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The Once & Future Witch Hunt: A Descendant's Reckoning from Salem to the Present
Past and present collide in this page-turner investigation into Salem's irrepressible question: How could this have happened?
In 1692, Martha Allen Carrier was hanged in the Salem witch trials as the "Queen of Hell." Three hundred years later, her nine-times-great-granddaughter, Alice Markham-Cantor, set out to discover why Martha had died. As she chased her ancestor through the archives, graveyards, and haunted places of New England, grappling with what we owe the past, Alice discovered a shocking truth: witch hunts didn't end in Salem.
Extensively researched and told through alternating fiction and non-fiction chapters, The Once & Future Witch Hunt does not treat Salem as a cautionary tale. It treats Salem as an instruction manual—not on how to perform witch hunts, but how to stop them.
Foreword by Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author.
Afterword by Silvia Federici, author of Caliban and the Witch.
In 1692, Martha Allen Carrier was hanged in the Salem witch trials as the "Queen of Hell." Three hundred years later, her nine-times-great-granddaughter, Alice Markham-Cantor, set out to discover why Martha had died. As she chased her ancestor through the archives, graveyards, and haunted places of New England, grappling with what we owe the past, Alice discovered a shocking truth: witch hunts didn't end in Salem.
Extensively researched and told through alternating fiction and non-fiction chapters, The Once & Future Witch Hunt does not treat Salem as a cautionary tale. It treats Salem as an instruction manual—not on how to perform witch hunts, but how to stop them.
Foreword by Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author.
Afterword by Silvia Federici, author of Caliban and the Witch.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2025
27 people are currently reading
806 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 29, 2024
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the Salem Witch Trials are many women’s Roman Empire, including my own. I’ve read one or two nonfiction and lots of historical fiction about them and still learned new things in this book. It is very well-researched and focuses on Martha Carrier, the author’s ancestor, and the so-called “Queen of Hell,” who was put to death in 1692. The author alternates between historical fiction and non-fiction chapters, and both were well-written.
One of the most notable parts of the book was the author realizing in her research that this is still happening to people, primarily women, as recently as 2023. Most recently in African countries, but it seems that humans just can’t stop doing this to people - as in the Salem cases, primarily to women, people with differences, and people who might have property or other resources that others might be able to claim when they are found guilty. Given how often women are demonized in all societies to this day, this will likely never not be a timely read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Alice Markham-Carter for the advance release of this audiobook, I really enjoyed it and learned a lot!
One of the most notable parts of the book was the author realizing in her research that this is still happening to people, primarily women, as recently as 2023. Most recently in African countries, but it seems that humans just can’t stop doing this to people - as in the Salem cases, primarily to women, people with differences, and people who might have property or other resources that others might be able to claim when they are found guilty. Given how often women are demonized in all societies to this day, this will likely never not be a timely read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Alice Markham-Carter for the advance release of this audiobook, I really enjoyed it and learned a lot!
November 1, 2024
3.5⭐️rounded up. Half hot sociological take on the Salem witch trials and half history of the events. It is interesting to think about how disenfranchised white women aligned themselves with the existing power structure to protect themselves at the cost of oppressing others. Sounds familiar.
“The Salem witch trials are a ledger of the responsibility of belief…the trials are the earliest American record of how justice is seen as legitimate as long as it targets the marginalized, and only when it attacks a higher stratum of society is cruelty understood by its perpetrators as demonic”
“The Salem witch trials are a ledger of the responsibility of belief…the trials are the earliest American record of how justice is seen as legitimate as long as it targets the marginalized, and only when it attacks a higher stratum of society is cruelty understood by its perpetrators as demonic”
November 20, 2025
Pro: Swapping back and forth perspectives/styles was a great choice. The personal writing style kept the non-fiction chapters very readable. Lots of content in a way that was not dry. A real "story" within the larger story.
Con: Keeping it personal made it feel lighter than it probably should have been. The book started out strong but felt like it ran out of steam by the end. Many of the big powerful commentary was buried in the middle and got lost by the end. I wish there was a summary or more impactful statement chapter at the end, instead of just sort of "she died" and "so its over."
