Witch Child

Amazon.com

During the witch hunts of the mid-1600s, many young Englishwomen died on the gallows, innocent victims of false or hysterical accusations of witchcraft. But what of those women who actually claimed the name "witch" as their own? In the pages of her secret journal, Mary Nuttall reveals what it is like to live in a climate of mistrust and piety in which differences are dangerous and rumors can kill, where she must hide her heritage as a healer and pagan. With a sure hand, she describes her beloved grandmother's trial and hanging as a witch, her own rescue by a mysterious noblewoman, and her eventual passage to the New World and the forest settlement of Beulah. There Mary falls under a curtain of suspicion when she willingly chooses to explore the dark woods shunned by the fearful colonists and makes friends with some of the spiritual native people. When several girls in the community begin to shriek and swoon, and the same minister who damned Mary's grandmother comes to search for signs of witchcraft, Mary is subjected to close and deadly scrutiny.

Breaking with most historical fiction about witchcraft (such as Elizabeth Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond), British author Celia Rees raises the stakes and the tension by placing a real witch at the center of her story. Witch Child is an engrossing, suspenseful novel that will cast a spell over both readers of historical fiction and fans of witchcraft series from Circle of Three to Sweep. --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Enter the world of young Mary Newbury, a world where simply being different can cost a person her life. Hidden until now in the pages of her diary, Mary’s startling story begins in 1659, the year her beloved grandmother is hanged in the public square as a witch. Mary narrowly escapes a similar fate, only to face intolerance and new danger among the Puritans in the New World. How long can she hide her true identity? Will she ever find a place where her healing powers will not be feared?

Just two weeks after publication, Celia Rees’s WITCH CHILD spirited its way onto the Book Sense Children’s Only 76 list as one of the Top 10 books that independent booksellers like to handsell. Within a month, this riveting book sold out its first two hardcover printings. Now, Candlewick Press is pleased to announce the publication of WITCH CHILD in paperback.

Customer Reviews:

Gripping read.......2007-09-28

The story starts off in the 1600s during the witch-hunt times, where young Mary Newbury has to begin a new life after the death of her grandmother. She travels to America with a lady named Martha who takes her in. It isn't expressed in great detail, but hinted when Mary and Martha met that Martha knows more about what Mary is going though than she lets on. It is obvious that anyone deemed 'different' back in those times had to be very careful, especially if they practiced with herbal remedies, etc.
The book is written diary format, since the story is 'based' on a diary that was found stitched in a quilt. Martha had found Mary's diary one night, and knew that if the wrong person read it Mary would be in grave danger. Mary, not wanting to burn her diary, took to folding each piece of paper and then stitching it in her quilt.
Honestly, if I had not read the fine print stating that this book was a work of fiction, I would've believed every single word.
It was amazingly put together with the note at the beginning from Alison Ellman and the afterword left by her as well. Most definatly one would think that it was indeed a real-life story!
I am sure likely happened similar to this story took place in the 1600's, it was definatly a troubled time period.
This book takes you back to the time period where everyone was severely and wrongfully judged. To me it is a history lesson, and a lesson on how people can be so quick to judge, especially when they fear differences.

Ok book.......2007-08-30

Reminiscent of Arthur Miller's Crucible. Nothing too original and the writing style is mediocre. But my 12 year old niece thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'll read the sequel anyways, though.

Great book.......2007-05-10

I read this book a couple of months ago and I thought it was really good the only down fall was that there are dull parts in the book.

Witch Child Review.......2007-03-26

Witch Child
Review By: Sierra
This book is a superb historical read. It is made from documents found sewed in an old colonial quilt(made in the mid-1600's), deemed the Mary papers. The author has changed the wiring as little as possible, only changing some spelling and grammar to fit now a day grammar. Though this book still contains a different word choice. In my opinion that's not bad or anything but I think that it is important to understand what you read so from time to time you may need to ask someone what a word means or look it up.
I am sure by the title you can tell that this book is about witches. In the mid-1600's many woman were hung on accusations of being a witch. Well young Mary's grandma was one of those woman. The by a sires of fortunate events young Mary ends up in the "New World" (now the United States). On the ship ride over the ocean to get here she befriends an old lady named Martha, a man named Tobias, and a girl not much older than her named Rebekah. This book is based on her accounts from her grandmother being hung to her own witch trial in the "New World".
All in all, I think this book was a good book, not a great one just good. I would give it a 7 on a scale of 1-10. I would definitely recommend this book for a quick read. This book is not for those who are offended easily or those who don't like diary based book.

