The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent | Teen Ink

The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent MAG

June 23, 2010
By sunnyhunny PLATINUM, Litchfield, New Hampshire
sunnyhunny PLATINUM, Litchfield, New Hampshire
22 articles 3 photos 329 comments

Favorite Quote:
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
-Ghandi


This captivating historical fiction is based on the real childhood of Sarah Carrier Chapman. In 1690, Sarah and her family move from Billerica to the Puritan town of Andover, Massachusetts.

As her ears catch rumors of witchcraft, we recognize that the epidemic of fear spread by the Salem Witch Trials was not deterred by town borders. Superstition creeps in from Salem, and before long, citizens of Andover are being accused of signing the Devil's book. The Carrier family is unpopular in town, and Sarah's mother is soon accused of witchcraft. We view this dark period in history through a child's eyes as Sarah and her family are unjustly faced with earthshaking decisions.

Kent accomplishes what few authors have: creating a powerful novel from the perspective of a child. She combines five years of research with stories of her ancestor Martha Carrier to create a bone-chilling novel like no other. She brings life to these forgotten figures, giving them personalities that reflect their actions and experiences.

This story is heartbreaking and difficult to put down. I recommend it to anyone mature enough to handle this topic, because the Salem Witch Trials are part of an era we must never forget.


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This article has 5 comments.


on Jul. 25 2010 at 4:33 pm
sunnyhunny PLATINUM, Litchfield, New Hampshire
22 articles 3 photos 329 comments

Favorite Quote:
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
-Ghandi

It was a good book... I suggest you give it a try.

on Jul. 24 2010 at 5:46 pm
mudpuppy BRONZE, Orangeburg, South Carolina
2 articles 0 photos 475 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is like a box of cheese and flower petal sometimes it's soft and sweet, sometimes it just plain stinks. - M.J.

That's true, we don't want to repeat what evil deeds were done in history.

Historical fiction isn't usually the genre of fiction that I read, but this review has slightly peak my curiosity.


on Jul. 13 2010 at 8:44 pm
OfficialApprover PLATINUM, Orefield, Pennsylvania
48 articles 0 photos 1752 comments

Favorite Quote:
Grab life by the balls. -Slobberknocker
We cannot change the cards we're dealt just how we play the hand
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted
It's pretty easy to be smart when you're parroting smart people
-Randy Pausch

It's no problem.

on Jul. 13 2010 at 8:41 pm
sunnyhunny PLATINUM, Litchfield, New Hampshire
22 articles 3 photos 329 comments

Favorite Quote:
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
-Ghandi

Thanks so much for reading my stuff!

on Jul. 10 2010 at 1:10 pm
OfficialApprover PLATINUM, Orefield, Pennsylvania
48 articles 0 photos 1752 comments

Favorite Quote:
Grab life by the balls. -Slobberknocker
We cannot change the cards we're dealt just how we play the hand
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted
It's pretty easy to be smart when you're parroting smart people
-Randy Pausch

Wow, the review itself was chilling, I can only imagine what the book must be like!  And I agree, the Salem Witch Trials were a horrible time in history, and they, like other terrible events, like the Holocaust, the World Wars, the Crusades, and the Inquistion, and many more, must not be forgotten, so we do not repeat our mistake.