A Salem Witch

The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse

By: Daniel A. Gagnon

Narrated by: Marlin May

Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In the winter of 1692 something terrible and frightening began in Salem Village. It started with several villagers having strange fits, screaming, and unnaturally contorting themselves and ended with almost 200 people in jail and at least 25 dead. Witchcraft accusations - claims that some inhabitants had forsaken God to become servants of the Devil - spread from Salem Village across Massachusetts, ensnaring innocent people from all strata of society under a burden of assumed guilt. One of the most significant accusations, and most unlikely, was against a 71-year-old grandmother, Rebecca Nurse.

The accusations against Nurse, a well-respected member in the community, seemed unbelievable. Unflinchingly, this ailing, elderly woman insisted on her innocence and refused to falsely confess. Supported by many in Salem, Nurse’s family and neighbors challenged her accusers in court and prepared a thorough defense for her, yet nothing could surmount the fear of witchcraft, and she was sentenced to death. Nurse, seen as a martyr for the truth, later became the first person accused of witchcraft to be memorialized in North America.

In A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse, the first full account of Nurse’s life, Daniel A. Gagnon vividly recreates 17th-century Salem and in the process challenges previous interpretations of Nurse’s life and the 1692 witch hunt in general.

The book is published by Westholme Publishing. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

“Gagnon unravels some previous assumptions and suggests new lines of inquiry.” (Marilynne K. Roach, author of Six Women of Salem)

“Gagnon makes the complex history of the Salem witch trials more easily understood, while at the same time giving us a very good read.” (Richard B. Trask, author of The Devil Hath Been Raised)

©2021 Daniel A. Gagnon (P)2022 Redwood Audiobooks

9th great grandmother - Rebecca Nurse

Impeccable research and a story that needed to be told once again. A difficult time in our history and for all those affected in perpetuity.

One of the Best

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve always been fascinated by the Salem witch trials and this book brought to light many aspects that I was unaware of. The author seamlessly switches between generalities of the trials and the story of the main protagonist. His pacing is keen and held my interest throughout.

Marlin May’s narration brought this title to life. His pleasing baritone voice accentuated the material of the book and left me wanting more when the book ended. I’ve listened to other books he’s narrated and always take pleasure in his consistent delivery of meaningful dialogue.

I highly recommend this book.

Fantastic Account of Salem Witch Trials

The author has chosen to tell the story of the Salem Witch Trials primarily from the perspective of just one victim, the well-known and devout Puritan Rebecca Nurse. It is not a "first-hand" account. Rather, it is a thoroughly researched report of her life, how she came to be accused, and what happened in the centuries following her death.

This book stands alone in that rather than trying to explain the stories of ALL accused, it makes that notorious time more real by delving into great detail the daily life in the colony of Massachusetts and the Village of Salem.

The narration is top-notch. I was surprised at how quickly the time passed. I heartily recommend this book!