I Am Mary...I Am A Witch Or So Someone Would Call Me.......2006-11-28

Witch Child was defiantly a page-turner, and would be for anyone interested in the witch trials. A lot of times in the story, the author would skip back and fourth, and I felt like going to the part I was interested in and read that part. In the beginning of the school year I did not like historical fiction books, only because I thought they were boring. Then, I read this book, and now I have a whole new opinion on that genre. Right now, I am reading another book by Celia Rees; in act it is the sequel to Witch Child. I would love to read more of her books, and as soon as I see one I will buy it or check it out of a library. I defiantly recommend it, that is because she is such a great writer. I would recommend this book to adults and children that are interested in witches and their history. I do admit as embarrassing as it is, that there are a few words in the book that I did not understand, and events that also took awhile to understand. This book is one of the best books that I have read and I would love to read it over and over

Average customer rating:

Excellent read!
If I Am A Witch They Will Soon Now It
Great book..couldn't put it down.
Very dull sequel.
Sorceress

Sorceress (Witch Child)
Celia Rees
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0763621838
Release Date: 2003-03-20

Book Description

For the legions of readers spellbound by WITCH CHILD, here’s the fascinating next chapter - thanks to a Native American descendant with an uncanny link to the past.

Agnes closed her eyes in the heat and steam of the sweat lodge. She woke to air that was dry and cold around her. She was no longer Agnes, or even Karonhisake, Searching Sky. She was no longer American or Haudenosaunee. She was English, and her name was Mary, and she woke to find that she was dying, freezing to death.

It came to Agnes unbidden - a vision of Mary Newbury, alone in the snow, dying of the cold. A vision of a young woman who had lived in the 1600s, who had been driven from her Puritan settlement, accused of being a witch. It was an image of a woman whose life was about to change radically as she embarked on an existence that defied all accepted norms - embracing passionate independence, love, and loyalty to a proud, endangered community that accepted her as one of their own. Mary’s and Agnes’s lives have been separated by almost 400 years, but they are inextricably linked by more than blood. For, like Mary, Agnes has special powers - and Mary now seeks these powers to ensure that the rest of her story is told.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent read!.......2007-09-28

This sequal to Witch Child was a very wonderful read. It starts off with a Native American girl, Agnes, who is in college and had read the book Witch Child. She had the sneeking suspicion that the Mary in the book was the same Mary that she knew from stories told to her from her family.
The book goes to different points of view, first Agnes, then Alison, then both, and then Mary. It was not hard to keep up tho, and whenever it did switch point of view it was told who it was each time at the top of the page.
I found it very interesting how much Native American culture they added into this book. Agnes's visions and her time in the sweat lodge made for a very interesting read.
The continuation with Mary's story was excellent as well, finding out what happened to her at the end of the first book. Then also how she continued with her own life with her new family.
I also found the background notes very interesting, it takes you back to some of the characters that were introduced in the first book. It tells what happened to them after Mary left.
All in all it was a great read and a very nice sequal, all the loose ends were tied up by the end of it. It was a book that when I finished, it just gave me a nice feeling of completeness.
It's fantastic to read a book by an author that makes it seem so very real, right down to the last detail. Celia Rees did an excellent job when she wrote Witch Child and Sorceress.

If I Am A Witch They Will Soon Now It.......2006-12-15

Like the previous novel Witch Child, this book was definitely a page-turner as well. At the end of each page, I would get more and more interested in the way that the Natives Americans would communicate with the sprits. The Native Americans also had to prepare for their spiritual encounter with Mary. I personally love fiction novels. Just knowing that the story that you are reading is based on a true story amazes me. It is said to be read by 5th graders, but I think the 6th, 7th, 8th grade would be the right age group because of its mature vocabulary and content. I love Celia Rees' way of writing. It adds suspense to a good story, and excitement to a boring one. Let me tell you, that while reading this book my mind wandered quite a few times. I would sometimes think what it would be like to be that character for that moment. It's fun to pretend you are in the story. I recommend this book to all experienced readers, because of the high vocabulary skills and mature content.

Great book..couldn't put it down........2006-11-10

I had to purchase this sequal to Witch Child. It was a must to continue the journey of the quilt. The beliefs of past centuries and the Indian culture were so vivid in the writings of Celia Rees. You have to read both books!

Very dull sequel........2006-06-24

"Sorceress" was very, very disappointing. "Witch Child" was interesting, mystifying, and intriguing. This book held none of those qualities, and I just felt obligated to finish it. Author Celia Rees should have just made a sequel to the book, without using Agnes and Alison. Those two characters made the story stop and go, ruining any and all flow. The conclusion of Mary's life was mundane and boring - nothing at all like the rest of her life. What a letdown. I do not recommend.

Sorceress .......2006-04-21

This book was good for a sequel because it follows up the amazing characters in Witch Child. I liked it because you actually got to find out what happened to some of the characters because Witch Child sort of left you hanging. And I really wanted to see what happened. I really was sad at some of the parts but I was very pleased with how this turned out.
PS. My friend Lara is leaning on me so I must stop this review short.

