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Time of the Witches
Orphaned at the age of four, Drucilla finally has a place she can call home with her new family, the Putnams, of Salem Village. But when a new reverend and his family move into town with their servant Tituba, life takes a strange and dangerous turn as accusations of witchcraft swirl. Dru is overwhelmed by the fervor of lies and the power of groupthink among the other girls in town; reluctant to turn her back on the Putnams, she utters her own accusations. Only her best friend Gabe sees through the deceit, but it may be too late for Dru to protect the truth, and innocent people will pay the ultimate price. Guiding readers through the confusion of this frightening historical event, Anna Myers weaves a compelling story that will captivate teen readers.
199 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2009
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851 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
November 23, 2017
I didn’t like the book very much. I just think it was boring and I didn’t really love the characters. I think it’s because I knew how it ended. I learned from history class in high school and I am so done with this book.
December 28, 2009
Time of the Witches, by Anna Myers
"Mama, I want to charge Rose as a witch."
[...:]
"That is ridiculous my dear," said her mother. "Rose cannot be a witch. The girl still owes us a year of service. Maybe next year (Time of the Witches, p. 162)."
Welcome to the absurdity of the Salem Witch trials, a dark period in America's history. Nineteen innocent men and women were killed as witches; killed without proof other than the flimsy accusations of a group of young girls. "Time of the Witches" is an attempt to consider the possible causes of the trials, and just how an entire town could have been caught up in a witch frenzy.
Drucilla, the protagonist of "Time of the Witches," is born as her mother dies. She is first fostered with another family, which includes her best friend, Gabe. The two were born at the same time, and were raised as brother and sister. But when Gabe's parents die as well, the two are orphans and live with other families in Salem Village. When they are twelve, the two are separated, and Dru goes to live with the Putnams. Ann Putnam's behavior is quite odd, as is her daughter's, but she accepts Dru as a member of the family and even has the girl call her "mother."
Ann Putnam's puzzling behavior (crying fits, suicide attempts, etc.) is attributed to the loss of several children. Early in Dru's time with the family the woman loses yet another baby, sending her spiraling into a deep depression, convinced that someone is murdering her babies. While Dru knows that the Putnam family is abnormal, she does her best to make Ann Putnam feel better - after all, the woman calls Dru her daughter. The relationship between the two sometimes made me say "enough already, I can't believe that Dru is falling for this," but then I also thought to myself that perhaps if Dru had had a better mother figure in her life she wouldn't have fallen for Ann's machinations.
Ann's behavior soon ratchets up quite a few notches when a new reverend moves into town. She is convinced that his servant, Tituba, can tell her who is behind the deaths of her babies. She sends her daughter and Dru to the reverend's house, among a group of girls who flock to the exotic servant who tells fortunes and stories of witches. But then the reverend's daughter, scared of the stories, falls into a stupor and the madness begins. Woman after woman is arrested, each accused of being a witch.
At the first trial, Dru sits with the girls, and is drawn into their antics, of feeling ghostly fingers pulling their hair and touching their necks. She isn't sure...did she feel something? Or didn't she? Almost unwittingly she agrees with the others and condemns a woman to death.
The cover is what drew me to "Time of the Witches," and for a while, I thought it was the best part of the book, due to the very slow start. I kept at it though, because I was curious what approach Myers would take to the Salem Witch Trials. She considers groupthink and mass hysteria as a possible explanation for what happened. The imagined character of Drucilla is caught between her conscience and the constrictions of threats - she could be the next witch if she spoke against what was happening.
Myers has an interesting idea, but the execution is a little off. The setup for the main event is far too long. Many of the interactions between Drucilla and Ann Putnam could have been condensed; the relationship between the two is established early on, and doesn't need to be continually thrust at the reader. But the relationship between Drucilla and Gabe, her childhood friend, is done very well, and is a great plot device to examine Dru's loyalties to her friend, and her adoptive family.
After I finished "Time of the Witches" I sat back for a while and thought about it. Although the book started slowly, as I've said, in the end I'm glad I stuck with it. It was worth it.
4/5.
"Mama, I want to charge Rose as a witch."
[...:]
"That is ridiculous my dear," said her mother. "Rose cannot be a witch. The girl still owes us a year of service. Maybe next year (Time of the Witches, p. 162)."
