The beauty of the early morning and The Heretic's Daughter

I got up this morning early. Or early for me. 5:00 am. I'm not a late sleeper, but I do not have to get up and head for work, so I don't rush out of bed usually. But I woke up and couldn't sleep. So I got up. I got things done that I usually get done a little later. So now I have time to write.

One of my goals this year was to get up early and head to the gym. But January, 2014 in Ohio happened. That meant very few days of temps above 10°. And snow. And late starts for school. And days off from school. Needless to say, I did not get up and go to the gym very many days this month. But February starts soon, and hopefully higher temps.

Today is Thursday, the second to the last day in January. And it is cold. BUT the temperature isn't in the negatives (or not too much, if you count windchill), so the girls will go to school for the first day this week. A full day. Last week they only had two full days. There are moms all over central Ohio doing the happy dance. I got up early and danced (figuratively, not literally), so now I will spend an hour drinking my coffee and cleansing my soul by putting these words on virtual paper.

And now, onto Massachusetts and The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent.

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As I approached Massachusetts and had to choose a book, I was faced with an issue that hadn't come up in my first three states. A large city. Now, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire all have cities, don't get me wrong. But when I talk about big cities I'm thinking of those cities that stand alone. New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles--and Boston. 

Facing this, I made a decision. I am going to attempt to skip the large cities and focus on the rest of the state. I've read many good books centered in Boston (and other large cities) and I really want to learn a little more about the state. Maybe some history. 

For Massachusetts I went with some witch trial historical fiction. I've read some, but not tons. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent is the story of Sarah Carrier, the 10 year-old daughter of Martha Carrier, one of the first women executed during the witch trials. This is a work of fiction, but the Carriers were real, and Kent is an actual descendant of the Carriers.


Through Sarah we learn about the hard, puritanical life of a New Englander in the 17th century. Their existence is bleak, and any bad luck that happens in the area is quickly blamed on witchcraft. We watch as hysteria sweeps a town, and a family is torn apart by accusations made in a time of desperation.

Sarah is tough and hard. She slowly learns that her parents love her and will do anything to protect her and her siblings, although they do not show much outward affection and emotion. The lesson learned is that real love is proven in the hard choices made in life.

A well written, well told story that flows well and quickly and seems based in historical fact. I would recommend for high school age up, as there are some rougher scenes.