Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: The Heretic’s Daughter
Author: Kathleen Kent
Published: 2008
Length: 332 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and willful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. Often at odds with one another, mother and daughter are forced to stand together against the escalating hysteria of the trials and the superstitious tyranny that led to the torture and imprisonment of more than 200 people accused of witchcraft. This is the story of Martha’s courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived.

Kathleen Kent is a tenth generation descendant of Martha Carrier. She paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England, but also of one family’s deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution.

How and when I got it:

I have no idea! I’ve had a paperback edition on my shelf for many years now, but I’m not sure how I ended up with a copy. (Library sale is a likely suspect!)

Why I want to read it:

The subject of the Salem witch trials is an endlessly fascinating (and terribly tragic) topic to read about. Until I sat down to write this post, I didn’t realize that the author of this book is a descendant of the real-life person this historical novel is about.

While I’ve read several novels focused on the Puritan era and witch trials, this one sounds like it has a different perspective from what I’ve read so far, and I’m interested to see how the author presents this mother-daughter story.

What do you think? Would you read this book?

Please share your thoughts!

__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

• Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
• Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
• Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!