Welcome to the absurdity of the Salem Witch trials, a dark period in America's history. Nineteen innocent men and women were killed as witches; killed without proof other than the flimsy accusations of a group of young girls. "Time of the Witches" is an attempt to consider the possible causes of the trials, and just how an entire town could have been caught up in a witch frenzy.
Drucilla, the protagonist of "Time of the Witches," is born as her mother dies. She is first fostered with another family, which includes her best friend, Gabe. The two were born at the same time, and were raised as brother and sister. But when Gabe's parents die as well, the two are orphans and live with other families in Salem Village. When they are twelve, the two are separated, and Dru goes to live with the Putnams. Ann Putnam's behavior is quite odd, as is her daughter's, but she accepts Dru as a member of the family and even has the girl call her "mother."
Ann Putnam's puzzling behavior (crying fits, suicide attempts, etc.) is attributed to the loss of several children. Early in Dru's time with the family the woman loses yet another baby, sending her spiraling into a deep depression, convinced that someone is murdering her babies. While Dru knows that the Putnam family is abnormal, she does her best to make Ann Putnam feel better - after all, the woman calls Dru her daughter. The relationship between the two sometimes made me say "enough already, I can't believe that Dru is falling for this," but then I also thought to myself that perhaps if Dru had had a better mother figure in her life she wouldn't have fallen for Ann's machinations.
Ann's behavior soon ratchets up quite a few notches when a new reverend moves into town. She is convinced that his servant, Tituba, can tell her who is behind the deaths of her babies. She sends her daughter and Dru to the reverend's house, among a group of girls who flock to the exotic servant who tells fortunes and stories of witches. But then the reverend's daughter, scared of the stories, falls into a stupor and the madness begins. Woman after woman is arrested, each accused of being a witch.
At the first trial, Dru sits with the girls, and is drawn into their antics, of feeling ghostly fingers pulling their hair and touching their necks. She isn't sure...did she feel something? Or didn't she? Almost unwittingly she agrees with the others and condemns a woman to death.
The cover is what drew me to "Time of the Witches," and for a while, I thought it was the best part of the book, due to the very slow start. I kept at it though, because I was curious what approach Myers would take to the Salem Witch Trials. She considers groupthink and mass hysteria as a possible explanation for what happened. The imagined character of Drucilla is caught between her conscience and the constrictions of threats - she could be the next witch if she spoke against what was happening.
Myers has an interesting idea, but the execution is a little off. The setup for the main event is far too long. Many of the interactions between Drucilla and Ann Putnam could have been condensed; the relationship between the two is established early on, and doesn't need to be continually thrust at the reader. But the relationship between Drucilla and Gabe, her childhood friend, is done very well, and is a great plot device to examine Dru's loyalties to her friend, and her adoptive family.
After I finished "Time of the Witches" I sat back for a while and thought about it. Although the book started slowly, as I've said, in the end I'm glad I stuck with it. It was worth it.
4/5.
August 14, 2009
Myers’ novel about the Salem Witch Trials brings a time of mass hysteria to life. Drucilla and Gabe, born on the same day, are raised together when Drucilla’s mother dies in childbirth. They share a special bond, and after Gabe’s parents succumb to smallpox, various villagers bring them up as siblings. When they are twelve, their foster family relocates and the two young people must take positions as servants. Widow Mary Putnam offers Gabe a home. Drucilla is thrilled when the Widow’s stepson Thomas offers her a position, but soon realizes that a feud between the two households will keep her and Gabe apart. Thomas’s wife Ann is outwardly beautiful and charming, and Drucilla thinks that rumors of the woman’s maliciousness are unfounded. But the longer Drucilla is in the household, the more Ann’s disturbed personality emerges. Drucilla has been brought in primarily as a companion to Thomas’s and Ann’s daughter, also named Ann, three years Drucilla’s junior. The younger Ann resists Drucilla’s overtures of friendship and shows her own signs of devious behavior. Things come to a head when Ann Senior starts a rumor that forces Reverend Burroughs out of the village. When Reverend Parris and his family move into the parsonage, Drucilla’s mistress is a staunch supporter of the new minister, so young Ann and her friends are regular visitors at the parsonage. They encourage the Reverend’s slave, Tituba, to entertain them with stories of witchcraft and to tell their fortunes. Fearing punishment if the adults discover this ungodly pastime, the girls pretend Tituba has bewitched them. As accusations of witchcraft spread through the village, Drucilla is aghast at how many believe the girls, but she sees how susceptible she herself is to the power of suggestion when she imagines herself being attacked by one of the accused during a trial. Gabe, not realizing that Ann Putnam has threatened Drucilla if she changes her story, sees his friend’s testimony against his neighbor as evidence that she sides with the unscrupulous family. As with Ann Rinaldi’s A Break With Charity: A Story About the Salem Witch Trials (1992), Myers draws heavily from the actual participants in the events. The fictional Drucilla is an engaging protagonist, and her fear of being falsely accused if she speaks out is believable. An afterword listing the more than twenty accused men and women who were hanged on Gallows Hill in 1692 or died by other means rounds out this solid piece of historical fiction.
