Hearn, Julie. 2005. The minister's daughter. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
recommended for young adults (middle into high school)
Nell is a child of the mid-1600's in England: a Merrybegot, born on the 1st of May; granddaughter of a healer or "cunning woman;" and alone in the world after her grandmother dies. Her life is not normal, even for the year of 1645. Birthing faery babies, avoiding the piskies that live in the furrows and bush, and using herbs and magic spells to keep the folk in the village well, Nell has seen perspectives on life that most young people don't see. But when the snobby minister's daughters get into some trouble through wayward means, Nell may be one of the few that can help. But she's also the target of their accusations of witchery. Ms. Hearn gives us a carefully woven and a compelling story of two very different walks of life -- and how each earns its own rewards.
This engaging read is an example of young adult literature that also falls into the genres of fantasy and historical fiction. It mixes normal adolescent concerns along with fantastical touches of magic in an intriguing story that masterfully connects the reader to the early Colonial American Salem witch trials. As shown in the resolution to this story, truly the seeds we sow today will be what we reap in time. As an example of young adult realistic writing, we see a detailed slice of life in rural, mid-1600's England with believable characters --good and bad-- who play out the constantly-moving and developing story line. The resolution to Nell's situation could be criticized as having a touch of deus ex machina, but the author carefully intertwines evidence to support the ending earlier in the story line. The story concludes with a hopeful, satisfying ending that will make the reader smile.
I was not enthusiastic about reading this title because it seemed, at the beginning, to be a heavier and darker work than I was prepared to read. I was quickly won over, however, by the development of Nell's character and the detailed description of her life in rural England with her grandmother and her growing skills as a healer and midwife for the faeries. Most satisfying of all, the evil-intentioned get their come-uppance in the end. One sour note for me was the stereotyping of the minister and his family as "puritanical." These characters in Ms. Hearn's book are marked by a complete lack of integrity and grace, qualities more true than not for the real, generally admirable Puritans. Superficial literature about this era, however, generally treats Puritans in a similar manner, so the overall impact of the book is not diminished.
Key words: Puritans, magic, witches, adolescence, English Civil War, King Charles II
