Ahoy there mateys!

This book was an excellent read. The story involves a girl named Mary that has to go to America after her grandmother is killed for witchcraft. She disguises herself as a Puritan in order to do so. The plot is told through a series of journal entries. It was fast paced and fun. The secondary characters of Martha, Jaybird, and Jack were lovely. While I loved the entire book, I of course really enjoyed the journey across the Atlantic and what happened there. I mean how can I resist the sea?

This book felt kinda like The Crucible for children. Having worked on the stage play, the final scene in the Church in particular felt very much like a critical scene in the theatrical production. This aspect, however, served to heighten my enjoyment of the novel because the author seemed to have a strong grasp on the history of Salem and the witch trials. There was more than enough difference between the play and this book that the comparisons were fun. For example, the addition of Native Americans, settlers building homes, and how witchcraft existed in this novel led to me think more deeply about the subject.

The author is British, and this book has been published in 28 languages and is required reading in secondary schools in the UK. This novel has a mini-site which I highly enjoyed. It tells the history and facts about choices the author made about the novel. It also let me know there is a sequel which I will totally read.

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