Monday, January 03, 2011

Review: The Wolves of Andover

The Wolves of Andover, the prequel to Kathleen Kent's 2008 best seller The Heretic's Daughter, tells the back story of Kent's ancestor Martha Carrier, who was burned as witch during the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century.

Martha is on her way to becoming an old maid—over 20 and not yet married—when she arrives to help at her cousin Patience's house. Patience is pregnant with her third child and feeling quite ill. There are two men to help with the farm, one of whom, Thomas, is very tall and who grows on Martha. It turns out the Thomas is more than he appears, however, as he is wanted by the King of England, who sends men to the Colonies to find him.

I'm afraid I can't recommend The Wolves of Andover generally. I found it predictable and tiresome, and I was unable to finish. I have not read The Heretic's Daughter, so I have no intrinsic interest in Martha Carrier; perhaps those who want to know more about her would like the book.

For an excellent review of both the book's strengths and weaknesses, I recommend the review by Liz Raftery that appeared in The Boston Globe.

1 comment:

The Afflicted Girls said...

Hi Nancy,
I haven't read this prequel but I did read "The Heretic's Daughter," and I also read Liz Raftery's review, where she cited a lack of character development. I'm posting because I would love for you, a librarian, to consider reading my book for a comparison: THE AFFLICTED GIRLS A Novel of Salem by Suzy Witten (ISBN: 978-0-615-32313-8). "Something terrible happened in Salem Village in 1692... but it isn't what you think!"
Thanks,
Suzy Witten, Author
2010 IPPY Silver Medal for Historical Fiction
www.theafflictedgirls.com