Average customer rating:

Witch Hunt: Haunted (Book 1)
Lisa Childs
Manufacturer: Silhouette Nocturne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0373617526

Raising Witches: Teaching the Wiccan Faith to Children

Average customer rating:

As a father and witch
getting value from this book requires some sifting...
I bought this despite some of the poor reviews ...
How to screw up your kids
How to indoctrinate your little one's

Raising Witches: Teaching the Wiccan Faith to Children
Ashleen O'Gaea
Manufacturer: New Page Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1564146316

Book Description

More and more Wiccan families are looking for specific advice about raising their children in the faith. Here is the first book to give parents the means to teach Wicca in a more formal fashion than just "chatting with the kids" around the kitchen table. Featuring a Wiccan curriculum for each of the five age groups, Raising Witches offers a variety of sample lessons and both a structure and a prototype for readers who want to develop "Sun Day School" or "Moon School" classes. There's also the material you would expect-This book includes charms, spells, songs, and guided meditations in addition to practical ideas for educational activities. It includes a glossary and a recommended reading list as well. Featuring detailed discussions of how children grow and learn so that Wiccan parents can teach their Tradition effectively, Raising Witches finally gives parents the means to communicate the rudiments of their faith to their children.

Customer Reviews:

As a father and witch.......2007-08-01

I was not pleased in any which way with this book. It conveyed secrecy and lacked any reasoning of natural parenting. I would much rather have spent the money taking my daughter to eat ice cream than reading this with my wife. We both we shocked at how little reality the author cares to address in respect to child rearing in the craft. Sadly there isn't anything less than one star. Speaking to fellow mother's in any religion will prove more vital and sound than any advice provided to you in this book. Waste not your time nor your money. Teach them the ancient ways in the same way you taught them to eat, walk and play: With love and patience. Your little one will go from there. Blessings!

getting value from this book requires some sifting..........2007-05-19

This book has some really good ideas, but you have to sift through some useless things to find them. The author takes a fairly dogmatic stance on her views on parenting- I am not saying that her views are right or wrong necessarily, but it would be nice if she acknowledged that other schools of thought on parenting besides her own could be correct or even (gods forbid!) practiced by real Pagans. The dogmatic tone is off-putting to me, and I think could be dangerously misleading to others.

Also, the book spends too much time philosophizing on parenthood and not enough time on practical day-to-day things you can do to create an environment for your children that encourages Pagan values. I didn't buy this book to hear the author go on at length about her personal definition of the job of a parent, but that's what I got.

That much said, this book still fills a valuable space that as yet has gone mostly unfilled. Hopefully the future will bring more and better books on raising Pagan children, but until it does this is one of the few and proud, and worth flipping through if only because it's one of the only books on the subject out there. And as stated before, there are SOME good ideas in it.

I bought this despite some of the poor reviews ..........2007-05-12

And i enjoyed it! I am not wiccan, but this book is written in a way that it can be adapted to any faith. I especially liked the chapters that deal with how to teach earth based spirituality age by age. The other reviews mentioned nudity and secrets being portarayed in this book in an unhealthy way. I disaggree completely. I feel the authors here were trying to be inclusive of all faiths and make mention of how to incorporate children if you should choose to practice in the buff. I think the main focus of the book was to emphasize the need that children feel good about themselves and comfortable in their bodies. It provides good information and insight and I gained some good ideas as well as learning a few things about wiccan history.

How to screw up your kids.......2007-02-21

This is the book to buy if you want to teach your kids history revision, compartmentalized thinking and keeping secrets about sex and nudity while in the company of adults is the thing to do. The author encourages the readers to practice "skyclad" rituals with their kids, claiming conventional morality is nothing more than Christian guilt and shame about the body. While she does say skycladding may not be for everyone, she encourages the reader to get their children comfortable to the idea of group nudity, including introducing their children to "candle baths" to get them used to the idea. The author also recounts of how when her son was 10 or 11 he became offended by the dirty jokes and sex comments the adult Neopagans made at the gatherings. Rather than complement her son for his maturity, she instead blamed it on not being around other skyclad Wiccans, and thus his view was not "balanced". The author warns readers about places where the "anti-Witch sentiment is quite strong" and might call protective services on Wiccans who get naked with kids! There was quite a bit of emphasis in the book about how to help children deal with adult nudity and secrecy, and it's not hard to realize this is sending a dangerous message. The Burning Times (which didn't involve Wiccans since Wicca didn't exist until the 1950's) is also not a source of contention in the book. While the author admits that no Wiccans were actually killed during the so-called "Burning Times" that European Paganism was quite extinct by the time of the Inquisition, she then turns around and says that the "Burning Times" should still be kept part of Wiccan "lore". This is because for these types, Wicca is no fun if you can't be part of a "Wiccan Holocaust" that never actually happened. They need the so-called "Burning Times" myth so they can have an excuse to hate Christians. Too mnay people get into Wicca simply because they don't like Christians, and that's just not a good reason to join. No one should ever join a religion to rebel against another religion. This book does nothing to stop it. By the same token, these people never mention the thousands of Christians murdered by Pagans during the era of the Persecuted Church. This is known as history revision, and nothing good can come out of it. On page 179, the book says if a Wiccan children ask their parents why some people confuse Wiccans with Satanists and why can't they talk about Wicca, the following explanation should be given;" Once upon a time, when Christian armies were expanding their empires, they found that their native Pagan people didn't want to be concurred. The only way to replace Pagan religions with Christianity was to lie about Paganism and kill the Pagans who resisted. There are fewer swords drawn against us these days, but the people believe the same lies. People won't believe the lies forever, but not everyone is willing to hear the truth yet." Not everyone is willing to accept the truth yet indeed! Clearly a case of the pot calling the cauldron black! The author has contradicted herself, saying there is no connection between Wicca and the so-called "Burning Times" and then turns right around and says there is...and then recommends using it to frighten children into being scared of Christians! Spreading fear and prejudice through lies is not a healthy way to raise kids. Most people (including Christians) know there's a difference between Wicca and Satanism, anyway. This compartmentalized thinking unfortunately represents the exact way many Wiccans think...that Wicca is a modern invention and yet a Stone Age religion. It can't be both. In conclusion, the book is worthless.

