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Lisa Rowe Fraustino Scholastic, Inc. © 2004 |
Hi! My name is Gabby Shiraldi. I am writing a review on the book called I Walk in Dread. This book is about a young girl name Deliverance Trembley. She lived wither her dramatic sister, Mem, and her uncle in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691. She finds an old and blank diary hidden in her house. She uses it to record her life from then on. She is very opposed to witchcraft and magic. She says that it is the work of the devil. Many, actually almost all of the colonists in Salem, agree with her. She disapproves of her sister when she and her friend believe that they can see the futures through a glass filled with water. Deliverance is asked to be a witness to some of the Salem Witch Trials. She becomes very intrigued with these trials. Some of them got very intense. An example of one of Deliverance's diary entries is:
"March 1692
The four girls afflicted - Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, and Elizabeth Hubbard - were brought in to the front of the room, screeching and crying out as they laid eyes on the prisoner . . . The adults around the girls soothed them . . . Mrs. Hathorne asked them to look upon Sarah Goode and see if she was the person who hurt them. They all said yes, yes!"
How would you feel to be accused of something you didn't do, especially in front of a room of strangers, friends, and family all thinking you committed a terrible crime? Well, Deliverance's friend Goody Corey was accused. He wouldn't talk to the judges so he was stoned to make him talk. After two days of agony, he died.
I really can't say I liked or disliked this book. It was a little hard to interpret this book because the English was very different in 1691 -1692. I though this book was very interesting and it gave a good view into the events of the Salem Witch Trials. I think this is a very good book for reference of the Salem Witch Trials. This is also a good choice for a teacher to assign to his or her class to read. It gave a very detailed description and helped the reader to understand this era in time a little better. The author also picked a good character to be the focus of the book.
~ Gabby Schiraldi, grade 7, St. Christine's School