Books with author Mary Beth Benton Beth Benton

Award-winning historian Mary Beth Norton reexamines the Salem witch trials in this startlingly original, meticulously researched, and utterly riveting study. In 1692 the people of Massachusetts were living in fear, and not solely of satanic afflictions. Horrifyingly violent Indian attacks had all but emptied the northern frontier of settlers, and many traumatized refugees—including the main accusers of witches—had fled to communities like Salem. Meanwhile the colony’s leaders, defensive about their own failure to protect the frontier, pondered how God’s people could be suffering at the hands of savages. Struck by the similarities between what the refugees had witnessed and what the witchcraft “victims” described, many were quick to see a vast conspiracy of the Devil (in league with the French and the Indians) threatening New England on all sides. By providing this essential context to the famous events, and by casting her net well beyond the borders of Salem itself, Norton sheds new light on one of the most perplexing and fascinating periods in our history.

In January 1692 in Salem Village, Massachusetts, two young girls began to suffer from inexplicable fits. Seventeen months later, after legal action had been taken against 144 people—20 of them put to death—the ignominious Salem witchcraft trials finally came to an end. Now, Mary Beth Norton—one of our most ad-mired historians—gives us a unique account of the events at Salem, helping us to understand them as they were understood by those who lived through the frenzy. Describing the situation from a seventeenth-century perspective, Norton examines the crucial turning points, the accusers, the confessors, the judges, and the accused, among whom were thirty-eight men. She shows how the situation spiraled out of control following a cascade of accusations beginning in mid-April. She explores the role of gossip and delves into the question of why women and girls under the age of twenty-five, who were the most active accusers and who would normally be ignored by male magistrates, were suddenly given absolute credence. Most important of all, Norton moves beyond the immediate vicinity of Salem to demonstrate how the Indian wars on the Maine frontier in the last quarter of that century stunned the collective mindset of northeastern New England and convinced virtually everyone that they were in the devil’s snare. And she makes clear that ultimate responsibility for allowing the crisis to reach the heights it did must fall on the colony’s governor, council, and judges.A vivid, authoritative historical evocation and exploration that will alter forever the way we think about one of the most perennially fascinating and horrifying events in our history.

The end of the African dry season is a call for celebration. Waldo and Wilma Wildebeest invite some friends over to share in the seasonal foods. But things take a dramatic turn when a food fight erupts. Slimy worms and chiggers, go flying until there is no food left. Can the wildebeest find a way to save their party? Lively verse and offbeat humor come together to tell this hilarious bedtime story.

The end of the African dry season is a call for celebration. Waldo and Wilma Wildebeest invite some friends over to share in the seasonal foods. But things take a dramatic turn when a food fight erupts. Slimy worms and chiggers, go flying until there is no food left. Can the wildebeest find a way to save their party? Lively verse and offbeat humor come together to tell this hilarious bedtime story.

In Search of the Shining World is a fantasy novel recommended by the author for children from ages 9 to 99 +. The protagonist is Ellen MacLeod, a lonely 15 year old girl dealing with the death of her father at the end of World War Two. Looking for answers, she finds herself drawn into the magical world of fairies. There, paired with an enigmatic fairy prince, she is propelled into an adventure that will decide the fate of the rest of her life. While confronting danger, romance, the nature of magic, and the meaning of her Scottish heritage, she must ultimately decide what it is that she truly wants.