The Heretic's Daughter (also called Sarah's Lot) is the story of nine-year-old Sarah Carrier, whose mother was accused of being a witch in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600s. The story deals with the day-to-day life of the young girl and then the trial of her mother.
Even though the book was a biographical historical fiction, much of it was rooted in fact. Martha and Sarah Carrier really did exist and they are ancestors of Kathleen Kent. It is easy to tell from her writing that she has a passion for this subject and it really means a lot to her.
Kent writes descriptions very well, it is easy to get lost in the late 1600s and the bleak and dreary days. There is a kind of shadow over the whole book which gives off a sense of tension and dread. The book was good, but it was a bit depressing and there were no light points to take the edge off.
I also found Sarah to be a very believable troubled young woman. I really felt her emotions and thoughts come out of the pages and I had a huge amount of sympathy for her. The book makes the reader want to leap out and give her a hug and tell her everything is going to be okay.
All in all it was a great story, just very dark. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
