A Break With Charity: A Story About The Salem Witch Trials (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
A Break with Charityby: Ann Rinaldi 1. The setting of this book is Salem Village in 1692. The book demonstrates the Witch Trials and all the events that took place during this time. 2. This book follows a young girl, Susanna English through her experience with the Witch Trials. Before the trials began she knew the girls were faking, but she promised she wouldn't tell anybody. When the trials got worse she had trouble keeping the secret. Her family life changed a lot as more people got accused. Eveuntally, she felt as if she had to tell somebody. She didnt think it was fair that innocent people were dying even though she could possibly stop it. Through her parents going to Boston, living with the Putnams, waiting for William to return, and her relationship with Johnathan, she was bound to get fed up with the Wicth Trials eventually. 3. I dont think this book is a very good choice for a middle school student. In my opinion, this book was very confusing and boring. However, the teenage romance and the group of dramaqueens were somewhat interesting. I think that if you wanted to find a book to entertain middle school students this would not be the book to do so. Most of the time I was just confused about all of the names being so alike. Most of the time I had to force myself to read the book because I was so bored with it. a. No, this book does not appeal to most middle school students. I know some people may have liked it but I dont know anybody who did. My friends and I talked about how much we dissliked this book and abouth how confusing the names were. We also thought that the "old English" was annoying and hard to understand. b. This book would be considered "good writing" to someone who was much older then middle school students. Some of the book was interesting. I did enjoy the romance between Johanathan and Susanna and the constent fear of people getting accused of Witchcraft. c. This book can mean different things to different people. To me, it meant that you need to follow what you believe because it could create a chain reaction. If you are brave enough to speak out and say what you think is right it could have a very postive influence on the community. d. No, I did not enjoy this book because I thought the names were very confusing and the plot line was very uninteresting. Other people may have enjoyed this book, but Historical Fiction is one of my least favorite genres ever. I did however, enjoy the romance between Johnathan and Susana because it was really cute.
This is book 4 for the read-a-thon challenge I am a part of. I had read another book by Ann Rinaldi so I decided to give this one a try. I don't read many witch stories but this was a great choice for the challenge of reading a book outside of my comfort Zone.This book covers the Salem Witch trials in the late 1600's that starts with a circle of girls who want to cause trouble for the town of Salem just for sport. One girls discovers the secrets of the circle but struggles to reveal such secrets due to threats made against her family to also be called out as witches.I thought this book was fairly engaging for a historical fiction. I am not sure how much is true to the actual Salem witch trials, but is was interesting to say the least. I found it to be pretty fast paced, although parts of the story were not very believable to me and that was a somewhat annoying. The ending also was horrible in my opinion, not what I expected to happen, and wished for something very different than what it was. I found it be quite disappointing. I feel there was really no closure at all.The characters, well I did not like any of them. Our lead Character Susanna was very annoying to me. She had some decisions to make that she chose not to. I found her to be weak minded and weak willed as well. Most of the characters appeared to be weak except for the trouble makers which was the circle of girls who started everything. I mean come on, they are just young girls and they are allowed to walk all over everyone and be feared because they told so many lies? I guess I was looking for a hero and I don't feel like I got that at all with this story.Overall it was an interesting read, but not sure who to recommend it too because I feel like a lot of people would be disappointed in the story and the cast of characters. I am giving this book a 2.5 star rating. I just think it could have been so much more.
What do You think about A Break With Charity: A Story About The Salem Witch Trials (2003)?
This is a well research young adult novel about the Salem Witch trials, suggested for our book club by several mothers who had used it while homeschooling their children. This time period (1600s, New England, Puritan communities) has been visited many times in literature and film and for good reason. Our book club had a great discussion on the motivations behind the people's actions, how to manage our own fears, and how "witch hunts" still happen in our day. The actual writing was clear and engaging, and though Rinaldi had to engage in some fictional license, I found it easy to forgive.
—Shae
Rinaldi's books are always hit or miss with me. Some of them are fascinating and I can't put them down. Others get so bogged down in history that character development seems lost at times. Fortunately, "A Break with Charity" is one of the former. I picked up this book from the school library on a Friday afternoon and read a few chapters before falling asleep that evening. Saturday morning, I refused to do anything else until I finished. I won't give away much of the plot, except to say that Rinaldi's attention to careful historical research is once again clearly evident, as she effortlessly weaves "what could have happened" in with the facts.
—Jennifer
I've always had a fascination with "the witch trials" that occured in Salem so when I found this book and found that it was fiction based on historical fact I was intrigued. Ms. Rinaldi's description throughout the novel was precise and makes the reader feel a part of the story, The reader can sympathize with the heroine and other characters of the story. The age old battle of good vs evil and what starts out as "sport" due to boredom that soon encompasses an entire town and indeed goes down in history places the reader in the crossfire of a time before the revolution and as the author points out in her notes at the end of the book can be likened unto today when most people can get down right petty if they don't feel accepted. I didnt find this book amazing but it certainly kept me captivated.
—Gretchen
