Customer Reviews

Beyond the Burning Time

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Beyond the Burning Time is a great book. This historicalfiction is not only educational, but it is very interesting. Beyondthe Burning Time is a book about the Salem Witch Trials. As most people know, the Salem Witch Trials took place in the late 1600's. To be more precise, they took place in the year of 1692. It tells a story about a girl named Mary Chase who watches all the horrible things going on in her once quiet town. All of the "afflicted" girls cause many people to be hanged because they are accused of witch craft. All of the afflicted girls are Mary's age, and she wonders and worries all of the nasty seizures that the afflicted girls have will happen to her. Then, when her mother becomes of witch craft, Mary and her brother Caleb have to try to put an end to all these deaths. Can they save their mother in time, or are they too late? Well, you will just have to read this book to find out. I'm sure you will enjoy this book.

Beyond the Burning Time
By: Lasky, Kathryn
Reviewed By: R. Gandhi
Period: P.1
It starts out in the village of Salem. Mary Chase and her widowed mother, Virginia Chase, tend a farm with the help of a friend named Gilly. Gilly is soon chased away because he was caught spying on Virginia Chase. Caleb is Mary's brother and works as an apprentice nearby at a shipyard. Soon rumor spreads around that witchcraft is going on in Salem. Innocent people are wrongly accused, taken away for a dehumanization exam, given a trial, and later hung. Mary Chases' family isn't affected until Virginia was accused. Caleb is frightened and takes Mary to Boston where Mary works in a tavern. However, Boston is where Gallows Hill is located. Also, the new governor wants to continue the witch trials. Therefore, Caleb and a new character, Captain Coatsworth chart a plan and save Virginia Chase before her hanging. Virginia gets her foot amputated and later marries a Captain in Jamaica.
This book was very intoxicating! Since I am deeply interested in the supernatural world, I thought the book was great! The author was also descriptive. I could see a movie of the book in my head as I was reading. One great example is, "The girl's tongue lolled out, long as an eel. Her eyes widened. She began making the most piteous cries." Another great example is, "...dusk had settled thickly on the land. They moved quietly through the deepening shadows to the lilac bush. Inside the house they could see the glow of several candles and kerosene lamps."
This book was not very dislikable. At times it got somewhat boring. However, you could read on without falling asleep. Also, directly after the tedious part came something that was quite interesting. One example is when Gilly came to his door and saw an underskirt that was blown to his door accidentally. This short part was a bit tedious. As the story goes on he spies on Virginia to see what her legs look like because he has never seen a woman's leg. This is how he was chased away.
My favorite part was when Abigail Williams becomes afflicted. The author becomes more descriptive. Abigail Williams is described to do many unusual things. One unusual thing is listed above when her tongue lolled out like an eel's. One of the most disrespectful things I thought she did was saying her father's name. It was disrespectful because if you were afflicted and you said someone's name, it was like accusing them of being a witch. Her father is a Reverend and was saying a sermon at the time.

How would you feel if someone betrayed you and said that you are something that you are not? In the novel Beyond the Burning Time, by Kathryn Lasky, the people of Salem Town thought that Ann Putnam, Mary Walcott, or Mercy Lewis were saviors because they were supposed to the gift to spot witches. These girls would say they saw something and then they would accuse someone of witchcraft. Their word alone was enough to put people in jail and on trial for witchcraft. It was thought that there were five witches in Salem. The Chase family of Salem Town did not believe in witchcraft. Imagine the surprise of Mary and Caleb Chase when the three girls look closer to their own family. Are the accusations of the girls real?
I liked this novel because it taught me about a specific time in American History. The witch-hunts in Salem are not one of the proudest moments in our history. They are an example of how hatred and fear can destroy innocent peoples lives. One thing that I disliked about the novel was how arbitrarily people made accusations. There was no way to verify whether the accusations made against the people were justified.
When I compare this book to other books that I have read, this one of my favorite books. I liked this book because it was interesting to read. It interested me because I could never imagine living in a situation like Mary did. It is hard to imagine living at a time when life could be a living hell.
This was an enjoyable book for me to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about American history. This story gave more than the facts of what happened in Salem Town. It gave us a glimpse of the experience through the eyes a person who lived through it.

Beyond the Burning Time is an example of life during the Salem witch trials. It follows the story of Mary Chase and her family who live in Salem Village during the time of the witch trials. These girls are being afflicted and there is gossip going around that some people might be the witches. Mary knows the girls who are being afflicted by the "witches" supposedly haunting Salem. Mary doesn't think much of it until her mother is accused of witchcraft. Mary gets her brother, Caleb from the shipyards where he works and they conceive a plan to save their mother.

Soon the madness spreads and Mary was forced to move out of Salem Village with Caleb. Caleb knew his surroundings in Salem because he would walk around sometimes after his daily shift was over at the shipyard. That was where Caleb and Mary began their journey. Their goal was to speak to the Governor about their mother and all the other people accused of being witches. They had made it to the Governors office, and Caleb said that his boss had sent him from his shipyard to get in to see him. So they talked, and Caleb couldn't get to the part that innocent people were being accused of witchcraft. So they left, and Mary started to have her doubts on how she was to get her mother out of jail. They had put her in chains. That night Mary started to think of a plan, but she needed someone else to help her.