November 18, 2012
Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com
Drucilla is an orphan who longs for a family. When the Putnam's of Salem Village take her in, Dru thinks she's found the family she's dreamed of.
But Mistress Putnam's behavior is strange, and when young girls begin to fall ill without explanation, there's talk of witchcraft. Soon the accusations are flying and Dru even makes one of her own. Innocent lives hang in the balance, and Dru must find a way to stop the madness.
Myers does a fantastic job of bringing to life the events of the Salem Witch hunts and trials. Seamlessly weaving historical figures with fictional characters, TIME OF THE WITCHES draws the reader in and makes them feel like a participant in one of history's most tragic times.
I absolutely loved this book and have added it to my re-read pile. Dru's story grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go as I discovered more and more about her life and times. Though I studied the Salem Witch trials in high school, I got more from this novel than I did from those weeks of study. Thanks to Myers, I better understand the reasoning behind these girls' accusations.
This book would be great for use in a classroom to introduce Salem's darkest times as it gives the reader not only historical information, but also the human connection lacking in the history books. Bravo, Anna Myers. Bravo.
Drucilla is an orphan who longs for a family. When the Putnam's of Salem Village take her in, Dru thinks she's found the family she's dreamed of.
But Mistress Putnam's behavior is strange, and when young girls begin to fall ill without explanation, there's talk of witchcraft. Soon the accusations are flying and Dru even makes one of her own. Innocent lives hang in the balance, and Dru must find a way to stop the madness.
Myers does a fantastic job of bringing to life the events of the Salem Witch hunts and trials. Seamlessly weaving historical figures with fictional characters, TIME OF THE WITCHES draws the reader in and makes them feel like a participant in one of history's most tragic times.
I absolutely loved this book and have added it to my re-read pile. Dru's story grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go as I discovered more and more about her life and times. Though I studied the Salem Witch trials in high school, I got more from this novel than I did from those weeks of study. Thanks to Myers, I better understand the reasoning behind these girls' accusations.
This book would be great for use in a classroom to introduce Salem's darkest times as it gives the reader not only historical information, but also the human connection lacking in the history books. Bravo, Anna Myers. Bravo.
February 28, 2010
I am almost as fascinated by the Salem witch trials as I am about World War II. This was a very interesting historical fiction about two characters who begin to grow up together--from different families but orphaned together. Their lives take quite different roads as they find themselves caught up in the hysteria of the Salem witch trials. However, they continue to be weaved together throughout the happenings of Salem Town. What a great, quick read!
October 11, 2017
The book Time Of the Witches is a great book. It is a little weird because of all the crazy things that happens to these two children. The book Time Of the Witches is a great book. It is a little weird because of all the crazy things that happens to these two children. The children were orphans for a while bouncing from home to home. They were never separated until they were tweens. Drucilla Overbey “one of the main characters” think she finds a home, but then after living with the Putnam family that adopted her for a few years, she sees that the family is crazy about getting all of the people they do not like out of the village. They will say anything to get their way and make people believe what they are saying is true. Mistress Putnam makes Drucilla accuse most of those people of witchcraft, even though she knows they are innocent. Her best friend was accused of kissing the oldest Putnam daughter. Dru accused him as well. She has done the worst thing ever to her best friend. He was stuck in jail, where there are holes in the building to intentionally let water in to get the prisoners soaked. Ann Myers is a great artist. I would read this book especially if you are into supernatural books. In the book there are some natural deaths, but a lot of unnatural deaths. For instance there were a lot of people hanged.
