The Salem Witch Trials are infamous in American history. Nineteen people in Salem were hanged after four young girls accused local women of witchcraft, and things spiraled out of control. Two of the most well-known people from this incident were 12-year-old Ann “Anna” Putnam, Jr., one of the original accusers, and her father, Thomas Putnam, Jr. No one will truly know what was going through their heads during this time, but Greg Houle tries to answer this question in his historical fiction novel, The Putnams of Salem. What first stood out to me in this book was Houle himself. This book differs from other interpretations of the witch trials because Houle himself is a descendant of the Putnam family. He begins the book with an author’s note, detailing the witch trials and his personal history with it. On a trip to Salem with his wife and daughter, he became more interested and states that “[he] felt compelled to explore them and bring them to life through [his] own writing” (7-8). You can feel this family connection throughout his writing. As he attempts to get into the heads of Thomas and Anna, you can tell he’s grappling with their actions and trying to figure out why they did what they did. Family can be complicated, but it is clear Houle tries to work through these complications through his writing. It’s the use of both Thomas’s and Anna’s points of view that allows Houle to bring the dead back to life. While both are featured in each chapter, the difference between them makes an interesting contrast. The chapters always start with Thomas and how he’s dealing with the situation, with the text being in a traditional font. Houle creates a very complex and intriguing character with Thomas as his writing invites readers to sympathize with him while also still describing the truth of his actions. At many times, Houle focuses on Thomas’s judgmental and hateful side. For example, Thomas describes Sarah Good, one of the accused women, as someone who has “always been eager to take advantage of [their] Christian charity” and he also insults her disheveled appearance (57-58). Houle’s word choice reflects how Thomas could be cruel, elitist, and overall uncaring and unsympathetic towards people he deems lesser than himself. One begins to wonder, why exactly are we focusing on such a horrid person? These thoughts persist as Houle continues to portray Thomas’ darker side, having him say the justice he seeks is “higher-minded” than the other Salem residents, believing that God is testing them (65). From this, not only do we see the impact religion has had on Thomas, but we see the version of him that everyone already knows: the man who accused innocent people of witchcraft and led them to their deaths. Yet, Houle brings us back as he reveals the softer, more human parts of Thomas. He writes Thomas as someone who deeply cares for his family. There’s a touching scene with his wife Ann, one of the afflicted, where he tries to break through her dissociative state. Houle shows him to be desperate, begging to see a glimpse of the woman his wife used to be. As Ann briefly emerges from her dissociative state, we see a more joyful and loving side of Thomas as he celebrates this breakthrough (102). This is a stark contrast to Houle’s earlier portrayals, where he’s much colder, callous, and composed. This complexity continues through his daughter Anna’s point of view where he’s very loving and caring towards her. Anna, who is also afflicted, describes his worry for her and her health. He wants her to get better but doesn’t know how to help. Houle again brings a sense of humanity to Thomas, creating a balance between the good and the bad within him. While we cannot know how much of these scenes are based in fact, Houle makes it so you can’t help but feel at least a little sympathy for Thomas. His actions cannot be excused, but Houle’s lens, possibly in an attempt to deal with his complicated ancestry, helps explain that Thomas just was a husband and father who wanted to help his family.
Anna’s view is also distinct as she brings some sympathy towards other characters. This is mainly seen through Tituba, as she describes her in a much more positive light than her father. While Thomas believes her to be a “heathen” working with the devil, Anna worries for her (62, 25). She says how she “never witnessed an inkling of wickedness in Tituba’s manner,” and believes that even if Tituba had brought the devil to Salem, she must have done so “unwittingly” (70-71). Considering the focus on violence and hatred spewed about Tituba from Thomas’ point of view, it’s refreshing to see someone speak kindly of her. It’s from her young mind that we find a character we can sympathize with a bit easier, knowing that she was just a child who didn’t know any better during this time. Through The Putnams of Salem, Houle works through his complicated family history in a captivating narrative. While everyone may know how the story ends, we’re finally able to get into the heads of Salem residents and find out why everything happened the way it did. It’s an interesting and compelling read as you’ll find yourself wanting to hear more. For those who are interested in historical fiction, or possibly the Salem Witch trials themselves, this is the perfect book for you.
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