Witch Child by Celia Rees

Enter the world of Mary Newbury, where being different can cost a person her life. Hidden until now in the pages of her secret diary, fourteen-year-old Mary’s story begins as she flees the English witch-hunts to settle in an American colony. How long can she hide her true nature from the Puritans? How long can she keep running?

Witch Child is an entertaining read that chronicles the witch trials that plagued the nation years ago. The first line of the novel reveals that Mary Newbury is in fact a witch, who, after her grandmother is executed for being a witch, travels to a colony near Salem, MA to avoid persecution. Mary and the other characters are well-drawn and the historical facts accurate. Although some parts lagged a bit, Celia Rees writes beautifully and with great story-telling ability. The end is very abrupt, but thankfully Witch Child’s sequel, The Sorceress was released earlier this year and follows up on Mary’s life. I will hopefully be reading it soon.