Con: Keeping it personal made it feel lighter than it probably should have been. The book started out strong but felt like it ran out of steam by the end. Many of the big powerful commentary was buried in the middle and got lost by the end. I wish there was a summary or more impactful statement chapter at the end, instead of just sort of "she died" and "so its over."
December 25, 2024
This was the first thing I’ve ever read about the Salem Witch Trials, or really witches at all, and what a way to start!! I loved the weaving together of historical fiction and memoir, which helped remind me periodically that this really was a historical event. Markham-Cantor is a fantastic writer and this is a creative, well researched, smart book.
May 15, 2024
Thank you NetGallet and Tantor Audio for an advanced copy of the book.
As I teach Shakespeare, witch hunting is a topic I have some knowledge about. I did not, however, have a good insight into one of the most famous witch hunts in history: Salem. We all have heard of the trials; be it through conversation or the hundreds of references in popular culture. This book offers something completely different: an accurate portrayal and demystifying of the inherently human experience of those involved in such a dark in American history.
Trying to connect with her past and the events that led to the tragedy, Alice Markham-Cantor sets off in search of Martha Carrier, an ancestor executed during the Salem witch trials. The story delves into the historical significance of the witch trials, seamlessly weaving past and present through a meticulous gathering and recollection of historical records and data. Through this, she aims to recreate the stories of those involved in the trials, both victims and executors, seamlessly mixing fiction and non-fiction.
Apart from being entertained, I have learnt some interesting facts about how witch hunts are still prevalent in some parts of the world, as well as the socioeconomic background behind them, connecting the end of feudalism with the marginalisation of women from landownership to exclusion from certain professions.
A great read!
As I teach Shakespeare, witch hunting is a topic I have some knowledge about. I did not, however, have a good insight into one of the most famous witch hunts in history: Salem. We all have heard of the trials; be it through conversation or the hundreds of references in popular culture. This book offers something completely different: an accurate portrayal and demystifying of the inherently human experience of those involved in such a dark in American history.
Trying to connect with her past and the events that led to the tragedy, Alice Markham-Cantor sets off in search of Martha Carrier, an ancestor executed during the Salem witch trials. The story delves into the historical significance of the witch trials, seamlessly weaving past and present through a meticulous gathering and recollection of historical records and data. Through this, she aims to recreate the stories of those involved in the trials, both victims and executors, seamlessly mixing fiction and non-fiction.
Apart from being entertained, I have learnt some interesting facts about how witch hunts are still prevalent in some parts of the world, as well as the socioeconomic background behind them, connecting the end of feudalism with the marginalisation of women from landownership to exclusion from certain professions.
A great read!
December 7, 2024
This is a really interesting, deeply personal book. Which, I'll admit, was not what I expected going in. Like many, I have a morbid fascination with the Salem Witch Trials, born from equal parts confusion on how such things could have happened and a quiet, creeping suspicion that it easily could have been me standing in a jail cell, if I'd had the misfortune of having been alive in 1692. I think most people who are drawn to the Trials feel the same way. And yet, a considerable amount of literature on the Salem Witch Trials is rather detached. Clinical. Valuable, yes, but completely removed from the human element that lies at the heart of the Trials. This book is not like that. It not only forces humanity into the tragic tale of Martha Carrier, but validates that quiet, creeping fear: it did happen, it could happen, and it is happening.
While it's obvious that this is a very well-researched book, it makes for an easy read. The text alternates between the author's story of how she came to write the book and the life, accusation, trial, and execution of her ancestor, Martha Carrier. I typically hate when books are written this way; I'm the impatient type who wants to follow a single thread at a time. Those similar to me are destined for frustration: the two chapter types are interwoven with tidbits of information that, were you to read only one set at a time, would leave you without full understanding of the context behind what you read. While this isn't my favorite writing style, it's very well done here!