How to indoctrinate your little one's.......2005-07-24

Put this book down and step away slowly. Then run for your life and for those of your children.

A good majority of Wiccan's have been brought up in religions from a young age without their consent. This book seems to just advocate the same thing, only the children are being force-fed Wicca.

There are so many better ways to share your own spiritual path with your children than to use this book. Just go on family outings in nature and speak to them about what you see. Read them bedtime stories of pagan myths. There is no need to teach your children about Wicca on such a level until they indicate themselves that it's a path they would like to follow.

Witch Hunt: Persecuted (Book 2) (Silhouette Nocturne)

Average customer rating:

SOoooo Badly written!!!
fine paranormal romantic thriller

Witch Hunt: Persecuted (Book 2) (Silhouette Nocturne)
Lisa Childs
Manufacturer: Silhouette Nocturne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0373617615

Book Description

Elena Jones thinks that her dream-visions are why her life has been a living nightmare. She would do anything to stop them—anything to give her daughter a normal life. But when her dreams show her long-lost sisters in danger, Elena has the chance to transform her curse into a gift. To stop death, before it strikes.

Joseph Dolce is her grandmother's right-hand man, with violence in his past and darkness in his soul. Elena dreams of him, too—sweeter dreams, but just as dangerous. Joseph doesn't want to be her knight in shining armor. But his generous lovemaking and selflessly heroic actions cause Elena to have a change of heart. Now, instead of seeing unwanted visions, she'll do everything in her power to make a special one come true….

Customer Reviews:

SOoooo Badly written!!!.......2007-09-23

Got Editing? This book was so poorly written that I had to stop reading at page 25. I was so underwhelmed that I didn't even bother to skim to see what happened to the characters.
pg. 11 "They'd never seen Mother again. Alive." (This quote is an example of the choppy writing was throughout. It did NOT communicate the main character's personality or thought patterns; it was just awkward.)

fine paranormal romantic thriller .......2007-04-07

Taken from her mother at an early age, Elena found solace and comfort living with her father and her daughter. Six months after his death, she made it plain to her husband Kirk that she was divorcing him. Elena, like her mother before her, is a witch and had visions of her husband cheating on her. She has also reconnected with her sister Ariel who sees ghosts. It is because of their meeting that Elena has come to believe in what she calls her curse.

Elena is wary of Joseph Dolce, the CEO of Jones, Inc. He is there when she has a vision, which scares her and sends her running up to her daughter's room; her child is gone as Kirk took. Elena also knows that the witch hunter is coming for her and Alicia. Feeling desperate she is not to proud to accept Joseph's help. In her latest vision she sees her death as well as Stacie's and Joseph's but Elena is determined that they will live even if it means her own death at the hands at the insane witch hunter.

Lisa Childs has written a spellbinding book about a woman who is forced to accept that not only is she a witch but her daughter is as well. This paranormal romantic thriller is full of action but it Elena, vulnerable yet fierce when it comes to her daughter who is the reason her abduction makes the tale move at such a rapid pace. The only quibble readers might have is the romance between the two protagonists feels too rushed.

Harriet Klausner

The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales

Average customer rating:

Insulting to the genre of fairytale exploration
Less than I had hoped for
Poorly researched and misogynistic
Great Book!
Fascinating, but Somewhat Limited

The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales
Sheldon Cashdan
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0465008968

Book Description

A noted psychologist shows how fairy tales are a powerful aid to growing up, banishing fears, resolving conflicts, and conquering the darkness that dwells within us

"A dazzling tour de force for anyone interested in the inner world of children and parents."
-Henry Biller, author of The Father Factor

In The Witch Must Die, Sheldon Cashdan explores how fairy tales help children deal with psychological conflicts by projecting their own internal struggles between good and evil onto the battles enacted by the characters in the stories. Not since Bettelheim's The Uses of Enchantment has the underlying significance of fantasy and fairy tales been so insightfully and entertainingly mined.

