Brings the Salem witch hysteria to life

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	• The Sacrifice Kathleen Benner Duble Aladdin, 2007 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Great book on Salem Witch Trials

I had to do a report on the Salem Witch Trials so my teacher recommended this book to help me. I enjoyed it and I learned alot about the Trials.

Salem Witch Trials and Travails

The Sacrifice brings the period of hysteria surrounding the Salem Witch Trials to life as we are introduced to Abigail, aged ten, and her family, members of the village of Andover. Abigail is a bit of a rebel in her Puritan village; she sometimes speaks when she shouldn't and runs with her legs exposed when it's not seemly to do so. Nevertheless, she and her family could never fathom being accused of witchcraft until her minister grandfather speaks out against the girls making the accusations; suddenly Abigail's Aunt Elizabeth, her sister Dorothy, and even Abigail herself find themselves jailed and at the mercy of the townspeople. It is at this time that the sacrifice comes into play; Abigail's mother cannot bear to see her young daughters imprisoned and thus makes a bargain that seals all of their fates.

The idea that this particular retelling of the hysteria has some basis in fact helped me to embrace the story. The author discovered that she was a descendent of Abigail Faulkner, and built her story around her research. While I found some of Abigail's actions a bit questionable for a young lady in such a strict Puritan society, I did enjoy her character and felt the author did a good job weaving fiction into the tale. I do believe that this novel is marketed older than its intended audience; the reading style and level clearly work more for pre-teen than for the young adult market. I also at times found the dialogue a bit stilted, though I suspect the author was attempting to capture the atmosphere of the times.

Overall this is an excellent introduction into a time in our nation's history that leaves many of us bewildered at how easily a group of young girls managed to send so many innocents to their deaths. Enjoyable and fast reading.

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Engaging and powerful

Although a fairly quick read, The Sacrifice is a nice addition to the wide variety of Salem witch trial stories out there. The Sacrifice follows the Faulkner family, in particular 10-year-old Abigail, as the witch hysteria hits their town of Andover.

While you can guess at what will happen (it is a Salem witch trial story, after all), the author does a great job at portraying Abigail's inner turmoil as she struggles to come to terms with what's happening in her world. At first she's eager to learn about the "witches" in her society and quick to believe the judgments, until the witch hunt hits close to home, forcing her to re-evauluate what she believes about herself and her fellow townspeople.

The ending of the book sort of reminded me of the ending of "Brokedown Palace" - there is a sacrifice made, and it's very powerful and heart-wrenching. As in that movie (which is extremely good, by the way), a character trades physical freedom for inner freedom, knowing that they righted a wrong situation.

One neat sidenote also came at the ending, as the author comments that this book is based on her ancestors who lived during the Salem witch hunt period and actually went through the situations written about in her book. Highly recommended.

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Brings the Salem witch hysteria to life

This captivating books truly brings the Salem witch hysteria to life. Based on research into her own family's experience with the witch trials, Duble succeeds in taking her reader through the agony of accusation, imprisonment, and trial.

THE SACRIFICE

As an example of young adult historical fiction, THE SACRIFICE works well enough -- the essence of time and place are strongly conveyed. Situationally, the conflict can teach readers about the Salem witch trials, and the protagonist finds herself right in the middle of it (naturally), having been accused of being a witch herself.

Author Kathleen Benner Duble draws inspiration from her own ancestors' story, and her research seems pretty accurate (bibliography included).

My one big problem with the book is that it puts at its heart a ten-year-old girl who seems to have the wisdom of Solomon and enough fortitude to deliver a speech at her trial that inspires the governor to put an end to this hysteria. Really? After this girl has spent three months in horrendous conditions in jail, with barely enough to survive, she energetically transcends her age to vehemently ask those present to come to their senses, and all listen attentively? It took a ten-year-old to make the governor of Massachusetts resolve a change in the system? I find this just a bit too far-fetched. If Abigail had been older, I might believe the story a little more, and it might make the book work better for an older audience.

As it is, THE SACRIFICE works well as a piece of historical fiction (THE CRUCIBLE-Lite, perhaps) for fifth- and sixth-graders, but it doesn't quite have the polish that makes it one of those books that adults without kids should be reading.

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reviews: page 1, 2

In the year 1692, life changes forever for ten-year-old Abigail Faulkner and her family. In Salem, Massachusetts, witches have been found, and widespread fear and panic reign mere miles from Abigail's home of Andover. When two girls are brought from Salem to identify witches in Andover, suspicion sweeps the town as well-respected members of the community are accused of witchcraft. It isn't long before chaos consumes Andover, and the Faulkners find themselves in the center of it all when friend turns themselves in the center of it all when friend turns against friend, neighbor against neighbor, in a desperate fight for the truth. At the heart of this gripping story are Abigail and her sister, Dorothy, who together must find a way to persevere during a period marked by terror, adversity, and ignorance.

Told from Abigail's point of view and based on actual events in the author's own family histoy, The Sacrifice offers a unique perspective of the Salem witch trials by delving into the devestating effects the trials had not just in Salem but throughout Massachusetts.

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