This historical narrative of the Salem witch trials takes its dialogue from actual trial records but applies modern psychiatric knowledge to the witchcraft hysteria. Starkey's sense of drama also vividly recreates the atmosphere of pity and terror that fostered the evil and suffering of this human tragedy.
Villagers of Salem and the surrounding area—mainly young women—suffered from unseen torments that caused them to writhe, shriek, and contort their bodies, complaining of pins stuck into their flesh and of being haunted by specters. Believing that the cause was due to an invisible spirit, the village began to hunt down those believed responsible for these demonic possessions. The Salem Witch Trials, resulting in the execution of 19 villagers, remain as one of the most mysterious and fascinating events in American history.
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