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The Heretic's Daughter

by Kathleen Kent

The Heretic's Daughter Cover

ISBN13: 9780316024488
ISBN10: 0316024481
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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.

Review:

"A family's conflict becomes a battle for life and death in this gripping and original first novel based on family history from a descendant of a condemned Salem witch. After a bout of smallpox, 10-year-old Sarah Carrier resumes life with her mother on their family farm in Andover, Mass., dimly aware of a festering dispute between her mother, Martha, and her uncle about the plot of land where they live. The fight takes on a terrifying dimension when reports of supernatural activity in nearby Salem give way to mass hysteria, and Sarah's uncle is the first person to point the finger at Martha. Soon, neighbors struggling to eke out a living and a former indentured servant step forward to name Martha as the source of their woes. Sarah is forced to shoulder an even heavier burden as her mother and brothers are taken to prison to face a jury of young women who claim to have felt their bewitching presence. Sarah's front-row view of the trials and the mayhem that sweeps the close-knit community provides a fresh, bracing and unconventional take on a much-covered episode. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Amidst the painful details of jail and persecution, deep-seated suspicion and familial betrayal, it is [a] powerful act of love that crowns the book." Library Journal

Review:

"[H]istorical fiction with a feminist perspective." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"Kent tells a heart-wrenching story of family love and sacrifice." USA Today

Review:

"[A] powerful coming-of-age tale in which tragedy is trumped by an unsinkable faith in human nature." Chelsea Cain, New York times

Review:

"Ms. Kent brings a gentle decency to her portrait of this nasty episode in American life." Dallas Morning News

Review:

"[An] eminently readable novel, and a tribute to a woman who held steadfastly to the courage of her convictions." Christian Science Monitor
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The Heretic's Daughter: Kathleen Kent
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About the Author

Kathleen Kent lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and son. She is a tenth-generation descendant of Martha Carrier and The Heretic's Daughter is her first novel.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:
natalie.schoppe, March 28, 2010 (view all comments by natalie.schoppe)
I agree, this is an excellent novel! I didn't realize until now that this was her first one. The characters are so real I felt like I had a connection to each one! I can't wait to read her next book!
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Krista Smith-Moroziuk, May 27, 2009 (view all comments by Krista Smith-Moroziuk)
This is a great first novel. Kathleen Kent brings the characters and the time period to life. I can't wait to read her next book.
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katknit, January 12, 2009 (view all comments by katknit)
When studying the various phenomena of the Salem Witch Trials, it is close to impossible for today's reader to imagine the terror and the suffering experienced by the accused, including those who were not found guilty. In The Heretic's Daughter, author Kathleen Kent has done a powerful,creditable job of approximating just that. The daughter of the title is arrested after her mother, Martha Carrier, one of the "witches" condemned to death and hanged. As she tells of her involvement, Sarah recounts the horrors of the summer and fall of 1692, and its slow but relentless progression from suspicion to execution, from incredulity to helplessness. Her narrative is a simple one, but so affecting that the reader is drawn into the insanity together with Sarah and her family, who were all but destroyed by the madness. The physical and emotional underpinnings of the mass delusion are seamlessly woven into the story, which seems as real as if it happened only a few years ago. The Heretic's Daughter is a stellar work of historical fiction, by far the best novelization of this topic that I've encountered.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780316024488
Author:
Kent, Kathleen
Publisher:
Little Brown and Company
Subject:
Witchcraft
Subject:
History
Subject:
General
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
Salem (Mass.) History.
Copyright:
2008
Publication Date:
September 2008
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
332
Dimensions:
9.56x6.34x1.14 in. 1.24 lbs.
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Related Aisles

The Heretic's Daughter Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$6.50 In Stock
Product details 332 pages Little Brown and Company - English 9780316024488 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "A family's conflict becomes a battle for life and death in this gripping and original first novel based on family history from a descendant of a condemned Salem witch. After a bout of smallpox, 10-year-old Sarah Carrier resumes life with her mother on their family farm in Andover, Mass., dimly aware of a festering dispute between her mother, Martha, and her uncle about the plot of land where they live. The fight takes on a terrifying dimension when reports of supernatural activity in nearby Salem give way to mass hysteria, and Sarah's uncle is the first person to point the finger at Martha. Soon, neighbors struggling to eke out a living and a former indentured servant step forward to name Martha as the source of their woes. Sarah is forced to shoulder an even heavier burden as her mother and brothers are taken to prison to face a jury of young women who claim to have felt their bewitching presence. Sarah's front-row view of the trials and the mayhem that sweeps the close-knit community provides a fresh, bracing and unconventional take on a much-covered episode. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "Amidst the painful details of jail and persecution, deep-seated suspicion and familial betrayal, it is [a] powerful act of love that crowns the book."
"Review" by , "[H]istorical fiction with a feminist perspective."
"Review" by , "Kent tells a heart-wrenching story of family love and sacrifice."
"Review" by , "[A] powerful coming-of-age tale in which tragedy is trumped by an unsinkable faith in human nature."
"Review" by , "Ms. Kent brings a gentle decency to her portrait of this nasty episode in American life."
"Review" by , "[An] eminently readable novel, and a tribute to a woman who held steadfastly to the courage of her convictions."
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