave is truly amazing.The first 300 pages are brilliant the next 100 okay, the last 70 good. I haven't read anything like it in a long time. And I highly recommend it.

The End.