The Heretic’s Daughter - Kathleen Kent

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent is the story of Sarah Carrier and how she barely survived the Salem witch trials. After small pox reaches her family, Sarah and her infant sister go to live with the aunt she doesn’t know. After taking them in, Sarah’s aunt, uncle and cousin take her and her sister more warmth than Sarah has ever known from her mother. When Sarah moves back in with her parents, she experiences the brutality of witchcraft accusations as well as gaining a better understanding of her mother and father.

This beautifully written story takes you not only through the dramatic witch craze, but also through the life of a girl trying to live. Sarah is an extraordinary girl who is forced to overcome some of the most unbearable circumstances of that time.

This is not just another story about the Salem witch trials (although I probably would have love it the same even if it was) but it is a story about Massachusetts from 1690-1692. This book brought to life the other fears of the time, such as small pox and Indian attacks as well as the fight just to have enough food each year. Then, on top of all the things they must endure, they are suddenly fighting against crazy accusations.

For the first time I saw the Salem witch trials not just as an insane period but as a true event. This book touched me with a reality that no other book of the time has done before. I finally saw past the fear, back-stabbing, and drama and began to understand that many people had to create a life in jail. Kent portrays this life in a way that I have not fully understood until now.

**I received this book through a giveaway win from The Sweet Bookshelf.