A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials

Susanna desperately wants to join the circle of girls who meet every week at the parsonage. What she doesn't realize is that the girls are about to set off a torrent of false accusations leading to the imprisonment and execution of countless innocent people. Susanna faces a painful choice. Should she keep quiet and let the witch-hunt panic continue, or should she "break charity" with the group--and risk having her own family members named as witches?
Reader's guide included.

Customer Reviews:

Educational, Easy Read, Excellent

By A Customer - November 11, 1997

I am a 13 year old who read this book because I was very interested in the Salem Witch Trials. I am a very picky reader and I consider it one of the best books I have ever read. It had a lot of educational information about the trials but at the same time it was not at all boring. At no point in this book did I feel that it was dragging on. This book I could not put down and spent an entire day reading it. I encourage this book to all young adults. Ann Rinaldi is an excellent author and has a real talent for writing!

Ann Rinaldi at her best

By Calnalvin - October 24, 2004

I consider "A Break with Charity" to be Ann Rinaldi at her best. She provides an insider's depiction of the Witch Trials using the perspective of a fourteen year old living in Salem, MA. The facts and characters are well-researched. Although the main character, Susanna English, is fictitious, she is a believable and sympathetic character. I heard alot about the witch trials as I grew up outside of Boston and was surprised to learn so much from Rinaldi's attentive detail. This book is intended for young adults and I, as a not so young adult, thoroughly enjoyed every word....it is a page turner that evokes many emotions.

A Break With Charity

By A Kid's Review - July 19, 2000

In my opinion this book makes you feel as if you are really there while all these trials are going on. Ann Rinaldi made me actually enjoy reading about history. Now I realise how difficult it was to live back then, how anything you do could make people suspect you as a witch. When reading this book I felt how most people did about the way people were dying and been noticed as a witch. I feel that the actions of the girls were just to protect them selves. Another book I suggest reading is A Wolf By Ears because you get the same feeling of devestation.