October's Chick Lit Book Club selection is a spooky one. It's called The Minister's Daughter by Julie Hearn and deals with witch hunts, both in New England during the Salem Witch Trials and in England fifty years before the infamous Witch Trials in Salem.
The main characters in this story are two very different girls. One is the town minster's young daughter Patience. The other is the granddaughter of the local healing woman. Her name is Nell. Both Patience and Nell are drawn in and endangered by the minister's oldest daughter Grace. Grace is beautiful but wicked and unwilling to accept blame for her own indecent choices. When Grace finds herself in trouble, she points the finger at Nell and brainwashes Patience to follow her sinful plan.
This story alternates between 1692 and 1645 and between the magical realm of piskies and the reality of ignorant townspeople who believe that every bad turn in life is caused by the devil. This is a great book for Halloween or for anyone who's interested in historical fiction. Please see me or Mrs. Robinson in the library if you're interested in joining the Chick Lit Book Club. Our next meeting is October 26th in the library after school.
