Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials

by Marilynne K. Roach Narrated by Kate Reading

Overview

Six Women of Salem is the first work to use the lives of a select number of representative women as a microcosm to illuminate the larger crisis of the Salem witch trials. By the end of the trials, beyond the twenty who were executed and the five who perished in prison, two hundred and seven individuals had been accused, seventy four had been "afflicted," thirty two had officially accused their fellow neighbors, and two hundred and fifty five ordinary people had been inexorably drawn into that ruinous and murderous vortex, and this doesn't include the religious, judicial, and governmental leaders. All this adds up to what the Rev. Cotton Mather called "a desolation of names."

The individuals involved are too often reduced to stock characters and stereotypes when accuracy is sacrificed to indignation. And although the flood of names and detail in the history of an extraordinary event like the Salem witch trials can swamp the individual lives involved, individuals still deserve to be remembered, and, in remembering specific lives, modern audiences can benefit from such historical intimacy. By examining the lives of six specific women, Marilynne Roach shows listeners what it was like to be present throughout this horrific time and how it was impossible to live through it unchanged.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

10/21/2013
Roach (The Salem Witch Trials) makes history more accessible in her latest book on the infamous mass hysteria that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692–1693, resulting in the executions of 20 supposed "witches," and the accusations of about 200. Roach successfully constructs first-person narratives from the perspectives of six real Salem women—both accusers and accused. This style of narrative provides an intimacy with the Salem people without feeling too fictionalized or overdone. Roach draws on a number of primary and secondary documents to illuminate every detail of the Salem witch trials, while duly paying respect to the victims of these horrific trials. She lays out the facts, but avoids speculation or further analysis. This book is easily digestible even for those who stray away nonfiction, yet readers still reap the benefits of Roach's thorough researched and expertise on the subject. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

"Readers still reap the benefits of Roach's thorough researched and expertise on the subject."
—Publishers Weekly

"Roach animates information woven together from court records, trial notes, diaries, vital records, sermon notes, and family lore in a successful attempt to personalize [the women's] lives, drawing the reader away from commonly believed stereotypes and sensational folklore."
—Library Journal

"[A] richly detailed tapestry of life in 17th-century Salem."
—American History

"A focused look at the lives of six of the accused, their accusers, and their neighbors who were part of a dark period in American history."
—Roanoke Times

"Ambitious...It is astonishing to our twenty-first-century minds to see magistrates and judges believing the accusers."
—New England Historical and Genealogical Register

"Super detailed and fantastically informative...An eye-opening piece of work...Each page drips with an honest and impartial narrative...Roach has done a great job in honoring the memories of these women with a tasteful and harmonious book."
—San Francisco Book Review

"[Roach's] fact-based insight into these women's lives, along with the moments she breaks into short, fictionalized scenes, puts these lives into perspective, allowing readers to connect with the events in a way not afforded in other accounts of this period...Roach's work will shed new light on the Salem witch trials, not only by showing how the accusers may have truly believed they were bewitched and tortured, but also by making the innocent women come to life."
—ForeWord Magazine

"Six Women of Salem immediately immerses its readers in the events of that horrible, vertiginous year, a year which almost certainly started off as a mere pranking by some mean-spirited girls but then grew into something much blacker and more complicated. Roach immerses her readers through her customary vivid, forceful writing...The seriously inquisitive now have another great book on the subject."
—Open Letters Monthly

"[Full of ] the author's deep knowledge of virtually every man, woman and child affected by the trials in this bizarre period."
—Kirkus

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"[Full of] the author's deep knowledge of virtually every man, woman and child affected by the trials in this bizarre period." —Kirkus

Library Journal - Audio

06/01/2014
Roach (The Salem Witch Trials) here weaves together the narratives of six of the women accused of witchcraft between February 1692 and May 1693 through the use of court records, trial documents, vital records, sermon notes, family lore, and diaries, offering a fresh perspective on often-told stories from the trials. Her writing style offers a refreshing lack of sensationalism. Kate Reading is perfectly matched to the material. Her low-key style provides a genuine sense of intimacy. VERDICT Recommended for readers who love history and those who are curious about the women involved in the notorious events. ["The book often has a tedious level of detail and can confuse, yet these qualities mirror the tangled and turbulent period itself and effectively immerse readers in its terrifying reality," counters the review of the Da Capo hc, LJ 12/13.]—Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence

JUNE 2014 - AudioFile

Kate Reading guides listeners through this carefully documented record of the trials of six women—accused and accusers—who were central to the Salem witch trials. The first part of the book is background regarding the six women and their status in their communities, as well as a chronology of events. Although the first part of the content is a bit tedious, it sets up the second part, which focuses on the trials, and Reading keeps the pace moving. The descriptions of the periods of imprisonment and the trials are a bit more lively. Reading creates an intimate mood that draws listeners into the lives of these women and their families as they were caught up in a travesty of justice that continues to fascinate. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2013-09-15
Roach (The Salem Witch Trials: A Day by Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege, 2004) explores the lives of six women involved in the Salem witch trials. The author's deep knowledge of virtually every man, woman and child affected by the trials in this bizarre period tends to get in her way during the narrative. More than 200 people were accused of witchcraft in the mass hysteria, precipitated by a few pre-pubescent girls who suddenly developed seizures and blamed local women. Curiously, many of the afflicted had feuded with the accusers' families. Tituba, a Caribbean slave, was accused and fearfully told them what they wanted to hear: that she'd signed Satan's book. Then she named names, since they expected it, feeding the fury. Anyone with a grudge could suddenly remember an evil eye or a sudden death and cast blame. Roach gives too much background on superfluous accusations that really didn't affect the six primary subjects. The specially called Court of Oyer and Terminer asked each of the accused the same questions over and over, ignoring pleas and even proofs of innocence. Hearings were distracted as victims collapsed upon seeing the accused. One girl was found to have brought pins to stab herself and blame the accused; no doubt this was not an isolated incident. Twenty-eight were condemned. In 1711, 22 of those were pardoned, way too late for those who had already been executed. Had Roach been stricter in adhering to the stories of the six women, without naming all the other accused, the book would have provided better insight into a strange period. As it is, there is just too much information, too many asides, too much confusion and too many victims.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170812806
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	03/17/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged

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