Synopsis: Connie is looking forward to starting work on her graduate thesis over the summer, when her mother asks her to sell an abandoned house once owned by her grandmother in Salem, Mass.
Reluctantly, Connie moves to the small town and inhabits the crumbling, ancient house, trying to restore it to a semblance of order. Curious things start to happen when Connie finds the name "Deliverance Dane" on a yellowed scrap of paper inside an old Bible, and begins to have visions of a long ago woman condemned for practicing "physick," or herbal healing, on her neighbors in 1690s Salem. Interspersed with modern-day sections are chapters on the actual witch trials, revealing the fascinating story of Deliverance Dane and how she got caught up in the tragic events.
Type: Historical Fiction
Quick Take: This novel moves back and forth between 1991 and 1692, and is filled with facts about the women and their 'witch' like tendencies. Connie's research about the trials and discoveries along the way about life in Salem play an important role to the story. The story starts to unfold when Connie begins researching Deliverance Dane and the book that she is sure will help uncover the mystery.
Did you know the author is a descendant of Elizabeth Howe, who died in the Salem Witch Trials? A little mystery, history and a villain made me think about The DaVinci Code while reading this book.
Source: Review copy