The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials
Houle takes the reader to a 17th-century New England village thrown into turmoil after witchcraft accusations were made by a circle of young girls claiming to be tormented by local witches. A doctor is called to a Salem church when the Reverend Samuel Parris’s daughter and niece are found running about the parsonage in distress. The doctor is unable to help them.
The Reverend Parris’s Caribbean-born servant, Tituba, is accused of making witch cake for the girls and questioned by the authorities. When Thomas Putnam Jr., a leading Salem citizen, believes his twelve-year-old daughter and wife are afflicted by the devil, he assumes a major role in setting up the hearings and prosecutions of the witch trials in the local tavern.
Houle is in an advantageous position to examine how this tragedy unraveled in Salem over three hundred years ago. He is a direct descendant of Thomas Putnam Jr. and his daughter, Anna, and he grew up in New England. In his book, the author examines both the personal fears of Thomas Putnam and Anna as well as the wider community and its problems in 1692. Houle gives the reader an excellent picture of life in a rural Puritan village. There were squabbles among neighbors, a theocratic form of government, and a constant fear of hostile natives. The use of the common diction of the period adds color and flavor to the conversations.
Overall, the character development is good. Major characters grow and change as the story evolves, though the voice of Anna Putnam appears more mature than a twelve-year-old girl’s understanding. At the end of each chapter, in initialized print, one of the two narrators reflects on their personal troubles and anguish over the witch trials. Mr. Putnam’s insights add to an understanding of his thoughts.
