Customer Reviews

A Witch in the Family: An Award-winning Author Investigates His Ancestor’s Trial And Execution

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A Witch In The Family by Stephen Hawley Martin (two time winner of the Writer's Digest Book Award for Fiction) is more than a historical examination of the Salem witch trials and executions, and case studies of accused witches. Delving into the realm of metaphysics, A Witch In The Family explores the lives of women who were hanged as witches, demonstrating that their outspokenness, and perhaps feminist impulses made them targets - and also put them in touch with a higher level of reality, and shades of existence beyond those driven to murder through fear and hysteria. Contemplating the nature of God, as experienced by the Puritan women whose own devout beliefs were put sorely to the test by their vengeful countrymen, A Witch In The Family is a transcendental study of fundamental truths the accused woman of over three hundred years ago may well have grasped in their hearts and minds.

I went into this book with the idea that I would learn of a
family that had unusual things happening that would be
assigned to the fact that they knew they had a witch in the
family. One in fact who was hanged during the Salem Witch Trials.

I got way more then I bargained for. Stephen Hawley
Martin, who comes to the literary world after spending time
in the upper echelon of advertising is a been there, done that
kind of guy. By doing lengthy research and delving into scholarly
works both past and present he gives us a grounding in not only
the scientific take on witchcraft, obsession and possession but also
the metaphysical view. With the inclusion of related experiments
into how we perceive things today as opposed to in Puritanical times,
we get a behind the scenes look at the real "Bewitched."

Hawley Martin's style is easy to read even when discussing
concepts we may not be familiar with but will become
intrigued by. And much to his credit he includes original
trial transcripts, other important writings of the time and a
wonderful bibliography to help us with our own journey.

There's no doubt in my mind that writing this book must
have been a bittersweet time for Hawley Martin especially
knowing that North Martin's epitaph was "An honest,
hardworking,Christian woman. Accused as a witch, tried
and executed at Salem, July 19, 1692. A martyr of superstition."

Stephen Martin is to be commended for this very absorbing account of Susannah Martin's life. Susannah has been severely neglected in films, books, and sundry retellings of the events in Salem in 1692, which is very peculiar considering that she was a highly integral figure in the entire hysteria. With that said, a book of this nature should be as thorough as possible and, as a fellow descendant of this woman (via both of my parents), I was expecting to see genealogical charts, a map showing the location of the Martin homestead, and at least a passing mention of Sidney Perley's compelling research on the probable location of Gallows Hill. The book also suffers from typos, run-on sentences, and the odd but distinct impression that the entire thing was written hastily. I enjoyed the book, but it leaves me with a stronger remembrance of the flaws rather than of the form.

Susanna Martin was my 9th Great grandmother, so I have read anything I can get my hands on, which is generally more of the same. This book was a surprise. The author takes you back to Salem and help you to understand how the poeple thought, their beliefs and how this did happen. Very well researched, well written as well as thought provoking. Great reading for anyone studing or curious about early New England.