Author: Celia Rees
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: Yes (Witch Child Series-2 books)
General Overview:
The book is a series of diary entries by fourteen-year-old Mary Nuttall, who is forced to flee her home after her beloved grandmother is tried and executed as a witch. Reimagining herself as Mary Newbury, she travels to America, hoping to find a new start far away from prying eyes. Taken in by the widow Martha, Mary's penchant for herbals and her love for the woods soon lands her under the suspicious eye of the town elders, proving that one can never truly outrun one's past. Complicating matters is her growing friendship with a young Native American boy which only places her in more danger. The Puritans brook no break with austere tradition, and being an enigma among them can only bode ill for the young girl and all those she holds dear. This is her story, told in her voice and her words.
Here is what Goodreads had to say:
My take:The spellbinding diary of a teenage girl who escapes persecution as a witch--only to face new intolerance in a Puritan settlement.
Enter the world of young Mary Newbury, a world where simply being different can cost a person her life. Hidden until now in the pages of her diary, Mary's startling story begins in 1659, the year her beloved grandmother is hanged in the public square as a witch. Mary narrowly escapes a similar fate, only to face intolerance and new danger among the Puritans in the New World. How long can she hide her true identity? Will she ever find a place where her healing powers will not be feared?
I cannot say enough good things about this book. It brings to life not only the characters with rich detail but also captures perfectly the true essence of living during that particular period of history. The Puritan lifestyle is presented in a 'non-textbook' way which both entertains and educates. I would definitely recommend this one and have plans to read the sequel as soon as possible.