Heretic's Daughter, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

This historical novel, based on legends handed down by members of the author's own family, revisits people and events of the Salem Witch trials . This time around, the story of a woman accused of witchcraft is told from the point of view of her children, specifically one of her daughters. The material is familiar to anyone who has read or taught Miller's play The Crucible, and some of the characters, real historical individuals, overlap. There is very little that is new or earth-shattering here, however, the novel is interesting and well-written. The author researched her material well and one gets a broader sense of the period, the townspeople, the times, the issues. This book could make a nice companion piece to teaching American colonial history or Miller's play.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
One of the most charming and fun books I have read in awhile; I have been busy recommending it to all I know. In spite of the difficult to say title ( try saying it 5 times fast ), GLPPPS was a welcome respite from the serious tomes that have occupied my reading list of late. Basic storyline involves small island off the coast of France during WW2, cast of lovable eccentric characters, Nazis and resistance to them, and an unlikely love story. What's not to like about that ? This story is well-written, creative, not cliche-filled, and impossible to put down. Many friends have recommend books to me of late that they thought I would enjoy, but which turned out to be pure drivel, so badly written I could not make it through the first paragraph. This is not one of those books.