HERE WE GO AGAIN....

"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you carry away from it."  James Bryce

Last night was Book Club night at Barnes and Noble.  My goal in attending was to meet some nice people with a similar interest - and I did.  The ladies there were lovely and we certainly had a lively conversation!  The book we read was The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. It was the author's first novel - which is always of interest to me.

The plot centered around the Salem Witch Trials and was told from the point of view of one of the daughters of an accused witch.  It was a new twist on an old story - and quite factually accurate since the author is a descendant of Martha Carrier, the accused witch.  So, while it was technically fiction - it wasn't.  Kent said that she had heard the story of Martha all her life - that the subject came up at every family gathering she could remember, and so she wanted to document the story in a way that was accessible for everyone.

I thought the book was interesting - although the last few chapters drug on a bit and I will admit to skimming over the parts about the deplorable conditions of the prison. I can only read so much about lice, oozing wounds and feces!  But the thing that impressed me most was how relevant it was for today.  We see the same kind of craziness happening now - with the excessive bullying in schools...the horrendous results of fundamentalism in all religions....and the atrocities that are committed in the name of God.  It is a cycle of violence that simply continues to happen -which is very sad.

We look back at Hitler and his persecution of the Jews, and we say it could never happen again.  But it does.  In Serbia, in the Sudan, in the Middle East, and in the growing face of terrorism.  On a different scale, we have the tragic bullying of gay teens and the mean spirited division of Republicans and Democrats. Oh...and don't forget the Tea Party!   Did you see the women who was stomped in the head at a recent Rand Paul rally???? Dear God. 

So, if you are looking for a book that will cause you to reflect on things as well as provide more information about the witch trials, then give The Heretic's Daughter a read.   I don't think we have evolved very much in the last 200 years.  A sad commentary of life on our planet.

The next Book Club meeting is Nov. 30th.  I will let you know how that one goes.  Now I have to go work on the book I am writing!!!