That being said, it was the latter half of the book that really made the starkest impression on me. The significance of economics and the social pressures it puts on a society was interesting, something I haven't seen lingered on before. But it was the current witch hunts that are explored that are really staying with me. Calling something a witch hunt has been thrown around so easily these days that the phrase has become a bit divorced from it's meaning. But there are people who are, at this very moment, being targeted for violence due to accusations of witchcraft. The violence is so extensive that there are whole organizations that exist to combat it.
That is the real focus of this book. It isn't about finding answers for why the Salem Witch Trials happened, not really. It's about looking for answers about why they're still happening now. And I think it does that very effectively. It doesn't aim to be the comprehensive guide to the modern persecution of accused witches; there is an extensive bibliography and list of sources if you're looking for that. But it serves as a great jumping off point to learn more, to think, and to watch for similar scenarios that are happening in the world around you. I'm glad I read it, and it's definitely something I would recommend for anyone with an interest in Witch Trials around the world, past or present.
While it's obvious that this is a very well-researched book, it makes for an easy read. The text alternates between the author's story of how she came to write the book and the life, accusation, trial, and execution of her ancestor, Martha Carrier. I typically hate when books are written this way; I'm the impatient type who wants to follow a single thread at a time. Those similar to me are destined for frustration: the two chapter types are interwoven with tidbits of information that, were you to read only one set at a time, would leave you without full understanding of the context behind what you read. While this isn't my favorite writing style, it's very well done here!
That being said, it was the latter half of the book that really made the starkest impression on me. The significance of economics and the social pressures it puts on a society was interesting, something I haven't seen lingered on before. But it was the current witch hunts that are explored that are really staying with me. Calling something a witch hunt has been thrown around so easily these days that the phrase has become a bit divorced from it's meaning. But there are people who are, at this very moment, being targeted for violence due to accusations of witchcraft. The violence is so extensive that there are whole organizations that exist to combat it.
That is the real focus of this book. It isn't about finding answers for why the Salem Witch Trials happened, not really. It's about looking for answers about why they're still happening now. And I think it does that very effectively. It doesn't aim to be the comprehensive guide to the modern persecution of accused witches; there is an extensive bibliography and list of sources if you're looking for that. But it serves as a great jumping off point to learn more, to think, and to watch for similar scenarios that are happening in the world around you. I'm glad I read it, and it's definitely something I would recommend for anyone with an interest in Witch Trials around the world, past or present.
January 2, 2025
I am like the author, because I also have dead people (relatives and people in town) who I believe want me to research and tell their stories. I lack the talent needed to write a book like this one, but I do have a facebook page belonging to the local historic society and I maintain it with my stories. Martha Carrier is also one of my 9th great grandmas and her name pops into my head regularly. I am also drawn to books about her, however, I did not look to see who this book was about when I picked it. I wanted to learn about witch hunts in general. We all think they stopped after Salem but I have found newspapers articles showing them happening in the late 1800s.
I love how this books reminds us that women had careers for a time way back when. They were doctors, bookkeepers, nd innkeepers, and then the men were like "nah."
And our historian just went along with it!
Everytime women have gained nay power there has been retaliation. Now we have a presidential candidate who wants to monitor the periods of girls and women to ensure no one in red states gets an abortion. We are days away from being jailed for miscarriage. It never stops. It is all variations of the same thing. Women are blamed for everything.
I loved the history in this book, the research, and I loved that she made Thomas into the heartthrob he probably was.
The narration was perfect.
I love how this books reminds us that women had careers for a time way back when. They were doctors, bookkeepers, nd innkeepers, and then the men were like "nah."
And our historian just went along with it!
Everytime women have gained nay power there has been retaliation. Now we have a presidential candidate who wants to monitor the periods of girls and women to ensure no one in red states gets an abortion. We are days away from being jailed for miscarriage. It never stops. It is all variations of the same thing. Women are blamed for everything.
I loved the history in this book, the research, and I loved that she made Thomas into the heartthrob he probably was.
The narration was perfect.
