The Sacrifice [Paperback]

Kathleen Benner Duble (Author)

Book Description

In the year 1692, life changes forever for ten-year-old Abigail Faulkner and her family. In Salem, Massachusetts, witches have been found, and widespread fear and panic reign mere miles from Abigail's home of Andover. When two girls are brought from Salem to identify witches in Andover, suspicion sweeps the town as well-respected members of the community are accused of witchcraft. It isn't long before chaos consumes Andover, and the Faulkners find themselves in the center of it all when friend turns themselves in the center of it all when friend turns against friend, neighbor against neighbor, in a desperate fight for the truth. At the heart of this gripping story are Abigail and her sister, Dorothy, who together must find a way to persevere during a period marked by terror, adversity, and ignorance.

Told from Abigail's point of view and based on actual events in the author's own family histoy, The Sacrifice offers a unique perspective of the Salem witch trials by delving into the devestating effects the trials had not just in Salem but throughout Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–Set in Andover in the late 17th century, this novel describes one family's experiences with the Salem witchcraft hysteria. As the story opens, 10-year-old Abigail is sitting in the stocks wearing a sign that says Sinner. She constantly questions the limits placed on her by her community and does not regret her crime–racing her male cousin, which is considered inappropriate for girls. Expecting her preacher grandfather to condemn her actions from the pulpit on Sunday, she is surprised when he speaks instead on bearing false witness–comments targeted to those who were accusing others of being witches. The madness spreads and before long, Abigail's Aunt Elizabeth is charged and jailed. Eventually, Abigail and her sister are also denounced and imprisoned, sharing her filthy, rat-infested cell. After their aunt dies, the girls' pregnant mother, believing that her condition will protect her, asks her daughters to claim that she is really the witch so that she can take their place in jail. In the end, Abigail speaks up about the evil of false accusations and helps bring the insanity to an end. Based in part on family history, Duble's narrative clearly captures the sweeping effects of community fear and shows how one youngster's bravery can bring about change. Well written with accessible language, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers.–Jane G. Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 6-9. What was it like to be accused during the Salem witch hunts in 1692? Duble brings the history close through the viewpoint of Abigail, 10, who is accused of working with the devil, imprisoned, and tried along with her older sister. The social history is intensely dramatic: the spread of fear and hatred; the horrific conditions in the packed jail; the public meetings, with the accusers "moaning and groaning and screaming for the accused to stop tormenting them." But it is the story of one young girl and her family that will grab readers. Abigail is always in trouble for not knowing her place as a woman, and the book opens with her in the stocks for daring to run and raise her skirt above her knees. Her strong mother supports her irrepressible nature, unlike weak Father, who is mentally ill and whose "fits" frighten people (Is he in the devil's thrall?). The surprising climax of family sacrifice is heartrending. The author's note adds another surprise: some of Duble's own Puritan ancestors were accused of witchcraft, and this novel imagines their story. Arthur Miller's The Crucible and Ellen Levine's Catch a Tiger by the Toe (2005) are excellent fiction connections; suggest Marc Aronson's Witch-Hunt (2003) for factual perspective. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 211 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (August 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689876513
• ISBN-13: 978-0689876516
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 6.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #465,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathleen Benner Duble grew up surrounded by very talented individuals.
Her father was a jet pilot in the Pittsburgh Air National Guard, and her sister, Lauren, went on to receive her wings and become a tanker pilot for the MAINEiacs in Bangor, Maine. Because Kathleen had sixteen car accidents before she was twenty-one, Kathleen's father would not let her try her hand at flying. This was probably a very good decision.

Kathleen's mother and younger sister, Mara, were both highly successful executives, fighting for spots in a mostly male-dominated corporate world. As Kathleen hated confrontations of any kind, this was not a wise choice of career for her either.

Her family despaired. What to do with a girl who barely looked up from the book she was reading to explore the world? Send her to college!

Kathleen graduated cum laude from Miami University, Ohio in 1980 (an easy task as most of college involves reading). She walked out with a diploma and a degree in Creative Writing. At last, she had found her calling.

But what do you write about when you've spent your whole life with your nose buried in a book? Kathleen began to look around. And for once, instead of princes and princesses and tales of adventure, she saw her own family right there in front of her with their unique stories to tell. Kathleen got to work.

In February 1999, she had a short story published in Highlights Magazine for Children, a story about a botched music recital with her sister. Her first book, Bridging Beyond, a young adult novel, about her grandmother, came out in May of 2002 and was an IRA Notable Honor Book. Pilot Mom, again about her sister, came out in May of 2003 from Charlesbridge Publishing. Her third book, The Sacrifice, a story about an ancestor discovered by her father, was released in October of 2005 by Margaret K. McElderry. This middle grade novel was a Junior Library Guild Selection, received a starred review from Booklist, was a 2005/2006 Book Sense Pick, a Jefferson Cup Noteworthy book, and an ALA BBYA nominee. It is also a Louisiana Reader's Choice nominee, a Keystone State Award nominee, a William Allen White nominee, a Nevada State Reader's Choice nominee, a Virginia Reader's Choice nominee, a Great Stone Face nominee, a Sunshine State Young Adult nominee and a Massachusetts Book Award nominee.

In 1983, she married her very smart and talented husband and began to steal from him. Hearts Of Iron, about his family's summer place, was released in October of 2006 from Margaret K. McElderry. It was a Winter Book Sense Pick and a 2007 IRA Teacher's Choice.

