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dibot's review
3.0
I don't know that I'm really fit to rate or review this book. I don't read much nonfiction and I know nothing little about the subject. Very interesting account of The Salem Witchcraft crisis and theory about why it spread the way it did.
Dry reading at times though, and so many, many names.
Dry reading at times though, and so many, many names.
cgcpoems's review
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.5
This was a very informative read about the Salem witch trials, & how the fears of the townspeople directly correlated with their anxieties surrounding the First and Second Indian Wars.
Around 100 pages in, the book got to be a bit dense—I found myself skimming over the repetitive accusations and actions of the witchcraft accusers. I wish more had been said about what caused the accusers to act in this way, but respect the author’s decision not to discuss this which she explains at the end of the book.
Overall, this is a great book if you’re looking to do a deep dive into the Salem witch trials and particularly if you’re interested in Indigenous studies/history. For the casual reader, though, I think this may be a little too much to swallow.
Around 100 pages in, the book got to be a bit dense—I found myself skimming over the repetitive accusations and actions of the witchcraft accusers. I wish more had been said about what caused the accusers to act in this way, but respect the author’s decision not to discuss this which she explains at the end of the book.
Overall, this is a great book if you’re looking to do a deep dive into the Salem witch trials and particularly if you’re interested in Indigenous studies/history. For the casual reader, though, I think this may be a little too much to swallow.
ericgaryanderson's review
5.0
Top-notch historical account of the Salem Witchcraft crisis, which Norton reads in the contexts of settler colonialism and Indigenous resistance (though she doesn't call it that, quite). She points out that many of the white accusers were refugees from "Indian wars" just north of the Salem area.
libkatem's review
2.0
It was ok. The trouble is, most of the records have been destroyed. I liked Norton's thesis - that the Salem Witch Trials were flashpoints influenced by the First and Second Indian Wars, but I just needed more, I think.
ash_ton's review
DNF
I really really wanted to read this book, and I really really wanted to like it. I love learning about the Salem Witch Trials. It's one of the most interesting things in (American) history, to me. The information in the book is interesting, don't get me wrong; but the way it was presented wasn't. I stopped reading even before the 25% mark, which is what I usually give a book before dnf-ing it. I'm really disappointed, honestly. It would've been a great October read.
I really really wanted to read this book, and I really really wanted to like it. I love learning about the Salem Witch Trials. It's one of the most interesting things in (American) history, to me. The information in the book is interesting, don't get me wrong; but the way it was presented wasn't. I stopped reading even before the 25% mark, which is what I usually give a book before dnf-ing it. I'm really disappointed, honestly. It would've been a great October read.
racheldoesthings's review
challenging
informative
slow-paced
2.75
This is a very informative book but hard to get through because it can be an informations over load
kellis22's review
4.0
Such an interesting take on the Salem Witch Trials! Much of the book described how the trials were directly related to the Indian frontier ambushes and its effects on the refugees who made up the majority of the young women accusers. I would give a 5 but had trouble following the book as it jumped around from historical contexts to the trials themselves.