How to Hang a Witch

July 4, 2016
When her father's illness forces 15-year-old Samantha "Sam" Mather and her stepmother to move to Salem, Mass., her family's connection to the witch trials makes Sam a target of the Descendants, girls whose ancestors were among the accused witches. After Sam befriends a charming young ghost named Elijah, she begins to piece together just how much of Salem's past continues to haunt its present; forming a tentative truce with the Descendants may be the only way to break a 300-year-old curse. Inspired by her own lineage to Cotton Mather, debut author Mather infuses the story with a rich history of real places and events to anchor its more fantastical elements, including a supernatural love triangle involving Elijah, secret rooms, and hidden compartments containing ancient writings. Witty repartee can seem too irreverent in passages where the teenage characters are facing (and sometimes succumbing to) death, but Mather crafts an entertaining story that draws intriguing parallels between the 17th-century trials and modern-day bullying, as well as the fears and mob mentalities behind both. Ages 12âup. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

The author, a descendant of the Puritan minister Cotton Mather, reads her fictional first-person narrative based on her family history. Mather makes clear the unfriendly reception that 15-year-old Sam receives when she moves to Salem with her stepmother. For unknown reasons, she is the target of the "ancestors," girls who are descended from the Salem witches. As narrator, Mather makes Sam's discomfort palpable as she fears the girls' hostility, worries about her father's illness, and recoils from anything spooky. These troubles add to the painful history of unexplained accidents that have always plagued those she cares about. Mather moves easily between reality and the supernatural, excelling in her portrayal of a centuries-old ghost and scary villains. The audiobook includes an illuminating author's note. S.W. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine