Karen - reviewed on 9/26/2010 + 168 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

I listened to the unabridged version of The Heretic's Daughter on CD. First, I want to say that I was not disappointed in the choice of narrator for this story. Mare Winningham did an excellent job. (Lets face it, when it comes to audiobooks, the narrator can often make or break the drama).
The story is told from the point of view of Sarah, the daughter of Thomas and Martha Carrier. They have moved to Andover, MA to escape smallpox that was in their town of Billerica. Unfortunately, smallpox has followed them to the home of Sarah's grandmother.
I have listened to other accounts of the Salem witch trials, but never one like this. It drew me in by explaining how life was each day, each year, until the hysterical young women of the New England area started accusing people (men, women and children) of being witches or wizards. The courtroom scenes reminded me of the hysteria surronding the McCartha era in America.
The drama builds as Sarah's mother is dragged off to Salem prison (actually she is not dragged, but stands proud and strong to be escorted away). No matter what they do to her, they can never force Martha Carrier to say she is a witch.
There were times when I felt tears running down my cheeks as the conditions in the Salem prison were described. It is amazing how evil people can be -- and I am not referring to the people in the prison, but the people who put them there.
I don't think I will forget about this story for a long, long time. Used to live less than an hour away from Salem, MA but I never visited the town. I hear that in the Autumn the streets are crowded with people and the stores are jammed with souvenirs of witch items. I wonder how many of the visitors really understand the horror that went on during 1692.
I also wonder what the people could have done to ME to make me say that I was a witch. Sarah was a young girl when she herself was arrested and brought before the court. She had decided NOT to follow her mother's advice and tell them 'yes, I am a witch'. But they began to torture her brothers she has to change her plans.
The 'good christian' people of the time believed that the people accused of witchcraft would go to hell if they didn't admit to being a witch. If they admitted their sins, the 'holy' clergymen would pray over them and forgive them. Even if a person gave in and said they practiced witchcraft, they were still thrown in prison. It was so awful.
I thought it was a powerful story, and as I said before, a story I will not forget for a long time.

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