The Heretic's Daughter

I hope you all have been enjoying The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent. The following are some discussion questions to help get the conversation rolling! Feel free to post your own thoughts and comments to let us know what you think about the book.

In the novel, Sarah comments on how her mother did not show strong affection towards her little sister because young children during this time period did not have a long life expectancy. However, Sarah feels that her mother doesn’t show much affection towards anyone. Do you find this trait is shared by other characters in the novel? Is Martha Carrier trying to distance herself in order to be more protective of her emotions?

While you read the novel, are you coming across new information that you weren’t familiar with about the Salem Witch Trials? Has Kathleen Kent successfully painted a believable portrait of this time period?

Stop by next week for some more discussion questions as we finish up the novel.

Welcome to week two of this month’s Reader’s Den! The Heretic’s Daughter is Kathleen Kent’s first novel based on the Salem Witch Trials. While Kent did an extensive amount of research, the story is very close to her heart as she is a “tenth-generation descendant” of the main character, Martha Carrier. Her family was very proud of their ancestor's role in this tragic moment in history.

“I grew up hearing stories about Martha Carrier and the fact that she was the only woman that directly confronted her accusers and the judges. My grandmother took almost gleeful pride that Martha was so outspoken and contentious. She always used to say Martha Carrier was not a witch, just a ferocious woman.” (Publisher’s Weekly)

Click here to watch a video of Kathleen Kent discussing her fascinating family story and why she wrote the novel. Stop by next week as we begin our discussion of The Heretic’s Daughter!

Welcome to this month’s edition of The Reader’s Den! We will be reading and discussing the historical fiction novel, The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent. You can request a copy of the book by visiting the New York Public Library’s online catalog or stopping by your local branch to pick up a copy.

Sarah Carrier is the daughter of Thomas and Martha Carrier, who have recently fled the town of Billerica, Massachusetts in order to escape the deadly smallpox disease. They are coolly welcomed in the town of Andover and suspicions arise about the new Carrier family. However, the smallpox disease isn’t the only thing to spread throughout Massachusetts. Villagers are beginning to accuse their own neighbors of witchcraft, and the finger is eventually pointed at Sarah Carrier’s mother, Martha. Based on factual events and figures of the infamous Salem Witch Trials, The Heretic’s Daughter offers a page-turning glimpse into one of America’s most tragic events in history.

Feel free to post your thoughts and comments any time during the discussion by clicking on the “comment” link below.