The Heretic’s Daughter is author Kathleen Kent’s first novel, and it’s an impressive debut. It takes place in and around Salem, Massachusetts, during the 1690s, before and during the infamous Salem witch trials. The narrator’s mother, Martha Carrier, is based on the royal woman of the same name, who was one of the first women to be tried and hanged in trials. Ms. Kent is a tenth generation descendant of Martha Carrier.

Ms. Kent has done her research and does a beautiful job of portraying the harsh realities of life during this time. While the first Puritan settlers had come to this land to escape persecution and hoped to found a new religious community, they were beset by plagues, poor harvests, and attacks from indigenous tribes. The infant mortality rate was so high, we are told in the front pages, “that some families did not name their children until they were twelve months old and more likely to live. And in many households, if a baby died, that The same baby, the name would pass to the next born. And to the next if that baby also died. “

This is from the novel’s narrator, Sarah Carrier, the daughter of Martha Carrier. If Sarah sometimes seems distant and insensitive when describing horrible events, it’s no wonder, based on the climate in which she grew up. In fact, Sarah’s voice and attitude put me off at first, making it difficult to relate to or feel for her. But as the novel progresses, her voice becomes one of the book’s greatest strengths, offering a stark contrast to our emotionally charged, Oprah-fueled age. Sarah helps us see what a tough and difficult existence does to people, and as she matures, seeing her mother’s judgment and surviving her own incarceration, her growth and newfound wisdom is much more apparent.

When the novel begins, Sarah and her family head to live with their grandmother and are unknowingly bringing smallpox with them to their new community. This fact, coupled with Martha Carrier’s stubborn and outspoken nature, will ultimately lead to the family becoming a target when the dire allegations begin. Those accusations, as presented in The heretic’s daughter, gain ground in the community due to the deadly combination of fear and doom-based religion. The community, facing so many challenges to their existence, cannot understand why they are being attacked by God for so much anger. Surely there must be some offense, some sin, for which they are being punished? In desperation, they seek ‘sinners’ among themselves, literally demonizing their own neighbors for the least offense. They seek to become scapegoats and purge themselves, as many have done in the name of religion throughout history.

From there, the paralysis of fear takes over, with each new position silencing more people within the community, all seeking to protect their own lives and families. Children as young as four are detained, since the ‘devil’ is behind everything and can take over anyone’s mind, no one is considered innocent. Quite the contrary, during trials, defendants are definitely held guilty until proven innocent. And his innocence is in the hands of several hysterical teenagers no less (I’ll let you read the book to learn more about this).

One of the most moving aspects of the book is how Martha gets Sarah to save herself, helping her realize that behind her mother’s harsh exterior lies the greatest of motherly loves. While Sarah at first despises her mother’s difficult personality, wanting to simply capitulate to others, she realizes that her mother’s apparent stubbornness is actually born out of tremendous faith and wisdom. This is the exact opposite of what the elders in your community teach: that strict obedience is the foundation of faith. As Sarah observes, that obedience, coupled with fear, is what allows the madness to continue for so long.

And so The heretic’s daughter it works on at least three levels. First, as a gripping historical novel that masterfully describes a certain setting and time period. Second, as a personal story of a mother and teenage daughter struggling to understand each other. And third, as a warning about how religion can go awry when a society is ruled by fear.