05-03-2008, 09:50 PM
Here's another book that I really enjoyed. I've referred to it before in a review of Wyndspelle (see Book Reviews).
It's called Delusion of Satan: The Full Story Of The Salem Witch Trials by Frances Hill. It was written in 1995 and I know there are newer books that have been published, but this is a relatively short and compelling read. It was actually so disturbing to me though that I could only read it in increments.
Hill does an excellent job of laying out what happened in Salem. The episode was the result of many factors: confused adolescence, Puritan repression and general fear of a scary New World. But what happened was also political. The powerful Putnam family was behind a lot of the accusations and, surprise, a number of the victims were members of rival families. Very convenient that young Ann Putnam and her mother were among the primary accusers.
Good history and psychological analysis that is worthwhile reading for history buffs. Very sad though.
It's called Delusion of Satan: The Full Story Of The Salem Witch Trials by Frances Hill. It was written in 1995 and I know there are newer books that have been published, but this is a relatively short and compelling read. It was actually so disturbing to me though that I could only read it in increments.
Hill does an excellent job of laying out what happened in Salem. The episode was the result of many factors: confused adolescence, Puritan repression and general fear of a scary New World. But what happened was also political. The powerful Putnam family was behind a lot of the accusations and, surprise, a number of the victims were members of rival families. Very convenient that young Ann Putnam and her mother were among the primary accusers.
Good history and psychological analysis that is worthwhile reading for history buffs. Very sad though.