Witch Child

Should be available as an E-book

I haven't completely read it yet, but I wish it was available as an e-book for "nooks." It seems like a wonderful book, so it would be nice if nook owners could purchase it on their device.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for Teens Read Too

Although Mary never knew her parents, she lived happily in a cabin in the woods with her grandmother and pets. However, her grandmother was a healer, a trusted member of the community until only recently. Now, she's gone, and Mary is alone in the world, on the run from the witch hunters. A mysterious benefactor comes to Mary's aid, telling her that she must set sail for the American colonies with a tight knit community of Puritans. Even though Mary must be careful to hide her true nature from their religious zealotry, she does manage to find a few kindred spirits among their numbers, mainly Martha, who also has a healer's hand; Jonah, an apothecary; and Rebekah, the daughter of a prominent Elder. The journey is long, and Salem may not hold all the hope they'd wished for upon their arrival. When their band rejoins the others in their community who have gone before them, Mary finds herself an untrusted newcomer, and has to guard herself carefully from those who would not "suffer a witch to live." But how can she hide her talents when they're essential to life in this strange new land? And why does a mysterious jackrabbit appear to be following her? This story presents itself under the pretense that the pages of Mary's diary were found hidden inside the seams of a quilt, and a note is included that welcomes anyone with further information on those folks mentioned in the diary to contact the editor. This additional layer adds an interesting flair to the story, which, although fictitious, makes history come alive.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Orphaned, fourteen-year-old, Mary Newbury must now take care of herself after the tragic death of her grandmother. She flees England in search of a new and better life, and ends up going to America with a group of Puritans. She must start from scratch and pretend to be someone she is not. For Mary¿s gift is one where, if discovered, she¿d be hung just like her grandmother. Only people whom Mary grew to love along the journey knew her secret. Except in the new colony, people began to notice Mary to be a little different, and there has been witchcraft found in the forest. Only, it is not Mary. Then who could it be, you may ask. Will Mary be convicted for a crime she didn¿t commit? Will she be punished for a gift she doesn¿t even want? Shall Mary suffer the same fate as her beloved grandmother? Well, I guess you¿ll just have to read to find your answers. I enjoyed this book because it caught my attention from the very start. The book starts to pull you in with a very mysterious beginning, and by the end of the first couple chapters, you¿re hooked. I just couldn¿t stop reading. In some parts of the book it was in broken English or old English, so it was confusing. But I just used context clues, or clues from the text, to figure out what they were saying. I also like this book because while reading it, I could make many connections to what we were then learning about in Social Studies class. It was pretty neat to be reading and see a name and be able to say, ¿Hey, I remember learning about him.¿ This book, I believe, would be enjoyed by both girls and boys in their early teens. Yes, the main character is a girl, but there¿s nothing `girly¿ in the book, and there are many guys in this story too. Witch Child is the first book in the series, and Sorceress is the sequel, written by Celia Rees, who¿s also written The Wish House. Witch Child is based on a true diary found dated back to 1659. Many of the facts and characters are true, and many of the events did actually happen, and Mary Newbury truly did exist. I really enjoyed this book, and I believe you will too.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Loved this book!

I read this book a few years ago and I still find myself thinking of it, it's an amazing story, very detailed, it's a very good account of a puritan girl who is also a healer, and it has a very sweet ending! :)

Definitely one of the best books I have read!

You should read this!!! I absolutely love all of Celia Rees's books! they are all amazing!!

:)

I give this book an A+. I really enjoyed reading it. It wasn't full of crap like a lot of books and it felt real like it actually happened. It's written in the style of a diary and it just makes it seem more personal that way.It makes me happy to live in a time of common sense and religious freedom,if something bad happened it wouldn't be blamed on witchcraft nowdays.Also made me mad at how early european americans viewed Native Americans and their beautiful sacred way of life. It gave you a look at how people were not too bright back then and those that were,were persecuted for it. I guess it wasn't considered such a great thing in those days to be intelligent. Makes me 100% happy to live today. Very well paced and full of lil facts if you're a history buff like myself.Even though Mary considered herself a witch she never made any of those bad things happen and it goes to show what jealousy and unintelligence can do to people.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Witch Child -Awsome reading no matter your age

A friend of mine bought this book for her tween daughter at a book fair 2 years ago. I picked it up and started reading, only making it through the first 2 chapters (and already being hooked on the plot line) before she had taken it to a sleep over and lost it-
Time had passed and I didn't think about it again untill I was browsing random books and saw the cover- it was the same book! I ordered it right away and frantically scoped the mailbox every day untill I saw that familiar brown box. I started reading it with my own kids and literally couldn't put it down for hours. I just had to know what was happening next. I was very pleased to finally finish the book and also found out there's a sequel of sorts called Sorceress, which I'm ordering right now.