October 6, 2009
On a cold January night two mothers went into labor. Two babies, a boy and a girl, were born at exactly the same time, but one mother didn’t survive. One was left to raise both children.
Gabe and Drucilla have been together since the cold night of their birth and even though Gabe’s mother has loved Drucilla like her own, she still has a longing for a family of her own. For fifteen years Gabe and Dru were connected – bound in friendship and heart, but life doesn’t always work out the way it is meant to.
When Gabe’s mother dies, the two teens are forced to find somewhere else to live as servants and for the first time in their lives they won’t be together. The farms they are to work at are side by side, but the families are at odds. Dru goes to live with Thomas Putnam, Jr. while Gabe is to live with Mary Putnam, Thomas’ stepmother. Both farms are in Salem Village.
In an attempt to make a home for herself with the Putnams, Dru finds herself in a situation that puts many members of the village in danger. Accusations of witchcraft fly as Dru and other girls begin to point their fingers at members of the community – many times at the encouragement of Thomas Putnam’s wife – the woman Dru tried to treat like the mother she never had.
Anna Myers has written a watered down version of The Crucible. While the story was entertaining, it would have been much better had it been from the point of view of someone being accused rather than one of the girls making the accusations. I found Dru to be weak and became angry and irritated with her several times throughout the book. Readers will feel more for Gabe even though he isn’t the main character.
Gabe and Drucilla have been together since the cold night of their birth and even though Gabe’s mother has loved Drucilla like her own, she still has a longing for a family of her own. For fifteen years Gabe and Dru were connected – bound in friendship and heart, but life doesn’t always work out the way it is meant to.
When Gabe’s mother dies, the two teens are forced to find somewhere else to live as servants and for the first time in their lives they won’t be together. The farms they are to work at are side by side, but the families are at odds. Dru goes to live with Thomas Putnam, Jr. while Gabe is to live with Mary Putnam, Thomas’ stepmother. Both farms are in Salem Village.
In an attempt to make a home for herself with the Putnams, Dru finds herself in a situation that puts many members of the village in danger. Accusations of witchcraft fly as Dru and other girls begin to point their fingers at members of the community – many times at the encouragement of Thomas Putnam’s wife – the woman Dru tried to treat like the mother she never had.
Anna Myers has written a watered down version of The Crucible. While the story was entertaining, it would have been much better had it been from the point of view of someone being accused rather than one of the girls making the accusations. I found Dru to be weak and became angry and irritated with her several times throughout the book. Readers will feel more for Gabe even though he isn’t the main character.
November 14, 2014
Drucilla Overbey thinks she’s found a home with the Putnam family. However, her loving expectations sour when Dru notices Ann Putnam's obsessive and paranoid behavior. Meanwhile, a new minister moves into town with the Barbados slave, Tituba. Soon many of the local girls, like Dru, secretly visit Tituba to have their fortunes told. But when the minister’s daughter becomes oddly lethargic, the other girls mimic her behavior to cover their interactions with Tituba. Their strange stupor ignites Ann Putnam’s paranoia, causing her to accuse community members of witchcraft. Again, to cover their tracks, Dru and the girls go along with her false accusations. But when Dru’s friend is accused of witchcraft, it's up to Dru to stop the maddness the Salem witch trials.
Myers creates a hauntingly rich and real perspective of the 1692 Salem witch trials through the eyes of Drucilla Overbey. From her research, Myers believes that the witch trials occurred because of groupthink: an unthinking acceptance of majority behavior. Because of this unthinking acceptance, the girls blew everything out of proportion, which included falsely accusing others of witchcraft. Along with the enlightening read, Drucilla’s narrative is painfully heart wrenching but boldly courageous. Time of the Witches can be a great resource in studying the Salem witch trials. Good for ages 12 and up.
(Found on Children's Compass Chronicle: http://childrenscompasschronicle.blog...)
Myers creates a hauntingly rich and real perspective of the 1692 Salem witch trials through the eyes of Drucilla Overbey. From her research, Myers believes that the witch trials occurred because of groupthink: an unthinking acceptance of majority behavior. Because of this unthinking acceptance, the girls blew everything out of proportion, which included falsely accusing others of witchcraft. Along with the enlightening read, Drucilla’s narrative is painfully heart wrenching but boldly courageous. Time of the Witches can be a great resource in studying the Salem witch trials. Good for ages 12 and up.
