Little, Brown and Company (September 3, 2008)
Being a fan of historical novels and not a stickler for specific time periods this book intrigued me especially after discovering it is relating one family’s experience in the midst of the Salem Witch trials in 17th century Massachusetts Colony. While the story is formatted as if it were simply reprinting a series of journal entries, they have been edited to flow and connect more smoothly into a coherent narrative than simple diary excerpts would.
It took me about a third of the book to truly connect with characters and find my way into the story fully but it definitely made this era come more alive while presenting many historical details in a more palatable form than typical textbooks. This may be mainstream fiction but being set amongst the Puritan settlers, faith certainly becomes a key component in the story and seeing how these characters handle their own convictions when faced with persecution encourages readers to stand firm even against the minor trials that we might face in our daily lives in modern times. (ISBN#:9780316024488, 352pp, $24.99)
Codicil:
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