The Salem witchcraft trials are a dark piece of American history. Young girls used the Puritan fear of the Devil against them, holding an entire region hostage with fear with the threat of crying “Witch”. In Wicked Girls, Sephanie Hemphill delves into the history of the trials with a fictionalized account that follows several of the key players through the rise and inevitable fall of their reign of tyranny: Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, Ann Putnam Jr., Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Hubbard, and Susannah Sheldon.
The books first poem, Salem, ends with the line “There are rules to follow here, one righteous path thrashed down through the woods”. These final lines help set the tone of the book to follow the rules or to be cast out. The girls decide to cast others out, those that harmed them, those they didn’t like, those that their parents claimed were evil, and finally, each other.
What stands out in this book is how real and believable the characters are. Margaret Wallcot’s struggle to find a proper suitor and to keep his affections once they are betrothed a she has allowed him “’neath her knickers”. Mercy Lewis’s struggle with the loss of her family and the time spent under a reverend that sexually and physically abused her. Anne Putnam Jr. who idolizes and worships Mercy, but can’t stand being pushed aside because she is younger.
These tales are heart wrenching and relatable, and seeing them played out in verse makes them more immediate than it might have been accomplished in prose with the economy of words needed to paint such vivid pictures.
Kirkus reviews says, : In this superbly wrought fictionalized account of the Salem Witch Trials, Printz Honor winner Hemphill offers a fresh perspective on an oft-told tale by providing lesser-known Salem accusers with a variety of compelling motivations that will resonate deeply with contemporary teens. Twelve-year-old Ann Putnam is starved for her brusque mother’s love. Her older cousin Margaret is jealous of anyone her betrothed Isaac’s wandering eye falls upon. And 17-year-old pretty, blond servant Mercy Lewis is tired of the surreptitious touches of pious Puritan men. When two other girls in their village fall prey to fits, Ann, Margaret and Mercy recognize the opportunity to be seen in a society that brands them invisible. But as their confidence grows, so does their guilt. They know exactly what they’re doing, but the rewards are too sweet to stop: “…our elders shrivel and shrink, / and we girls / grow spine tall.” In subtle, spare first-person free-verse poems, the author skillfully demonstrates how ordinary people may come to commit monstrous acts. Haunting and still frighteningly relevant” (2010).
At the end of the book, Hemphill provides a list of sources she used for her resources and includes selections on the real girls and the real victims to put the history in perspective. For anyone who might be interested in the Salem witchcraft trials and the history behind what happened during this time of religious persecution, Wicked Girls and the information provided by the author are a good place to start. The relatable and very real characters, the vivid recounting of the accusations and the punishments levied against the victims, and the guilt that leads to the destruction of the girl’s camaraderie is riveting and vibrant.
Hemphill, Stephanie. Wicked Girls A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Harper Collins (2010). ISBN: 9780061853289
Kirkus Reviews (2010). “Wicked Girls A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials – Review”. https://ipage.ingramcontent.com/ipage/servlet/ibg.common.titledetail.pd1000?ttl_id=10876567. Accessed 8 October, 2017.
Ramblings of Jhenry 