While they stayed, Mary found a job at a restaurant and Caleb worked at the shipyard. At the restaurant, the captain for one of the ships in the shipyard, Captain Coatsworth, came in and heard Mary's story of her mother from another waitress and offered to help Mary.

Salem witch trials captures the mass hysteria, the ignorance, the violence, the power struggle, and the many self-interest that drove the New England community to accuse 24 people as agents of the devil. Mary's effort is dramatic, especially now when she grows fierce and strong in her determination to set her mother free. She must find out where her mother is supposed to be hung and comes up with a plan.

Great summer reading!

Beyond The Burning Time is an exciting book on the lives of two women trying to escape the madness of Salem in the late 1600's. When Anne Puttman, a young girl, claimed to be possessed, chaos spread through the town of Salem, as innocent people were killed and arrested for witchcraft. Mary didn't really know at first if the first people accused were innocent. As time went on Mary grew suspicious of Anne but found out that people were accused that couldn't possibly be witches. When Mary's mother was accused of witchcraft, Mary and her brother Caleb make an attempt to rescue her.
This novel is original and unique from most books that I have read because of the history and fiction that brings the book together. My opinion of the book was changed and was even better when I learned similar things happened in the past. I recommend this book for all ages able to read the book. They would learn of the tragedies and adventures of Salem that really showed how evil and greedy the world can be.

Haven taken an interest 1692 Salem, I will read anything and everything I can get my hands on that remotely has anything to do with it. My Reading teacher suggested that I read this book. It's truly an incredible book, being both interesting and at the same time historically accurate. Mary Chase, the main character, is likable, especially so at the end, when she becomes so determined to save her mother from the gallows that she held a knife to someone else's throat in order to find out where her mother was. If you're not used to authors that change perspectives, you might find this book a little confusing, but, also being a Mary Higgins Clark reader, it didn't bother me, personally. If you're familiar with "The Crucible" you should be able to find it interesting picking out the characters you're familiar with (oh yeah, the Mary Warren/Proctor thing-that's just funny). If my memory doesn't betray me, there's even part of Rev. Hale's spiel about his books ("Here are your wizards and witches that go by land, by sea, by air. You incubi and your succubi..."). Enjoy-you should.

Beyond the Burning Time is a wonderful book! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down! Kathryn Lasky has a talent for explaining and telling about the Salem Witch Trials. The book is about twelve year old, Mary Chase and her family. This book has amazing detail! It feels like you are in Salem Town and you can feel the paranoia of the Chase family. The trials they go through are too much for me! All in all, Beyond the Burning Time is a wonderful, well- written novel that anybody can love! So..... READ IT!!

Beyond the Burning Time Book Review
Beyond the Burning Time is an interesting book. It is based in true events and is historical fiction. Its plot is based on the Salem witch hangings in 1692. AT the time Massachusetts had no regional government, which led to the execution of innocent people without fair trial. Superstition of witches began to take hold of North America in the late 1600s.

The most recorded executions of accused witches occurred in Salem village. It began when (or so the book says) when a fortuneteller named Tituba stared predicting a group of girl's fortunes. The girls then started behaving strangely days after. They threw strange fits. The villagers believed it was the work of evil hands A.K.A. witches. Superstition took over and the Salem townsfolk started to accuse other people of being witches. The Chases, Mary, Caleb, and Virginia, unwillingly find themselves victims of atrocities committed by the villagers. Then Virginia, Mary and Caleb's mother, is accused of being a witch. The children formulate a plan to save their mother before she is hanged.

All the main characters in this book were down to earth decent people. They were persistent in their beliefs, yet they were simple. I would only recommend this book to intellectuals and philosophers. People will have to carefully read through it to enjoy it. I personally liked it. It's important that we understand History so we do not make mistakes.

Beyond the Burning Time

Beyond the Burning Time was a interesting book with a few scares. I both liked and disliked the book. The reasons that I liked the book were that I have always enjoyed reading about history. I also liked the book because it had shocks and surprises such as people no one would of ever thought were witches (Rebecca Nurse and Martha Cory) were accused and killed. Intenseness is also something I like in a book and in this book when Mary and Caleb are trying save there mother it shows that. The only reason I disliked the book was because knowing that it was a true story and that the events really occurred, it made the book a bit scary. Compared to other novels I have read Beyond the Burning Time was much more realistic because it was a true story. I haven't read many non-fiction novels so it was it was a change. Beyond the Burning Time was a very enjoyable and easy read.

My overall impression of the novel was that it was very well wrote and anyone who has read it or does read it should like it. I would recommend this book to people who like reading about non-fiction and history. I really enjoyed reading the book Beyond the Burning Time and I recommend it to anyone who has some spare time.

Beyond The Burning Time is an exciting book on the lives of two women trying to escape the madness of Salem in the late 1600's. When Anne Puttman, a young girl, claimed to be possessed, chaos spread through the town of Salem, as innocent people were killed and arrested for witchcraft. Mary didn't really know at first if the first people accused were innocent. As time went on Mary grew suspicious of Anne but found out that people were accused that couldn't possibly be witches. When Mary's mother was accused of witchcraft, Mary and her brother Caleb make an attempt to rescue her.
This novel is original and unique from most books that I have read because of the history and fiction that brings the book together. My opinion of the book was changed and was even better when I learned similar things happened in the past. I recommend this book for all ages able to read the book. They would learn of the tragedies and adventures of Salem that really showed how evil and greedy the world can be.