Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England

I absolutely loved this book. Carol F. Karlsen is a great writer and this book was easy to read and informative. She focuses on the fact that many women were accused and also doing the accusing.

The interesting thing about this book is how it examines all the other theories that attempt to explain the witch trials and points out the problems with each.The book argues that the women accused of witchcraft were all connected by their possession, or future inheritance, of land or property that society thought should more properly belong to a man. This in turn opens up a needed examination of social mores and gender issues that shaped events at that time. At the same time, the book isn't "preachy" or so skewed by a feminist perspective that it loses balance. A thoughtful and interesting book.

Being a researcher of the 1692 witch trials, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This particular book focuses on the unjusts that have been done to women in the name of witchcraft,in Salem as well as other areas. Very thorough, and I have used this book in siting my referances when I assist others interested in the subject. There are many authors with many theories, and this is certainly a must to check out.

This book was VERY informative for a report that I was doing. I would definatly recomend it to anyone wanting info on this topic.

As someone who grew up in neighboring Andover, Mass, which played a very prominent role in the arrests, trials and subsequent executions, I can't recommend this book more highly. Daring and unafraid to look at newly compiled statistical data surrounding gender, property inheritence, and the perceptions of women in Colonial New England, this is a book which should be read by every student and historian of these events, regardless of whether they end up agreeing or disagreeing with the premise of the book. For me, it was an eye-opening and thought-provoking read.