Salem

Welcome to week two of this month’s Reader’s Den! The Heretic’s Daughter is Kathleen Kent’s first novel based on the Salem Witch Trials. While Kent did an extensive amount of research, the story is very close to her heart as she is a “tenth-generation descendant” of the main character, Martha Carrier. Her family was very proud of their ancestor's role in this tragic moment in history.

“I grew up hearing stories about Martha Carrier and the fact that she was the only woman that directly confronted her accusers and the judges. My grandmother took almost gleeful pride that Martha was so outspoken and contentious. She always used to say Martha Carrier was not a witch, just a ferocious woman.” (Publisher’s Weekly)

Click here to watch a video of Kathleen Kent discussing her fascinating family story and why she wrote the novel. Stop by next week as we begin our discussion of The Heretic’s Daughter!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (2009) is Katherine Howe's first novel. Given the plot, comparisons between the author's life and her fictional heroine are inevitable, so they might as well be addressed sooner rather than later.

Howe is herself in a PhD program for American and New England History. Based on various family member's genealogy research, Howe's ancestors are also Elizabeth Howe and Elizabeth Proctor. Anyone familiar with Arthur Miller's classic play The Crucible will likely recognize the Proctor name. If not, let it be said that both Elizabeth Howe and Elizabeth Proctor were accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts during the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692 (the event at the core of The Crucible).  read more »