Mary, the Clairvoyant

Book Two of The Watertown Chronicles

By: Nancy Shattuck

Narrated by: Conni St. Pierre

Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Mary is the second daughter of the Sherborn family. Gifted with clairvoyance, a strain that runs through her Celtic ancestors, Mary is born in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Massachusetts Bay Colony, founded by Puritans in 1630, tolerates no other faith or people. After the magistrates execute the first midwife for witchcraft, Mary dares not admit her visions to anyone, even to herself while she conforms to the Puritan faith. Marrying both wealth and power, she struggles to maintain the respect of her community while concealing her visions. With the aid of her concerned and understanding parents, Mary finally learns that she can no longer hide her non-conforming ways; she must embrace this gift with its dubious benefits and find an acceptable way to fully live her life.

Mary, the Clairvoyant is the second book of The Watertown Chronicles, a saga of one of America’s immigrant families. William Sherborn, an early immigrant to Massachusetts, his wife, and their family of 10 children live through the turbulent period in colonial history that surrounds the devastating King Philip’s War in 1675. The chronicle comprises the 12 stories of these individuals, beginning in 1666 with the birth of the 10th sibling and ending with his wedding in 1686.

©2018 Nancy Shattuck (P)2019 Nancy Shattuck

Words from the Author

I am the author of this second book from The Watertown Chronicles and am happy to write about this first audible production in the series, "Mary, The Clairvoyant." This series comprises a set of historical novels that are character-bound renditions of a colonial past in America, King Philip's war of 1675. Experimentally, I tell the story of each family member in a seperate novel as they negotiate the war-time period in 17th century Massachusetts. Since these novels are character-driven, I weave each life into those elements of the history that surround him or her. Working in this way, across points of view, each novel presents an incomplete view of the war while the series, at the same time, adds a cumulative telling of the events. Another difference this style of narration creates is the development of characters across novels. It allows me to build characters through their relationships with one another at the same time I focus on the challenges and personality of one family member. I confess that my method of narration is experimental; it doesn't follow the norms of historical fiction. I do hope that even though it is a "novel" way to tell the full story, it's also an entertaining way.

In book two of the series, the protagonist, Mary, is a shy and introverted woman who has a paranormal gift that threatens her well being in the Puritan colony. Nineteen women have been accused of witchcraft and hanged by the time she is born, and the Watertown Puritan minister has worked to help her overcome her paranormal gift. When I searched for a voice to narrate the book, I naturally looked for a woman, but tried to find an actress with a voice that would project Mary's character. Conni St. Pierre's voice has a wonderful throaty timbre that projects an air of intimacy I thought was perfect for Mary. This character lives inside her head to a large degree, rarely speaking her most intimate thoughts to others (except to the readers, of course). Her only attempts at getting attention are to display her wealth, as she feels a high social position will protect her. To that end, St. Pierre's voice is perfect; it has strength as well as the intimacy. Last, it is just coincidental that Connie St. Pierre also resides in the same area about which I write. I should add that this is Conni St. Pierre's first production for ACX..

Engaging historical fiction

It is fascinating to read these historical fiction stories based on different perspectives from characters in the same family. I enjoy the historical backdrop and also insights into their way of life in colonial Massachusetts. There is even a childbirth scene with a midwife assisting in a difficult birth. I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

Not a professional recording

This author is reading her own work, and it sounds like recorded it in her own living room. It makes me appreciate the professionals, both the sound quality and the performance!
I returned it after a half hour or so, can’t speak to the story much, but I would have continued listening under better circumstances.