Review: Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill

Wicked Girls: A novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hemphill, Stephanie. 2010. Wicked Girls: A novel of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Balzer & Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 9780061853289

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Wicked Girls is a novel written in verse about the events in 1692 leading up to and surrounding the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Mercy Lewis, Ann Putman and Margaret Walcott are the main narrators, as they and other girls from the village claim to be attacked by witches. But are they really being attacked or are they making these stories up with the influence of other townspeople? Trials begin with the girls as the only witnesses to the supernatural activity and the status of the girls is improved in their small town. Eventually, “spectral evidence” is no longer accepted in a witch trial and the girls are no longer looked upon with importance. Once the madness of the witch trials dies down, “the accusers” must move on with their lives and try to live with the accusations they made.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Hemphill writes from the perspective of different girls involved in accusing others in the Salem Witch Trials. The impetus for the girls to begin their accusations is still unknown, but Hemphill takes the perspective that all their spectral attacks and visions were made up for attention or to gain importance in New England society. She uses the different points of view and the first person narration of the girls to explain their behaviors. Although the sections alternate between different points of view, the rhythm of the poetry never falters. The poetry does not rhyme, but there is a lyrical quality to the verses, as if each word was chosen very carefully. The language used by Hemphill creates strong emotions, and makes the reader feel how conflicted the accusers appear and how much many of them struggle with maintaining the spiritual attacks of the witches.

The action in this novel takes place over the course of one year during 1692. As the story unfolds Hemphill's vivid imagery creates a feeling of anxiety and fear, especially knowing how events in Salem will unfold based on historical facts. Hemphill adds in breaks from the girls’ points of view for each month, with a poem describing the general atmosphere of Salem. Although there are no illustrations, each monthly poem has a decorative design on the corner. The language and imagery used in these monthly breaks sets the mood for the following sections as seen in “What the Winter Wind Brings”:

“Bones chatter, while branches

snap heavy with ice.

Something stronger than fever

quakes and curls

through Village girls.

Their screams and contortions

be of awesome proportion.

‘Tis a sight to behold,

distraction from cold.” (p.40)

I lived in Salem, Massachusetts a few years ago, and visited many of the locations referenced in Wicked Girls. I have visited old Salem Town (Danvers), the Witch Trials Memorial in Salem, Gallow’s Hill, Corwin’s Witch House, and many more. Hemphill vividly captures the desolate and forlorn feelings that occur when visiting locations tainted by the witch trials.

Some of the names and actions in Wicked Girls are not historically accurate, but Hemphill includes not only an author’s note on her reasoning and research, but also sections on the real accusers and the real accused including what happened to them during the witch trials. For further research, she has included an extensive list of references.

I would highly recommend this book to all readers, from middle school age on up. I intend to re-read Wicked Girls often, and will recommend it to others as well.

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Positive review in School Library Journal: “Teens may need some encouragement to pick up this book, but it deserves a place in most high school collections.”

Starred review in Booklist: “An excellent supplementary choice for curricular studies of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, this will also find readers outside the classroom, who will savor the accessible, unsettling, piercing lines that connect past and present with timeless conflicts and truths.”

Starred review in Kirkus: “In this superbly wrought fictionalized account of the Salem Witch Trials, Printz Honor winner Hemphill offers a fresh perspective on an oft-told tale by providing lesser-known Salem accusers with a variety of compelling motivations that will resonate deeply with contemporary teens.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This is a perfect book to use in conjunction with a study of New England history. After reading Wicked Girls, invite students to create their own poems about an historical event.

* Harper Collins has created a reader's guide for Wicked Girls: http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0061853283.pdf

*Other historical novels of the Salem Witch Trials:
Aronson, Marc. Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials. ISBN 9781416903154

Myers, Anna. Time of the Witches. ISBN 9780802798206

Rinaldi, Ann. A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials. ISBN 9780152046828

* Other novels in verse by Stephanie Hemphill:

Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. ISBN 9780440239680

Things Left Unsaid: A Novel in Poems. ISBN 9780786818501