Witch Child By Celia Rees

Starting in the year 1659, a young girl named Mary Newbury begins writing a journal. In her journal she describes the horrific details of her days as she encounters them. As her grandmother, her only known relative is accused of being a witch she is tortured untill her death by hanging, leaving Mary in world set against her... just because she is a little different. In this book there is long lost mothers: found, Sails to new lands, and true powers disocvered as Mary flees from her childhood home to escape persecution. But, even in her new home, people begin to suspect and accuse Mary of witchcraft. Will she ever truely fit in? Will she ever find a real place to call home? This book is one of my favorites and i have returned time and time again to re-read it. Every aspect of this story is fully described as Mary saw, heard, or felt. It brings the story to life, and that is why it is one of my favorite books. I would recommend it to just about anybody who enjoys a great book with adventure, romance, and finding your true way in life.

Witch child review by book_worm91

Witch child was an intersting book to read. The main character Mary Newbury is a witch and has fled England from the witch hunt, Mary is force to join the puritans and travel to Salem. As the story progresses we get to learn more about the puritan's life in the 1600s and Mary's life as a witch. The ending left me hanging to read the sequal. Overall I recommened this book to everyone who is interest on reading about Salem, Massachusetts and the puritans settlement.

Well worth the reading time.

I enjoyed the book very much.

This book is really good

Jacob Holman 1/6/09



This book must be good because a lot of people like it and have had different thoughts about it after they read it.

i havent finished it yet but, when i do finish it i will do another review on it.
i am going to try and finish it soon.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

witch child

I bought this book seven years ago. I Just recently got around to reading it. This book really makes you appreciate the freedom and life we have today. Witch child is very entertaining and easy to read.

kinda dull

This book was entertaining, but over all kinda dull. It makes you appreciate your freedoms and wonder how many lives were lost in that time of prejudice. I also like how nothing was deffinate. An accurate portrayal of life in the colonies.

Great Read for an Adult

I thought this book was very easy & exciting to read. You get the feel how it may had been to live such a 'strict' lifestyle, and how we can appreciate the freedoms of today. Overall, as an adult I very much enjoyed reading this book, and look forward to the follow-up book as well.

booklover

This book is very good if you like things that are about history then this is the type of book for you. This book can be very interestingat times.You should read this book before the witches come for you.

Ugh!

This book had a great subject, but I couldn't read it. It was so boring that I couldn't get past the twelfth entry. I know that a lot of people love it but I couldn't stand it!

6th loves books

HI... The book Which Child is awesome.I would recomend it to anyone that likes mysterious books . My faveret paret of the book would hafe to be the beggening. In the beggening a mysterious person takes Mary to her away in a carage. Find out wear Mary goes and whate happens to her.You Whould think Mary is not a which but is she.Read to find out whate happens to Mary.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

makes me want to eat porridge

I really liked this book.. it makes you know the way that those people lived... their superstitions,foods...

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

In the tradition of Nathaniel Hawthorne, a young girl leaves England to escape witchcraft but encounters even more in Massachusetts. A classic story of a young girl's struggles in an old time with old rules and punishments.

witchcraft

This book is wonderful and very entertaining I picked it up just to see if it was any good. I found it to be the best book I ever read. Mary Newbury, a young girl, escapes from her grandmothers hanging as a witch. If she hadn't she surely would have been persecuted as well. her mother whom she has never met before wisks her away and sends her to America! Mary hides her true nature of being a witch for as long as she can. Even though being one is not what the bible makes it out to be. She is more of a healer, although she has skills in seeing into the future and such.She eventually has to run of and join the indians to escape the hysteria in her villiage Behula It is a wonderful book, I felt realy connected to the characters and I simply love this book, It was a great read.