Martha Carrier was a real woman, hanged as a witch at Salem,and the fact that Kent is a descendent of the Carriers adds an emotional connection to the story that makes the account even more personal.

The language of this book is lyrical yet simple, reflecting the lives of the people living in New England in the 1690s; bound by the seasons, the hard work of a farm, and the religious prejudices and fears.

Kent’s novel shows how the difficulty of the times combined with people’s readiness to believe supernatural nonsense gave rise to the readiness to believe the accusations of witchcraft. In Kent’s portrayal of the events, the Puritanism of the people had little do with their beliefs in witches, especially because they had little understanding of religions, being more concerned with survival. But when one person resented another, they were ready to make accusations of witchery without even really thinking about it. It is only with the combination of the legal system and the religious beliefs, with the shrill demonization of ordinary people by religious leaders such as Cotton Mather, that these ordinary grumblings about one’s neighbors and competitors turn into a means to kill them. With such a perspective, the book makes a strong case for keeping religion and political power as separate as possible.

I can report that I really enjoyed The Heretic’s Daughter. The writing is strong and the story is gripping. ( )

Other readers have stated that they thought this book started very slowly. I experienced the audio version and it had me hooked right away. Based on Kathleen Kent's family history, The Heretic's Daughter is the fictionalized tale of the Carrier family during the Salem witch trials. The tale is told through the perspective of Sarah Carrier, a ten year old child in the family.

Kent took me back to the late 1600's with an understanding of rural life and the everyday attitudes towards family, religion, and conflict resolution. I was amazed at how superstitious people were and how those interpretations led to hysteria. Especially appalling was the way in which "criminals" were housed and treated by the justice system. Kent writes concisely and vividly and the plot unfolds dramatically.

I highly recommend this book to historical fictional fans. There are descriptions of the torture inflicted on the accused which may disturb younger/sensitive readers. ( )

Granted, the book meanders a bit, getting off to a somewhat sluggish start. But Kent's revealing look at the Salem Witch Trials through the eyes of a girl directly involved provides a solid pay-off. The fact that this chain of events is based on the author's research into her family's history makes this an even more impressive work. ( )

There are many dark points in American history, and one of the earliest was the Salem Witch Trials. Kathleen Kent, author of The Heretic’s Daughter, based her debut book on her ancestor, Martha Carrier, who was executed for witchcraft. Kent researched extensively her ancestry and this time period, and the end result was a book that was gripping and heart wrenching.

The story was told from the perspective of Sarah Carrier, Martha’s daughter. Through Sarah’s eyes, we learned about the Puritan lifestyle that formed the backdrop for the witch trials. It’s amazing to look back at the “evidence” now – the obvious shenanigans of young girls who grasped their moment of power, despite the horrid outcomes. Though all of those accused were later cleared of their crimes (often posthumously), Kent’s explanation of how reasonable people were swept up into the hysteria was enlightening.

All of the characters in The Heretic’s Daughter were well developed. Sarah misunderstood the love of her mother, who seemed hard and unaffectionate, until the weeks before her execution, when she realized that Martha’s love for her family was endless. Sarah’s father, Thomas, and her brothers were depicted as stoic yet vulnerable. The Carrier family was a pleasure to read about – complete with their faults, strengths and boundless love for each other.

If you are interested in historical fiction, then I would highly recommend The Heretic’s Daughter to you. I enjoyed this book immensely and gained a deeper appreciation for this tragic time of our history. ( )

I picked this up by chance and I couldn't be more happy with it. It was so good I read it in three sittings. As you might get from other reviews this is about the Salem witch trials from the point of view of a young girl name Sarah, but for me that isn't the real story here. The meat of the book is the relationship between Sarah and her mother. Sarah discovers in the worst possible was, the trials, that her mother is not the hard woman she thinks but is in fact loving and caring while those that she thinks good early on are not really so.

This book had me smiling at the early discoveries of Martha Carrier's personality. I truly fell in love with her character. I'm not ashamed to say I cried through most of the last half of the book.

I wholeheartedly recommend it. ( )