(Found on Children's Compass Chronicle: http://childrenscompasschronicle.blog...)
February 12, 2013
I have a pet peeve with this book.
Page 84: "Her cousin, Abigail, though, had dancing eyes, dark hair, and a round, full face."
Page 86: "'I should be delighted, sir.' Mistress Putnam's eyes danced."
Page 87: "'It will be my mission to help him.' Mistress Putnam smiled and her eyes danced."
Really? Three sets of dancing eyes within 3 pages of one another? Could the author not think of another descriptive word to get her point across?
I had two other spots marked for similar reasons. It's just a pet peeve of mine.
Other than that, it is an interesting view on the Salem witch trials, perhaps a companion to The Crucible. The author tries to get across the idea of mass hysteria and how it felt to be a participant in those horrible events, but I didn't feel it quite worked. The main character, Drucilla, just came across as rather annoying and gullible. I think anyone is susceptible to mass hysteria, mob influence, etc, but this book was not written well enough to transmit those feelings to the reader. It did make me want to read more about the Salem witch trials, though.
Page 84: "Her cousin, Abigail, though, had dancing eyes, dark hair, and a round, full face."
Page 86: "'I should be delighted, sir.' Mistress Putnam's eyes danced."
Page 87: "'It will be my mission to help him.' Mistress Putnam smiled and her eyes danced."
Really? Three sets of dancing eyes within 3 pages of one another? Could the author not think of another descriptive word to get her point across?
I had two other spots marked for similar reasons. It's just a pet peeve of mine.
Other than that, it is an interesting view on the Salem witch trials, perhaps a companion to The Crucible. The author tries to get across the idea of mass hysteria and how it felt to be a participant in those horrible events, but I didn't feel it quite worked. The main character, Drucilla, just came across as rather annoying and gullible. I think anyone is susceptible to mass hysteria, mob influence, etc, but this book was not written well enough to transmit those feelings to the reader. It did make me want to read more about the Salem witch trials, though.
April 19, 2010
This Salem witch story creates a sense of foreboding that lasts almost the entire length of the book, but doesn't as effectively convey the actual horror of what transpired. It suggests reasonable explanations for the events from the perspective of one of the girls (an imaginary one) who was caught up in the accusations, so because she isn't particularly admirable or likeable, I had some trouble relating to the narrator, Drucilla. Someone who is particularly interested in the Salem witch trials might find this book interesting, but it is not likely to draw in a reluctant reader.
September 9, 2018
This book was a re-read for me. I still agree with my review below, but this time the book actually made me cry. What Dru went through while living with Ann Putnam was unbearable. She was really brave to take a stand and make things right.
The historical accuracy of this story mixed with the fictional characters Gabe and Dru spun an unforgettable tale. The author's note at the end provides an insight about the tricks of the human mind and also pays homage to the victims of the Salem witch trials.
The historical accuracy of this story mixed with the fictional characters Gabe and Dru spun an unforgettable tale. The author's note at the end provides an insight about the tricks of the human mind and also pays homage to the victims of the Salem witch trials.
August 6, 2016
Anna Myers has written a great historical fiction novel here. I have always been curious about the Salem witch trails. This book gives you some great insight into what happened back then. Characters are awesome!!!! I'm sure we all have a Mrs Putnam in our lives that some just can't stand!!!!
May 31, 2009
My photo is on the cover! :)
March 20, 2018
I purchased this book at a school book fair eight years ago because I've always really enjoyed reading about history and it was only $2.50. (What a steal, right?) In those eight years, the book has always sat in the very back of my shelves ignored in favor of other books. Even now I likely would not have picked up the book had I not been reorganizing my bookshelf and realized that a friend of mine would likely enjoy it since she is really into historical fiction. Because the book was so short, I decided I might as well read it before passing it on to her.
I picked up the book with low expectations, already accepting the fact that it was unlikely I going to enjoy this book since historical fiction is not in the handful of genres that I usually reach for. However, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by the book as a whole.
The beginning of Time of the Witches is pretty slow and admittedly kind of dull. In the first part of the book, you are introduced to the main character Drucilla and her counterpart Gabe. You find out how the two are important to each other but, in my opinion, Part One of the book was pretty much all filler and seemed unnecessary. I felt like it did not make me as a reader feel more understanding of their bond just because I had read these chapters. It might have been better to simply summarize Part One into a single short chapter as a preface for the rest of the book.
Part Two of the book is where things finally began to get interesting. We find Dru moving to her new home with Thomas and Ann Putnam. The reason I began to take interest by this point was less because of Dru and more so because I was intrigued by the way Mistress Putnam and her daughter Ann acted. As the story progressed, I found myself consumed by the way Drucilla was acting as well. Finally! A female protagonist who wasn't strong and perfect! I enjoyed this new perspective of being inside the head of a character who knew she was being manipulated, but made excuses to protect the person who was manipulating her rather than attempting to expose them. It was sort of refreshing, in a way, to see a realistic portrayal of someone who is being mentally and emotionally abused and to see how it affects the people closest to the victim.
Finally, the book really began to pick up as the accusations of witchcraft began. I thought this would be my least favorite part of the book considering most people know the events that took place during the Salem Witch Trials. However, for me, seeing the trials through the accusers point of view was something new. It was fascinating to see Drucilla's thought process as the final chapters of the book progressed and if I end up rereading this book in the future it will be for these chapter that I choose to do so.
For anyone who knows me or has read my reviews in the past, you should know that I am pretty difficult to please when it comes to the way that a book ends. While I didn't hate the ending of this book, I felt it definitely left something to be desired. I feel that for most people it would be a satisfying ending, but when I finished the book I was no way in awe of the last chapter. If anything else, I think the author rushed the final chapters. I did, however, enjoy the authors note at the end and appreciated that Myers took the opportunity to clarify what aspects of the novel were fiction and which aspects were based on fact or, at the very least, speculation.
Overall, it felt like a slow paced read especially in the beginning. However, a large chunk of the book was definitely worth reading. I would say it is worth a reread in the future, just doubtfully any time soon. It's a quick and interesting read when you want a quick book to pass the time. And if you're interested in history, or the Salem Witch Trials in particular, then I would say this is definitely a book for you.
I picked up the book with low expectations, already accepting the fact that it was unlikely I going to enjoy this book since historical fiction is not in the handful of genres that I usually reach for. However, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by the book as a whole.
The beginning of Time of the Witches is pretty slow and admittedly kind of dull. In the first part of the book, you are introduced to the main character Drucilla and her counterpart Gabe. You find out how the two are important to each other but, in my opinion, Part One of the book was pretty much all filler and seemed unnecessary. I felt like it did not make me as a reader feel more understanding of their bond just because I had read these chapters. It might have been better to simply summarize Part One into a single short chapter as a preface for the rest of the book.
Part Two of the book is where things finally began to get interesting. We find Dru moving to her new home with Thomas and Ann Putnam. The reason I began to take interest by this point was less because of Dru and more so because I was intrigued by the way Mistress Putnam and her daughter Ann acted. As the story progressed, I found myself consumed by the way Drucilla was acting as well. Finally! A female protagonist who wasn't strong and perfect! I enjoyed this new perspective of being inside the head of a character who knew she was being manipulated, but made excuses to protect the person who was manipulating her rather than attempting to expose them. It was sort of refreshing, in a way, to see a realistic portrayal of someone who is being mentally and emotionally abused and to see how it affects the people closest to the victim.
Finally, the book really began to pick up as the accusations of witchcraft began. I thought this would be my least favorite part of the book considering most people know the events that took place during the Salem Witch Trials. However, for me, seeing the trials through the accusers point of view was something new. It was fascinating to see Drucilla's thought process as the final chapters of the book progressed and if I end up rereading this book in the future it will be for these chapter that I choose to do so.
For anyone who knows me or has read my reviews in the past, you should know that I am pretty difficult to please when it comes to the way that a book ends. While I didn't hate the ending of this book, I felt it definitely left something to be desired. I feel that for most people it would be a satisfying ending, but when I finished the book I was no way in awe of the last chapter. If anything else, I think the author rushed the final chapters. I did, however, enjoy the authors note at the end and appreciated that Myers took the opportunity to clarify what aspects of the novel were fiction and which aspects were based on fact or, at the very least, speculation.
Overall, it felt like a slow paced read especially in the beginning. However, a large chunk of the book was definitely worth reading. I would say it is worth a reread in the future, just doubtfully any time soon. It's a quick and interesting read when you want a quick book to pass the time. And if you're interested in history, or the Salem Witch Trials in particular, then I would say this is definitely a book for you.
October 9, 2019
My opinion on the book is its very slow and tedious. It starts with the back story of Drucilla and how her mother died. It skips to how Gabe and Drucilla moved from home to home, which death did follow them. Drucilla gets seperated from Gabe and meets Ann Putnam, someone who I believe is obessesive but I mean with the pain she has been through I would be too, Drucilla started to call her mom which to me was uneventful. Soon she begins to fall into the web of Ann Putnamś lies. The witch trials began and for Drucilla to get involved was making me mad which was an understatement. I honestly just wanted to throw the book and rip my hair out. I don´t blame Gabe for not wanting to talk to any of them after the trials. Just in my opinion, I wish I didn´t give this book the time of day because of the whole ordeal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2022
This book was thrilling to read; it gives an in-person description of the Salem Witch Trials. Drucilla, the protagonist, is an active participant in the witch hysteria, despite her conscience urging her not to be absorbed by the times. Her helplessness at the hands of Ann Putnam is very compelling; readers can definitely understand the dangerous position she is stuck in. The ending is unexpected, but it is a stronger ending than what one would normally find, so I found it satisfying (and it set up the story for a sequel, although I'm not sure there is one). This novel would be an excellent choice for a text set or lesson about the power of group thinking and suggestibility.
November 11, 2017
This book was just okay. Definitely not my favorite historical fiction. What I found most interesting about this particular novel was that I found the first half of the novel much more engaging than the last half. It almost felt as if the writer were developing deeply the characters in the first half, bringing them to life, then as an afterthought sharing historical details of the witch trials in Salem. Probably a good read for younger readers to get them into the historical fiction genre, but other novels about the same subject matter are better written.
January 6, 2022
Time of the Witches by Anna Myers is about an orphan girl, her best friend Gabe, a puritan family, a rather evil minister, a young slave women and a bunch of people thought to be witches. This was a strange time in American History and a story, which should be told. But this book is not well written enough for anyone, especially young readers, to learn about this episode in American history. This is not a fun book to read. It is not enlightening. There are good books concerning this subject. This is just not one of them.
July 30, 2018
I thought the book was pretty good overall. I started the book with no expectations or really knowing what the book was 100% about (as I found it on one of my school's bookshelves) so that might’ve helped. Once I read the first chapter though I struggled to put the book down so I was pretty happy with it. 👍🏼👍🏼 If u enjoy a good historical fiction and creepy/weird characters (Ann) than you too might like this book.
May 27, 2017
The Salem Witch Trials are very intriguing to me and this book verified just how crazy the whole concept was. I think this book does a great job of allowing the reader to really understand how the accusations took place and the extent to which people lied. It's devastating to think of how many innocent people were hanged.
September 5, 2019
I understand the mass hysteria effect and evil in people, but man I just did not care for Dru's submissive nature and I wanted to slap mistress Putnam. The book was well written, with the plot consistently moving but the last bit was way rushed. It was on purpose I think, to show the real seriousness and unhappy ending many characters ended with.
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May 20, 2022In a brief amount of time, accusations of witch craft have many women fighting for their lives. The biggest question is who are the actual witches? You need to read the book to have the answer to that question.
November 1, 2022
Decent enough, starts out strong, but then starts to drag about halfway through. I also really didn’t connect to any of the characters- real or fiction - so that’s another strike against it. Finally, it was very dialogue heavy and also very tell, not show.
March 24, 2025
This is The Crucible from someone else’s perspective. It’s also a great version for a younger crowd. As an adult, I found it to be quite juvenile, however, if I read it when I was in middle school or elementary school, I would have enjoyed this version.
September 22, 2017
It starts out a bit slow but starts to get interesting towards the end.
January 3, 2018
this book was really boring and kinda pointless...
September 7, 2022
I absolutely loved this book and I still love it. I would read it on repeat if I could! Oh wait I can.
May 16, 2024
Borrowed this book from my fifth grade teachers personal classroom collection and forgot to return it😳I’m sorry Miss B, but I still have it all these years later 🫡
August 26, 2024
Anti-climatic ending
December 8, 2024
Rating: 3.5 of 5.0
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