LitBlog

LitFood

Book Reviews
Martha Allen has been obliged to take residence in her cousin's New England Home as a servant. She meets strong-willed Welshman Thomas Carrier who served as a soldier in the English Civil War. As their friendship blossoms consequences from Thomas's actions back in England catch up with him and both their lives are put in grave danger. (Pick of the Paperbacks.)
Daily Express (UK)


A servant girl in New England forges an unlikely bond with the suspected murderer of Charles I (Pick of the Paperbacks review.)
Times (UK)


Kent doesn't disappoint...taking readers back to Massachusetts before the Salem witch trials as strong-willed 23-year-old Martha Allen falls in love with strong-armed hired hand Thomas Carrier.... Kent brings colonial America to life by poking into its dark corners and finding its emotional and personal underpinnings.
Publishers Weekly


[T]he author combines harsh images of early Colonial life with a well-paced story and careful details. The result is a taut narrative that will satisfy historical fiction lovers. —Anna Karras Nelson, Collier Cty. P.L., Naples, FL
Library Journal


This prequel to Kent’s The Heretic’s Daughter (2008) focuses on the early life of outspoken, tart-tongued Martha Allen, from whom the author is descended.... An example of the currently popular genre-blender, the book is part historical fiction, part romance, and part suspense. Skillfully meshing these various elements, the author’s latest effort is bound to please fans of each. —Michael Cart
Booklist


Kent tells the fictionalized story of her ancestor Martha Carrier's courtship with her future husband years before she became a victim of the Salem Witch Trials.... Kent has more fun with the Londoners...than her somewhat morose ancestors, but she lovingly captures their daily grind and brings looming dangers, whether man or beast, to harrowing life.
Kirkus Reviews