![]() ![]() The “afflicted” girls, as they were known, rapidly became Salem’s darlings. Accused witches either denied the charges - effectively signing their own death warrants - or confessed and named other witches in turn. It began with a group of young girls having fits and accusing neighbors of witchcraft. It chronicles the beginning of the Salem hysteria, follows the escalation of the trials to fever pitch and addresses the eerie silence that followed the 19 executions of the “witches.” Reading these stories feels like watching a play - a serious, sometimes unwittingly and darkly humorous play. Though it’s a bit long for those not already acquainted with Salem scholarship, “The Witches” is still accessible. ![]() Stacy Schiff’s “The Witches: Salem, 1692” is the kind of book you forget isn’t fiction. ![]()
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