It is 1659 and Mary Newbury, theyoung granddaughter of a witch, sees her wise and beloved grandmother tortured and hanged as a servant of the Devil. Then a stranger with hauntingly familiar eyes approaches her with an opportunity--safe passage to America. But the difficult ocean voyage only leads her to a community of inflexible, fearful grownups who try to decide for her who and what she will be. Mary must disguise herself as a pious Puritan girl, hiding her true nature, or else face terrible danger once again.
Now that the pages of Mary's journal have come to light, discovered in their centuries-old hiding place between the patches of a quilt, listeners can experience what it was like living in a society where differences were feared and defiance was deadly.
Almost any girl over the age of 12 will grab this gripping story of Mary Newbury. A self-proclaimed witch, she sees her grandmother tortured and killed as a servant of the devil in 1659 England. A passage to safety on a boat to America only leads her into more danger as she must hide in a Puritan village, Beulah, in ever increasing danger of being discovered. Jennifer Ehle's clear accent and pronunciation are vital to the success of the production because the diary format of the novel keeps Mary at the center of the story, and all the characters are examined through her. Carole Shelley's narration of the postscript gives an added emphasis and poignancy to the story. E.J.F. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
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