May 7, 2024
To say something can be both haunting, illuminating, and enthralling is an exciting combination. That is precisely how I describe The Once & Future Witch Hunts by Alice Markham-Cantor. I equally loved the research and archival information rationales and the emotive story-telling in the historical fiction context of this dual point-of-view narrative. Even though I knew the inevitable was happening to Martha, given the historical record and knowledge of the Salem Witch Hunts, I could not escape how the story took hold of my subconscious. I understand the author's search for answers and to give voice to those whom the patriarchy has silenced.
This audiobook inspired me to do more profound research of my own, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Martha's tale and Alice's journey to uncover it. Thank you to Alice Markham-Cantor, NetGalley, and Blackstone Publishing, Inc. This narrative was an incredible journey to witness.
This audiobook inspired me to do more profound research of my own, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Martha's tale and Alice's journey to uncover it. Thank you to Alice Markham-Cantor, NetGalley, and Blackstone Publishing, Inc. This narrative was an incredible journey to witness.
June 6, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC—I loved the book! I think the Salem witch trials are such a fascinating thesis topic. I know I was taught about this in high school, but it’s different now being an adult and having such grown up anger towards the accusers of the convicted persons.
Markham-Cantor does an excellent job adding fact-based narrative to the real people who lived through this nightmare embarrassment in US history. As a descendant of a convicted witch, she writes her heart on the page and allows the reader to feel every sorrow that Martha Carrier shouldered. Thank you Alice for naming the victims from over the past 300 years and giving them a place of remembrance. May we learn from our past and do all we can to make sure people are never treated so poorly ever again.
I highly recommend to anyone interested in US history or the Salem witch trials. It’s an entertaining listen! (The audiobook was excellent!)
Markham-Cantor does an excellent job adding fact-based narrative to the real people who lived through this nightmare embarrassment in US history. As a descendant of a convicted witch, she writes her heart on the page and allows the reader to feel every sorrow that Martha Carrier shouldered. Thank you Alice for naming the victims from over the past 300 years and giving them a place of remembrance. May we learn from our past and do all we can to make sure people are never treated so poorly ever again.
I highly recommend to anyone interested in US history or the Salem witch trials. It’s an entertaining listen! (The audiobook was excellent!)
June 11, 2024
An interesting combination of historical story and present day investigation as Alice digs into the history of the Salem Witch trials and the death of her ancestor, Martha, during this dark time. Alice is determined to discover why and how the Salem Witch Trials happened, and tells of her research intertwined with the historical story of Martha.
I’ve always been fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials and was very excited for this book. Growing up in Massachusetts, this local history was a major piece of my upbringing. This was a unique take and a fun weaving of history, research, and story telling. I’ve seen others refer to the Salem Witch Trials as women’s Roman Empire and I cannot agree more!
I enjoyed the audiobook, though I listened to it at 3x speed because the pace was far too slow.
I received the audio book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but I also purchased the audiobook via audible because I wasn’t able to listen to it before it was archived.
I’ve always been fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials and was very excited for this book. Growing up in Massachusetts, this local history was a major piece of my upbringing. This was a unique take and a fun weaving of history, research, and story telling. I’ve seen others refer to the Salem Witch Trials as women’s Roman Empire and I cannot agree more!
I enjoyed the audiobook, though I listened to it at 3x speed because the pace was far too slow.
I received the audio book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but I also purchased the audiobook via audible because I wasn’t able to listen to it before it was archived.
May 1, 2024
Exploring the dark history of the Salem witch trials, the descendant of an accused witch alternates chapters of fact and fiction as she reveals the truth behind her ancestor’s fate. Through detailed research, a haunting revelation emerges: witch hunts are not just a relic of the past. This unique work presents Salem not as a cautionary tale, but as a guide to prevent future atrocities.