Customer Reviews:

Insulting to the genre of fairytale exploration.......2007-07-22

When I first picked up the book I was floored by the vain reviews of some writers on the back cover, referring to themselves and their work in the book. Next as I opend Cashdan's work in hopes of understanding witches in fairytales, I was disgusted by his use of the word "myth" referencing non-truths rather than the original meaning referring to spiritual metaphor that writers of tales and stories recognize and embrace. I briefly skimmed the material in spite of reservations born from these initial impressions and was deeply disappointed by Cashdan's shallow analysis of his topic. If you want to understand fairytales from a psychological perspective read any of Marie-Louise Von Franz, Clarissa Pinkola Estes and/or Robert Bly's works. The title of Cashdan's work is misleading - he offers no insight into what is perhaps the most wonderous group of stories possible.

Less than I had hoped for.......2006-11-09

I picked up, Sheldon Cashdan's The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales because I had an idea for a fairy tale inspired short story and wanted to do a little bit of research. I gleaned a few insights from the pages of the book, but mostly found it did not live up to all my expectations.
The book is classified as pscyhology and Cashdan makes the case for fairy tales offering psychologists and patients insights into psychological problems. This was something I had a hard time swallowing, but then maybe this has something to do with my lack of conviction in pscyhology.
There are a lot of fairy tales out there, and there's no way Cashdan could possibly be expected to offer a full analyzation of each one, but he does base his conclusions on a very small sampling of fairy tales, to the point that some of what was said seemed a bit repetitive.
There was also far too much time discussing the movie versions, particularly the Disney versions of many of the stories. While a comparison of Disney movies to their original tales would make an excellent subject for a book, in The Witch Must Die it only serves to confuse the issue.
So, I will continue with my fairy tale research. I have a volume containing the complete Brothers Grimm fairy tales which I intend to get to one of these days and a couple of weeks ago picked up a copy of Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim, which Cashdan had referenced a few times, at a used book sale.

Poorly researched and misogynistic.......2006-10-24

Early in the text Cashdan makes clear the fact that fairy tales were never intended as children's stories, nor were they meant to convey lessons. Rather, they were a source of entertainment and adventure for adults - characteristics that made the same stories viable later to be adapted for children. He asserts that, rather than teaching specific moral lessons, fairy tales do help children learn to deal with the struggles of everyday life, particularly struggles with what he terms "the seven deadly sins of childhood:" vanity, gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, lust, and deceit. He asserts that the tales teach children through subtle means to resolve "struggles between the positive and negative forces in the self."

Cashdan characterizes the witch-villain as an external manifestation and magnification of the child-hero/ine's inner flaws. Later he states that good and bad female figures relate to the child's positive and negative experiences with the mother figure in her life (never addressing the fact that the good mother is almost always dead or absent in the stories). Cashdan quickly dismisses the possibility of misogyny in the negative portrayal of stepmothers and female villains simply because fairy tales aren't meant to be taken as faithfully realistic.

Later still he returns to the idea of the witch as representative of the hero/ine's sinful characteristics. The primary premise of his text is that the "Witch must die because the witch embodies the sinful parts of the self." This concept reinforces the patriarchal implication that evil is feminine in nature and suggests that it is the "negative" female aspects of the child's character which must be annihilated in order for her to live happily ever after.

Cashdan also claims that witches in fairy tales are often depicted as cannibalistic in order to identify them as fully repugnant and therefore deserving of annihilation; in fact, cannibalism was perceived as an earmark of witchcraft during the European witch hunts. This simple statement (as well as his flaccid bibliography) betrays the fact that Cashdan's text is poorly researched and that he often substitutes speculation for informed observations. Due to its inherent inconsistencies and oversights, Cashdan's text is utterly useless unless to provide points to argue against.

Great Book! .......2005-07-11

This is a very interesting book, I have recommended it to all of my friends...all of which are excited about borrowing my copy! It's very fun to read and hard to put down once you get started!

Fascinating, but Somewhat Limited.......2005-06-09

The style was enjoyable and the author's points made sense to me. However, even though he admits fairy tales were not originally intended as stories for children, that is the main approach of the book and there's not much discussion about how these individual tales morphed. I liked how the chapters were themed, including chapters allocated to the seven deadly sins with one tale corollating with each sin. Even though fairy tales don't have to be interpreted as moral lessons, he also pinpoints some of the pscyhological/subconscious undertones (such as the witch being essentially of the same essence/psyche/tendencies as the protagonist).

I Didn't Plan To Be A Witch : And Other Surprises of a Joyful Mother

Average customer rating:

The ultimate Mommy book!!!!!
fun look at the hectic world of a large family
I Am Now Entertained
I absolutely loved it!
Makes you feel good about yourself!

I Didn't Plan To Be A Witch : And Other Surprises of a Joyful Mother
Linda Eyre
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684807858

Book Description

Linda Eyre, who co-authored the New York Times bestseller Teaching Your Children Values, has nine children. She knows that although no mother plans to be a witch, there are times when every mother does a terrific job of playing the part.

