The Heretic's Daughter

This is a fascinating look at life in the late 1600's during the small pox epidemic and the Salem Witch trials. Kathleen Kent beautifully relates the details of every day life in this harsh period of our history. She skillfully depicts a society that twists and distorts facts to falsely accuse and convict a person of witchcraft. It's disturbing to realize the ease with which one person accuses another of being a witch; often because of some petty jealousy. Intertwined in this rich historical detail is the beautiful story of a mother and daughter and how as their relationship evolves they come to understand and respect each other. The story shows how this family copes and survives living in a society that by today's standards can only be referred to as not quite sane. This is a great read and one that should not be missed by historical fiction lovers.