Author Biography | Interview | Books by this Author | Readalikes
Kathleen Kent, a national bestselling author and a tenth-generation descendant of Martha Carrier, was awarded the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction. In her first book, The Heretic's Daughter, which has been published in over a dozen countries, she paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England but also of one family's deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution. The Traitor's Wife, originally published in hardcover as The Wolves of Andover, is her second novel.
Kathleen Kent's third novel, The Outcasts, was the recipient of the American Library Association's 2014 top choice for Historical Fiction, as well as the recipient of a Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western fiction. Her fourth book, titled The Dime, is both an Edgar-nominated and a Nero-nominated contemporary crime novel set in Dallas, based on a short story published in the crime anthology, Dallas Noir. The New York Times picked The Dime as one of their "Latest and Greatest" in crime fiction, March 2017. The author lives in Dallas.
Kathleen Kent's website
This bio was last updated on 01/31/2020. We try to keep BookBrowse's biographies both up to date and accurate, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's a tough task. So, please help us - if the information about this author is out of date or inaccurate, and you know of a more complete source, please let us know. Authors and publishers: If you wish to make changes to a bio, send the complete biography as you would like it displayed so that we can replace the old with the new.
A Letter from Kathleen Kent
Dear Readers,
Martha Carrier, my grandmother back nine generations, was hanged as a witch in
1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. Called the "Queen of Hell" by Cotton Mather,
Martha was unyielding in her refusal to confess and went to her death rather
than join the accused men and women who did so and were spared.
I've read countless historical sources about the trials, including the
transcripts that captured verbatim Martha's defiance to the court. But it was
the stories of my mother and my maternal grand parents that defined more clearly
the courage—and obstinacy— that set the Carriers apart.
All the Carrier tales I heard as a child were enthralling. The children made
bows and arrows and practiced shooting objects off each other's heads. Their cow
was fed pumpkins so she would give golden milk. Martha's husband Thomas was,
according to local gossip, a soldier for Cromwell and the executioner of King
Charles I of England. Thomas was over seven feet tall and, when he died at 109,
two coffins had to be fitted together to bury him.
Sarah is the central character of The Heretic's Daughter, and Martha did
have a daughter with that name. She was arrested ...
Anita Amirrezvani was born in Tehran, Iran, and raised in San Francisco. For ten years, she was a dance critic for newspapers in the Bay Area. She has received fellowships from the National Arts Journalism Program, the NEA's ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
The Heretic's Daughter
Try:
The Blood of Flowers
by Anita Amirrezvani
Melanie Benjamin was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. An avid reader all her life - as a child, she was the proud winner, several years running, of the summer reading program at her local library - she still firmly believes ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
The Heretic's Daughter
Try:
The Aviator's Wife
by Melanie Benjamin
We recommend 15 similar authors
The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls
by Ursula Hegi
Set on a German island in 1878, perfect for fans of Water for Elephants.
Reader Reviews
The author of Orphan Train returns with an ambitious, emotionally resonant historical novel.
About the book
Return to Gilead with Jack, the instant New York Times bestseller
Enter to win Marilynne Robinson's latest novel in her classic series.
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