In her reassuring and hilarious report on being a mother in today's hectic world, Linda honestly describes not only the vital importance and magnificent moments of motherhood, but also those days when mothers feel they are living in a Roadrunner cartoon that never ends. She shares her own experiences with managing unmanageable schedules, coping with mealtime chaos, trying to find time for herself, and the sometimes desperate measures and compromises that are necessary to get it all done (and even then, not always). Whether offering advice on streamlining your life, coping with the martyr syndrome, or ignoring the outrageous demands of toddlers and teens with serenity and grace (or not), Linda Eyre speaks with the voice of experience.

Customer Reviews:

The ultimate Mommy book!!!!!.......2006-04-08

This book, written 10 years ago (!!!) and read by me only yesterday is in my eyes like a classic movie that is always entertaining, transcends time and full of so much that you could watch (or in this case read) it over and over again.

I ordered this book because I was so disappointed by a new 2006 published book by a mother of 10. Someone in the reviews suggested this book and I can only say that it is sooooooooo worth it's money.

I have 4 children myself and could relate to this mom of 9! She never talked down to the reader and gave great and explicit examples of the "how to". For example: PATIENCE. I loved her chapter on this one. What mom doesn't need patience? She explained that patience is something that needs to be practiced, just like learning to play the piano. She even listed ways to prepare ourselves for the chaos of the day (that will always occur) in order not to jeapordize our calm. In other words, she suggests that we plan and even visualize problems and chaos so that we won't be surprised and unprepared.

This book is 5 stars!!!!!!!!!

fun look at the hectic world of a large family.......2002-04-28

Linda Eyre, parenting expert and mother of nine, offers a look at the lighter side of the chaos in her home. She is not afraid to discuss her mistakes and things that go wrong, and the book is filled with parenting advice -- e.g., have a sense of humor, sometimes your child is actually right, etc. Chapters are, in general, very short, so even a busy mom will have time to read and accept the sympathetic understanding of a mom with even more on her plate! Enjoyable.

I Am Now Entertained.......2000-02-05

Being a single mother of two, this book kept me laughing throughout. As hectic as my life can be, I rarely make the time to actually get through a book. I did this book in less than a week. I realized that I am not the only parent "going crazy," but also realized that I have been looking at my daily life with my kids through clouded lenses. I have become aware to pay more attention and actually find the humour in my every day. I have even begun a journal because raising kids really is THAT entertaining and that being a mother is truly the most rewarding and exhausting job that exists. I recommend this book to anyone with kids. You will love all the little stories about all of her nine children, as well as her husband, as they will hit very close to home. Each chapter are possibly 5 to 6 pages in length, which makes getting in a "little" reading time possible. And it really puts your job as a mother back into perspective.

I absolutely loved it!.......1999-07-06

I'm a teenager and I happened to read this book in short segements while babysiting. It was so funny. it made me even more excited to be a mom someday because it showed that despite the hard times (and there are many), motherhood is the best thing in the world. Linda's big family (nine kids!) made me want to have a big family also, as oppossed to many people my age who want one or two kids. I think this book would help mom's to get a reality check to see that everyone else is not a supermom and is far from perfect (though always striving).

Makes you feel good about yourself!.......1999-06-18

When a professional parenting expert who is also a mother of nine (yes, 9!) lets you peek at some of her mistakes and shares some of her bad experiences, it can't help but relieve some of the pressure you put on yourself. This book helped me see that I'm really doing a better job than I thought! (I'd also suggest: Perfect Parenting by Elizabeth Pantley - a very handy reference book.)

The Diary of Dorcas Good, Child Witch of Salem

Average customer rating:

Just plain awful...
Please don't!
don't
A good book
Don't begin your study of the Salem Witch Trials here.

The Diary of Dorcas Good, Child Witch of Salem
Rose Earhart
Manufacturer: Pendleton Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1893221008

Book Description

The novel, in diary form, tells the story of Dorcas Good, a four year old child accused of witchcraft along with her mother and several other women during the hysteria of 1692. It is, in all probability, the first documented case of child abuse in this country. The saga follows Dorcas through her imprisonment as a young child, to her mother being led to the gallows and on to her young adult years and the abuse that she suffered at the hands of her jailers and especially from her own father. Rose Earhart allows the reader to experience the flavor of life in 1692 Salem including all of the difficulties and struggles of everyday life. She manages to portray with amazing clarity and passion the accounts of the horrific injustices and degrading circumstances of living on the edge of society that Dorcas and her mother, Sarah, had to endure even before the witch hysteria began. The Diary of Dorcas Good finally tells the real story of the savagery and terror of the Salem Witch Trials.

Customer Reviews:

Just plain awful..........2005-05-25

What an incredible waste of time and paper. I wish I could say something good about this book, but that would be dishonest. The characters are wooden, the dialogue ridiculous, the writing simply awful.

The story appeals to the sordid, the salacious, and the perverse. Don't bother unless you think it's cool when suicide bombers blow themselves up.

