Welcome to this month’s edition of The Reader’s Den! We will be reading and discussing the historical fiction novel, The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent. You can request a copy of the book by visiting the New York Public Library’s online catalog or stopping by your local branch to pick up a copy.

Sarah Carrier is the daughter of Thomas and Martha Carrier, who have recently fled the town of Billerica, Massachusetts in order to escape the deadly smallpox disease. They are coolly welcomed in the town of Andover and suspicions arise about the new Carrier family. However, the smallpox disease isn’t the only thing to spread throughout Massachusetts. Villagers are beginning to accuse their own neighbors of witchcraft, and the finger is eventually pointed at Sarah Carrier’s mother, Martha. Based on factual events and figures of the infamous Salem Witch Trials, The Heretic’s Daughter offers a page-turning glimpse into one of America’s most tragic events in history.

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