Description:

Expected to gracefully embrace a life of privilege, a young woman cuts the purse strings that bind her to plot a new life course. But startling self-realization challenges everything she knows as she begins to study the diary of a seventeenth-century victim of the Salem witch trials.

My review:

My first experience with Meissner’s writing was “Lady in Waiting” and I was hooked. So when the opportunity to read this came up, I jumped on it.

Meissner expertly weaves the past and present into a beautiful work of art with characters that leave lasting impressions. In this story, Lauren Durough must confront her own misconceptions in life and grow as a person through her helping an old librarian transcribe a priceless diary from the Salem witch trials.

Themes of acceptance, prejudice and truth ring out through the paths of contemporary Lauren and 1600s Mercy Hayworth. It was easy to fall in the rhythm between the two stories, and this novel moved forward much faster than “Lady in Waiting.”

I found myself relating to Lauren in many ways. Her views of the world and of the people around her ring true to everyone, in some degree. This story will leave you questioning your own perceptions.

The diary of Mercy reminds us of a dark time in our country’s history and the ripples it caused during the time and even now, four hundred years. If you’re a history lover, put this on your list.

Disclosure: WaterBrook Press gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I didn’t have to say good things about it—it just happened that way.