A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi
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(Paperback - 1)
- Age Range: Young Adult
- Pub. Date: June 2003
- 320pp
- Sales Rank: 13,045
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| Library Binding | $17.15 |
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Product Details
- Series: Great Episodes Series
- ISBN-13: 9780152046828
- ISBN: 0152046828
- Edition Description: 1
Synopsis
Susanna English desperately wants to join the circle of girls who meet every week at the parsonage, but she doesn’t realize the leader of the group, the malicious Ann Putnam, is about to set off a torrent of false accusations that will lead to the imprisonment and execution of countless innocent people-victims of a witch-hunt panic. “The author’s skillful manipulation of the conventions of the young-adult novel-particularly the rich exploration of being an outsider and going against the mainstream-makes this book a superb vehicle for examining the social dynamics of this legendary event.”-The Horn Book
Annotation
While waiting for a church meeting in 1706, Susanna English, daughter of a wealthy Salem merchant, recalls the malice, fear, and accusations of witchcraft that tore her village apart in 1692.
Children's Literature
Historical fiction readers, both adult and young adult, will be fascinated by this tale of the Salem Witch Trials. Rinaldi has an uncanny talent for slipping into the skin of her characters. In this novel, her viewpoint comes from Susanna English, the daughter of a rich merchant. Susanna's money and station place her outside the circle of girls at the center of the hysteria, but not outside their sphere of influence. Susanna knows that the accusations are being put forth by young adolescents driven by revenge-and by a wish to escape the boredom of church and Bible reading. Fearing for her family, she refuses to share this knowledge. As the fervor builds, so does Susanna's guilt and sorrow until finally she is rescued from "going down a dark road" by a loving friend and her own moral code. Rinaldi's research is flawless and her period familiarity striking, but her strongest power is as a storyteller.
More Reviews and RecommendationsBiography
ANN RINALDI is an award-winning author best known for bringing history vividly to life. A self-made writer and newspaper columnist for twenty-one years, Ms. Rinaldi attributes her interest in history to her son, who enlisted her to take part in historical reenactments up and down the East Coast. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey.
Customer Reviews
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A Great Suspensful Storyby Anonymous
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September 17, 2009: A Break with Charity is a very informative book about the witch trials in Salem in the 1600's. This book is not only informative but it is also a minature love story. In this book there is a circle of girls that call out upon certain people saying that they are witches. This was not true but mostly everyone in Salem belived the teen age girls. So 19 innocent people were hung and one was pressed to death. On the other hand, Susanna English knew that the girls were lieing while others didn't. Susanna wanted to tell a man named Joseph Putnam what she knew, but did not get a chance. When she finally did he was shocked, because one of the girls in the circle was his niece, he believed Susanna though and went to talk to a man in charge of Salem to write a letter. This letter stoped the killings in Salem and the witch non-sence was put to rest. If you enjoy love stories, suspensful stories, or informative books i reacomend A Break with Charity, for it has all of those qualities in it.
A Horrific But Great Book!by booksreadbooks
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September 14, 2009: A Break with Charity by Ann Rinaldi was most exhilarating, It taught me about some of the worst times in American history through a fictional character who just kept pulling me in. Throughout the book I learned about the Salem witch trials, while enjoying the thrill of the story. The more I read, the more I was interested in the historical events of the Salem witch trials.
Susanna, the main character made me feel the emotions that she felt. In her journey to save her parents from being killed, she learned who she was as a person, as did I. This book is also a good example of peer pressure and its effect on not only oneself, but other people. It teaches the importance of a community, and the trust needed to sustain a life without violence. A Break with Charity shows that sometimes religions and beliefs can make it harder to see people for who they are. Ann Rinaldi's details and historical facts about the Salem witch trials were displayed in vivid images that made them pleasurable to read. I learned so much about the Salem Witch Trials in such a short little novel. I felt as though I could not stop reading, not only about the fictional character, but also about the horrific historical events. A Break with Charity is one of my favorite booksKylie L
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