In Bravo, Zulu Samantha! from Peachtree Publishing, Kathleen turned once again to her father to create the character of the crotchety old grandfather who is miffed at being forced to retire from the Air Force. Her father was an excellent role model! Bravo Zulu, Samantha! was an Agatha Award nominee, a Maine Student Book Award nominee and a Society of Librarian's
International Book Award Honor Book for Language Arts: K-6 novels.

In March of 2008, Quest, was released from Margaret K. McElderry. This book tells the story of Henry Hudson and was a Boston Author's Club and a Jefferson Cup Highly Recommended book.

In July of 2008, The Story of the Samson, was published by Charlesbridge Publishing. The amazing adventures of this little boat were discovered by Kathleen while on a trip to Nova Scotia with her parents and was an NCSS Notable Trade Book.

Phantoms in the Snow is her most recent book published by Scholastic. It is the story of a group of skiing soldiers called Phantoms who turned the tide of the war in Italy against the Germans in World War II.

In 1987, she became a mom - her very favorite job! And luckily, she got the job a second time in 1990. She is currently working on stealing stories from her two teenage girls, who live far more daring and exciting lives of intrigue and deception than Kathleen does.

Kathleen lives in Massachusetts with her wonderful husband and two fabulous girls. They all love to travel, but none of them are pilots. You can read more about Kathleen and her work, or schedule a visit, at her website: www.kathleenduble.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Salem Witch Trials and Travails, October 29, 2007

By 

Tamela Mccann "taminator40" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sacrifice (Paperback)

The Sacrifice brings the period of hysteria surrounding the Salem Witch Trials to life as we are introduced to Abigail, aged ten, and her family, members of the village of Andover. Abigail is a bit of a rebel in her Puritan village; she sometimes speaks when she shouldn't and runs with her legs exposed when it's not seemly to do so. Nevertheless, she and her family could never fathom being accused of witchcraft until her minister grandfather speaks out against the girls making the accusations; suddenly Abigail's Aunt Elizabeth, her sister Dorothy, and even Abigail herself find themselves jailed and at the mercy of the townspeople. It is at this time that the sacrifice comes into play; Abigail's mother cannot bear to see her young daughters imprisoned and thus makes a bargain that seals all of their fates.

The idea that this particular retelling of the hysteria has some basis in fact helped me to embrace the story. The author discovered that she was a descendent of Abigail Faulkner, and built her story around her research. While I found some of Abigail's actions a bit questionable for a young lady in such a strict Puritan society, I did enjoy her character and felt the author did a good job weaving fiction into the tale. I do believe that this novel is marketed older than its intended audience; the reading style and level clearly work more for pre-teen than for the young adult market. I also at times found the dialogue a bit stilted, though I suspect the author was attempting to capture the atmosphere of the times.

Overall this is an excellent introduction into a time in our nation's history that leaves many of us bewildered at how easily a group of young girls managed to send so many innocents to their deaths. Enjoyable and fast reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Events in the author's own family history come to life through the eyes of Abigail in this realistic account, November 3, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sacrifice (Hardcover)

It's 1692, and ten-year-old Abigail and her family are threatened by witchcraft fear in Salem. When the focus reaches Andover and her family, they find neighbor turns against neighbor and must choose their path during a reign of terror. Events in the author's own family history come to life through the eyes of Abigail in this realistic account.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Compelling yet incomplete, November 14, 2008

By 

Darrell J. Hartwick "Know the Truth" (Newton, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sacrifice (Paperback)

"The Sacrifice" tells of a Puritan family's difficult circumstances during the Salem witch hysteria, in a manner sure to engage your ten-year-old daughter, as it did mine. It is not entirely one sided, as the [minor spoiler here] overly strict Rev. Dane comes down on the side of his family, common sense, and, one would hope, the proverbial angels.
What is less clear to the youthful reader is that Rev. Dane was not a lone voice crying out against the hangings and injustice. Increase Mather, President of Harvard, was a strong voice of caution, although his better known son defended the harsh punishments. I would caution parents to fill in the historical background, after this book has "caught their attention" with its graphic and emotional details.

It is difficult to ignore a hint of triumphalism in the book: we are SO much more sophisticated than those superstitious Puritans. In fact, New England has far more laws today than during the Colonial era, and many of them are well meaning but foolish or even dangerous in practice. Nor do checks and balances work universally better than during the Salem Witch Trials: in recent years, four Massachusetts judges created new "rights" and placed their personal opinions beyond the reach of legislators and voters. While women have many more opportunities, we're told that rape has soared to an incidence that would've aroused righteous anger, and effective corrective action, among the Puritans. Our response seems limited to exposing our teens and pre-teens to an entire segment of the entertainment industry obsessed with the celebration of street violence and assaults upon women (sometimes by name, as in the case of Eminem). Thankfully, today's Massachusetts prisons are not the sodden, rat infested hell-holes of "The Sacrifice" but the strong prisoners still routinely rape and enslave the weak.

So my qualified recommendation: as your kids come to the obvious conclusion: "we've come a long way" remind them that we have a longer way to go, and much of the path involves humility, and an undoing of the irresponsible individualism that results from the mocking and abandonment of morality.

Salem, ironically, means "peace" May we all have more of the real thing, and less pretending that everything is OK.