A Break with Charity
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A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials (ISBN 0-15-204682-8) is a novel by Ann Rinaldi released in 1992, and is part of the Great Episodes series.
| A Break with Charity | |
| Author | Ann Rinaldi |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Great Episodes |
| Genre(s) | Historical Fiction |
| Publisher | Gulliver Books |
| Publication date | 15 September 1992 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 272 pp (1st HB) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0152003533 (1st HB) |
| Preceded by | A Ride into Morning |
| Followed by | The Fifth of March |
[edit] Fictional and Historical Characters in the Novel
The author of A Break With Charity uses fictional and historical characters both in order to better relate the story of the Salem Witch Trials. Susanna English, for instance, is a fictional observer: she is the narrator telling the story of the Witch Trials from both inside and outside of the proceedings. She interacts with historical characters, but did not in fact exist. Her parents, Mary and Philip English did, and were considered the richest people in Salem. They were both arrested separately, but they were given more privileges in jail. In the novel, the Englishes (excluding Susanna) fled Salem, leaving Susanna and her sister, Mary, with Joseph and Elizabeth Putnam, aunt and uncle of Ann Putnam.
Historical personages featured within the novel include the twenty men and women executed for witchcraft; see The Salem Witch Trials for a full list. Additionally, Betty Parris (Reverend Parris' daughter) and Tituba also existed. The Procters, Putnams, and Parrises were all important historical figures in the history of the Witch Trials.
