Salem: Place, Myth, and Memory [Paperback]

Dane Morrison (Editor), Nancy Lusignan Schultz (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

How is a sense of place created, imagined, and reinterpreted over time? That is the intriguing question addressed in this comprehensive look at the 400-year history of Salem, Massachusetts, and the experiences of fourteen generations of people who lived in a place mythologized in the public imagination by the horrific witch trials and executions of 1692 and 1693.

But from its settlement in 1626 to the present, Salem was, and is, much more than this. In this volume, contributors from a variety of fields examine Salem's multiple urban identities: frontier outpost of European civilization, cosmopolitan seaport, gateway to the Far East, refuge for religious diversity, center for education, and of course, "Witch City" tourist attraction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A truly unusual collection that will both entertain and educate those interested in this city." --Library Journal

From the Publisher

6 x 9 1/4 trim. 42 illus. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Northeastern (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555536506
• ISBN-13: 978-1555536503
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #856,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 13 Chapters of Interesting Reading, July 3, 2004

By 

Jerrold E. Rosen "Jerry Rosen" (Swampscott, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Salem: Place, Myth, and Memory (Hardcover)

Having taught Salem History to children for many years I find this book fascinating. (In fact, where was this book when I needed it?)Chapter by chapter, allows the reader to actually see the development of Salem from a small colonial village to the modern day.

The details ranging from the crimes that happened in Salem during the centuries to the remaking of the place as a global city, is plotted out in such detail, that at times it reads like a novel. Pay attention to Chapter 7-detailing Hawthorne and his part in the city-as this is written with style and elegance.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thought provoking, October 6, 2004

By 

Christine Rawlins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Salem: Place, Myth, and Memory (Hardcover)

This was a rare book that shifted how I view things. I found this book to be unique in its approach to looking at the city of Salem, MA and addressing its sense of place. Although I found each chapter interesting, the whole collection together really got me thinking in new ways about how I view communities and the multiple layers that make them up.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Multi-faceted Portrait of Salem, January 11, 2006

By 

Priscilla Herrington (Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Salem: Place, Myth, and Memory (Paperback)

I have read many books on Salem and its history; I live almost next door to Salem; I was even born there for heaven's sake! I thought I knew everything important about this historic New England city.

And then I read this book! I learned new things about what I thought I already knew, and I found that there is much about Salem that has been largely ignored. Most people are familiar with the witchcraft hysteria, the China trade, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the modern witch industry. But how many of us knew that many of Salem's characteristic architectural details are derived from that China trade? Or that Salem, too, was one of the New England textile towns - one of the towns that suffered from the loss of this industry? That Salem has been an immigrant city for many years, encouraging people to come to work in its mills - until those mills close! Or that Salem is currently home to a thriving Dominican population?

I found it especially helpful to look at one place - this city of Salem - from a variety of perspectives. Now that I've read Morrson's book I think I can say that I know this town pretty well!