Please don't!.......2004-05-21

I have researched Salem for many years now, and have a great deal of respect for the hell many of the victims went through. I am also a victim of childhood rape and incest. With this background, I think I have a unique perspective from which to review this book.

My take? Ninety-nine percent of what the author has included is nonsense. As far as I can tell, she used a historical event, horrific in itself without embellishment, to proselytize her own points of view regarding women's and children's issues today. There is no historical accuracy or even pretense at it. The characters do not ring true, none of them. The bad guys are unbelievably bad, and the child Dorcas and her mother are clearly based more on modern victims of domestic violence than they are on colonial pariahs. This was bad enough, but the cherry on top was the poor level of writing, including even spelling errors which would have been simple to catch with a good spellcheck and proofreading.

The silver lining: books like this make me much more confident that yes, someday a publisher will buy one of my novels. If they publish tripe like this. . . well, my tripe is surely better!

For those interested in the true history of Salem, go out and read Carol Karlsen, Mary Beth Norton, or the brilliantly objective timeline put together by Marilynne K. Roach. Read Frances Hill. Read Marion Starkey, even -- more historically accurate and entertainingly readable than this book was, though somewhat out of date. For those interested in child abuse, there are a million books out there both more informative and more entertaining than this one. Just avoid it.

don't.......2004-03-10

the diary belongs to a child during the strong crisis of 1692, her only loving relative was her mother, the only person she had in her life sice in her world her father wasn't a part of it after abusing sexually of her several times, her already cold life came apart when her mother and herself are acused of practicing witchcraft.

A good book.......2002-01-21

THis was a good story detailing all the horrors that happened to Dorcus Good and the people she loved during and ten years after the Salem Witch Trials. I thought that this was an exceleent book but that the ending was a little weak. I would highly recomend this book to any one intrested in the Salem Witch Trials.

Don't begin your study of the Salem Witch Trials here........2001-01-22

This is the most poorly edited and proofread book I have ever read. It is full of typographical errors and mistakes in printing. The word processor upon which it was written must not have had a spell checker because it is also full of misspelled words. The content may be valuable but the poor editing is very distracting.

So the Witch Won't Eat Me: Fantasy and the Child's Fear of Infanticide

Average customer rating:

So the Witch Won't Eat Me: Fantasy and the Child's Fear of Infanticide
Dorothy Bloch
Manufacturer: Grove Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Average customer rating:

Gratuitously salacious violation of history
Not for preteens, EVER
Rubbish
A Good Book
WORST book I've ever read

Dorcas Good, The Diary of a Salem Witch
Rose Earhart
Manufacturer: Pendleton Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1893221024

Book Description

Dorcas Good, the four year old daughter of Sarah Good, who was hanged as a witch in Salem, MA, is arrested and taken to prison, herself being accused of being a witch. Mistreated by her cruel father and others in Salem, she learns to endure physical, emotional and sexual abuses. Befriended by the pirate Jack Quelch, Dorcas is finally rescued from the dark dank prison, but not before suffering permanent emotiional damage.

The novel, written in diary form, allows the reader to experience the flavor of life in 1692 Salem, and finally tell the real stoiry of the savagery and terror of the Salem Witch Trials. It is probably the first recorded case of child abuse in this country.

Customer Reviews:

Gratuitously salacious violation of history.......2006-10-06

I knew this was a fictionalization, but I assumed that it would be historically accurate. The true story of Dorcas Good and the other innocents accused of witchcraft, tortured, and executed is facinating and horrible enough. But was Dorcas actually raped by her father? Offered by him to the the entire village as a child prostitute? I don't know, but it seems really, really unlikely, and therefore awfully inappropriate to have portrayed Dorcas as a victim of child sexual abuse. I was disturbed by the extreme explicit nature and abundace of sexual perversion, but even more disturbed by the violation of history this represents. It's just not ok to take historical figures and make up stories with them. If I'm wrong, and if there is documentation that William Good was a pedophile, and if there were additional numerous pedophiles also raping Dorcas, could someone direct me to it?
The typos, as mentioned by other reviewers, are abundant, and the book suffers for it. The publisher absolutely must hire competent copyeditors and proofreaders. Pendleton should be embarrassed by the state of this product.
The writing itself can be absorbing sometimes, but the structure the author chose is a shame: the journal entries are not at all believable. For example, it is known that Dorcas Good was deeply disturbed and would not likely have had the psychological insights the journals imply.
I also did not like the portrayal of Dorcas and Sarah as being actual witches, having supernatural instincts, etc. The women and men accused of witchcraft were most probably sincere, practicing Christians, and to re-interpret them as being actual witches is yet another violation of history.

Not for preteens, EVER.......2006-02-17

Well, I would give the actual story a 5 on a scale from 1-10. But considering content... I am 14 years old, and I definitely wouldn't reccomend it to ANYONE under my age, and only a few my age and older.
The plot is okay, it is very moving at times, but with the very graphic sexual scenes and the deaths some might call "scary", it's not appropriate for anyone 13 and younger. Heck, it even grossed me out. Advice: if you can handle sexual descriptions several times, disgustingly graphic hangings, and prostitution, this book is for you. Otherwise, don't even pick it up. PLEASE save yourself from the therapy that I will probably have to go through now that I've finished it.

Rubbish.......2003-10-31

Purely on a factual basis - the tale of Dorcas Good, a 4 year old driven to insanity by being incarcerated in a dungeon with no light, separated from her mother - would be a good starting point for a novel if kept within reasonable bounds. This book doesn't do that and shames both the author and the memory of a tragically sad little girl.

A Good Book.......2003-08-13

The hard cover version of this got better (more accurate) reviews. It's a good story and not deserving of the low ratings I've read here. It is a sad story about public opinion being easily manipulated and then working against those with no power. It is difficult not to see the analogy with present times. Almost 400 years later and we think we're beyond that, but are we really ?
This is one of a very few books that I didn't buy at Amazon.com. I picked it up and started reading it in a bookstore while they checked to see if the book I was looking for was in stock. Needless to say it came home with me and was pretty much a real page turner.

As has been suggested by others - this may not be "High Literature", may have some typos and at times may stretch the bounds of believability- but it is still a damn good book! The author notes that she is an "activist for children's rights" and therefore I expect that is why there is such graphic (highly disturbing) attention to the tormenting of this poor child. Dorcas Good and the other "Witches" could very well have suffered exactly as she describes in her book- or not, either way innocent people certainly did suffer at the hands of those with power and/or money. The book combines her knowledge and love for the place as well as a no-holds-barred statement of the gritty reality of the times. ("The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd" is a very good documentation of life and politics in the 1600's and the speculations in "Dorcas Good" are on the same lines)

The book piqued my curiosity on the subject of the witch trials and has left me with an appetite to learn more. If you are considering this book and have doubts, pick up a copy at a bookstore, open it anywhere in the story and start reading it. You will soon know.

WORST book I've ever read.......2003-04-23

Rose Earhart's Dorcas Good, the Diary of a Salem Witch is on any scale the worst book I've ever read. The historical fiction is supposed to be in diary form, told from the perspective of four year old Dorcas Good. There are several problems with this. For one thing, I doubt that a four year old girl living now could read and write well enough to keep a diary, let alone a four year old girl in 1692. Even if she could, most diarists write about feelings and observations . . . not pages upon pages of dialogue. Also, a four year old would probably not be able to understand the political background of every one of her neighbors. Certainly a four year old girl would not refer to a nine year old as "little," but the narrator of this book repeatedly calls Betty Parris "little Betty Parris." The novel is unnecessarily and overwhelmingly perverse. One of the most ridiculous aspect of the novel is that it is written in modern language. I cannot, in two pages, possibly describe exactly how much I hate this 376-page waste of paper, but at least I will try.
The novel lacks structure. As if the author sat at her typewriter once a week, feverishly typing whatever meaningless phrase that popped in her head, the book lacks a comprehensible plot. There are no high points and low points; there is no climax.
By reading Dorcas Good, the Diary of a Salem Witch, one would think that every man is a child molester. Four year old Dorcas is violently raped, not only by her father, but by every man in town. Every reverend, every merchant, every sea-man and politician is a lecherous pedophile who wants nothing more than to stick his penis in a baby. William Good, Reverend Nicholas Noyes and Thomas Putnam are only a few of the innumerable child molesters in this trashy novel. After Dorcas is released from prison, her father dresses her in red velvet, takes her around the town and makes her a five year old whore. Given, child rape and incest is something that happens. It happens now; it's probably always happened. However, such perversity is a mental illness and I find it hard to believe that an entire village would have the same disease. I find it even harder to believe that such behavior would be tolerated under Puritan law.
With less class than a Harlequin Romance, uses every opportunity to graphically describe something sexually twisted. Any page that does not include a violent rape or molestation scene has an incest scene, or a lesbian eroticism or sado-masochism scene. For instance, Dorcas witnesses twelve year old Ann Putnam and seventeen year old Mary Walcott, cousins, perform oral sex on one another. Sex, throughout the novel, is always accompanied by beatings.
Earhart made a little notation, claiming that the book is written in modern language and narrated not really from a four year old point of view because "the words of Dorcas Good must be spoken in the clearest way possible so that her message will ring true and not be lost in the vagaries of a child's wandering speech."
I argue that the author merely lacks the imagination and initiative to take upon the challenge of constructing a diary from a four year old, seventeenth century Puritan's perspective. Rose Earhart holds degrees both in philosophy and psychology. My advice for her is to go back to grammar school and obtain some literacy, and perhaps use her psychological knowledge to work through her personal issues before attempting to write again. Earhart pathetically ended her novel with an extensive bibliography, as if such a list could convince readers that she actually incorporated research into her writing. If such a book as Dorcas Good, the Diary of a Salem Witch can actually get published, I am convinced there is hope for all amateur writers, even those who cannot spell.

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