This incredibly immersive and engaging book brings to life the world of Salem in the 1600s. As a scholarly work, it also offers the personal and professional perspective of a woman telling her family’s story. This book does a good job of explaining how the Salem witch trials happened, and the socioeconomic factors that contributed. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This incredibly immersive and engaging book brings to life the world of Salem in the 1600s. As a scholarly work, it also offers the personal and professional perspective of a woman telling her family’s story. This book does a good job of explaining how the Salem witch trials happened, and the socioeconomic factors that contributed. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
May 23, 2024
In this semi-historical, semi-contemporany investigation of her family story, Alice Markham-Cantor invites readers and listeners alike to take a deeper look at we now know as the “Salem witch trials”. What I found interesting is that the story explores the trials beyond the “she said, she said” usual narrative and looks at the wider context of the times to get a better understanding of what the event entailed from a social, political, and economical view point. I see it as a good read both for historians and students of sociology who are interested in the topic of witch trials beyond the mainstream media narratives.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #TheOnceFutureWitchHunt #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning
Note: This review is based on an ARC copy
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #TheOnceFutureWitchHunt #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning
Note: This review is based on an ARC copy
May 27, 2024
In 1953 Arthur Miller wrote a play about the Salem Witch Hunts of the seventeenth century, with the interpretation that the hunt for Communists during his era was similar to the Salem hunt for witches. Alice Markham-Cantor has written a marvelous book which can stand on the shelf next to the Miller play. She writes both fiction about one particular family----her ancestor Martha Carrier---and about so much more. She alternates fiction chapters with chapters which highlight the historiography, her own process of research and writing, and the modern trend of witch accusations. Her book will be splendid in the women's history classroom and historians writing more traditional books will be inspired by her innovative model for telling a story about the past with grave implications for the present.
May 13, 2024
Absolutely fascinating! I know very little about the Salem Witch Trials, just the basics everyone else knows. Alice Markham-Cantor has presented her research in an easy to follow account, alternating between what feels like a historical fiction novel and her thoughts while working on her dissertation. I learned so much while feeling immersed into the time, seeing things through the eyes of her several times removed great-grandmother, and really understanding the travesty that was carried out for these women. I found the comparison to other countries interesting and this added a nice touch to the overall story. Highly recommended for a deeper dive into witch trials all over.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and RB Media for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and RB Media for an honest review.
April 29, 2024
I had trouble getting into this audiobook. The narrator was slow even when the speed was increased to 2x the speed. While the forward was quite interesting, the book that followed did not live up to the same expectations. The author appears to have tried to create a memoir, historical non fiction, and historical fiction all in one book. It simply is too much. While the memoir pieces were charming, they became lost in the historical parts of the book. Furthermore the historical non fiction accounts of witches and Salem, etc. did nothing to add to the exhaustive amounts of literature already on the market on the subject.
August 6, 2024
Amazing insight into the context of witch hunts historically leading to today. The pacing of this book was engaging but I wasn't lost if I put it down and it took a second to pick up again. The form of going back and forth between the past and present was part of what carried the content of witch hunts as a whole so well. I learned a lot, I cried and the book contents showed up in my dreams. Was interesting to read especially while living in Massachusetts and I want to go check out all the places mentioned in the book in the fall. This book focused my lens for life some more, definitely a story I will carry with me.
May 1, 2024
The Salem Witch Trials have always been a subject I love to study. When I was given the ARC from NetGalley for the audiobook I was very excited.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that we get the historic portion as well as the authors perspective as well. It was a unique view from a decedents point of view. I could not put this book down. I also love how they give some really nice examples of how witch hunts are still in existence today.
#NetGalley #ARC #advanced reader copy #audiobook
What I really enjoyed about this book is that we get the historic portion as well as the authors perspective as well. It was a unique view from a decedents point of view. I could not put this book down. I also love how they give some really nice examples of how witch hunts are still in existence today.
#NetGalley #ARC #advanced reader copy #audiobook
May 27, 2024
What a brilliant telling as the author switches back and forth between her historic interpretations of the trials and accused as well as modern day research shared both regarding the Salem witch trials but also and sadly, current witch hunts. Too many to even grasp.
I know most of the surface tellings of Salem but supplemented with how women in history were in a lose lose situation as well as used as scapegoats anytime someone fell ill or found themselves in any kind of trouble - a true horror story.
Being a fan of outlander and all Claire is subjected too is brought to life in this novel. After all this time, women cause so much fear simply by being forward and intelligent and beautiful.
I know most of the surface tellings of Salem but supplemented with how women in history were in a lose lose situation as well as used as scapegoats anytime someone fell ill or found themselves in any kind of trouble - a true horror story.
Being a fan of outlander and all Claire is subjected too is brought to life in this novel. After all this time, women cause so much fear simply by being forward and intelligent and beautiful.
June 3, 2024
Exceptionally thoughtful exploration of the Salem witch trials from the perspective of a descendent of one of the killed accused. Author does her best to put herself in her ancestors shoes and consider how it muddy have all felt. This is dovetailed with an explosion of witch trials in general and how they are definitely not a thing of the past.
Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.
Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.
June 24, 2024
This is a fabulous read. Markham-Cantor conjures a story about the Salem “witches” by reading between the lines of the extensive historical records. In intervening chapters, she shares her quest to unravel it all, while her befuddled friends and even the neighborhood barista cheer her on. Markham-Cantor has constructed a whip-smart, exhaustively researched feminist analysis of a tragedy that is perhaps not as far in the rear-view mirror as we’d like to think. I loved this book.
September 1, 2024
Characterized as both fiction and nonfiction: she does a great job of describing the various forces behind witchhunts both historically and in the present day, and then draws on the evidence to produce a credible historical fiction account of her ancestor Martha Carrier. When she goes into the supernatural in her own life she started to lose me; but overall coincided with the voices of a tour we took this summer in Salem about the culpability of the Parrishes, Corwins, and Putnams.
January 11, 2025
A fabulous book combining historical fiction and memoir. I very much enjoyed Markham-Cantor's exploration of her ancestors, and getting to know the main protagonist, Martha. Markham-Cantor does an excellent job of capturing the Salem Witch trials through the eyes of Martha and her community. Markham-Cantor is a great writer and storyteller with a timely story to tell. We should all be as brave as Martha. Bravo!!
July 17, 2024
WOW. Markham-Cantor beautifully relays the story of Martha, in a way that feels authentic and meaningful. Her witty and sharp writing style shines both in the fiction and non-fiction chapters. What a fantastic read! I have an entirely new perspective on Puritan New England, and on the witch trials of past and present.
October 23, 2024
I’ve read the Crucible, I’ve been to Salem, so I thought I knew the story of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. This book makes it more personal, and focuses on why this happened and why it continues to happen more than 300 yrs later. I also liked how the chapters went back and forth between the author’s research and retelling Martha’s story in creative nonfiction.
April 24, 2025
This was a lot of information that I already knew about Salem and the Salem Witch Trials. However, I didn’t know a lot about Martha Carrier, and I didn’t know that there are still witch hunts happening today. It was a good read, and if you don’t already know a lot about Salem then this would be a great one to read.
March 13, 2024
Truly enchanting read. Deeply rooted and excellently written— the weaving of styles, between fiction, memoir, and archival ethnography, is superb. A provoking political text and a good story. Really cannot recommend enough.
June 13, 2024
I am not a reader that typically is drawn to non-fiction, but the way the author rotated the chapters between fiction and nonfiction was amazing. I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anybody.
July 4, 2024
The Once and Future Witch Hunt was fantastic! I was riveted throughout the whole story. It weaved between present day and Salem in 1692 so seamlessly. The history of teh witch hunts, the economic and cultural backdrop, and the details of those impacted were all fascinating. I highly recommend it.
August 2, 2024
This was a fascinating trip through a piece of American history I knew little about. The story comes alive through well-conveyed research and compelling storytelling. The connections to contemporary witch hunts are sobering.
Definitely worth reading!!
Definitely worth reading!!
August 14, 2024
A really great read! I loved the format - alternating chapters told from the point of view of the author and the title character (the author’s Salem ancestor). It’s part non fiction and part historical fiction, and the result is a well researched and compelling read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews