Review of The Curse of Northam Bay

[Amandaruth Ama]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Curse of Northam Bay" by Keith F Girard.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In the year 1962, Northam Bay was cursed until they could find the head of Lucas Johnston and return it to his grave. The head was stolen from the undertaker, Phineas Reed, and his young charge on their way to deliver it to Johnston's widow. Lucas had been accused of witchcraft by the Puritan Church in Northam Bay, Led by Margaret Wright, and received jungle justice before he could have the chance to be tried legally. The Puritans were well rooted in the John Calvin way and had no tolerance for Catholics or Anglicans, as they believed their way was the right way. It happens that the Johnstons were Anglicans and wanted to homeschool their children as against the offer of Margaret Wright, who wanted them to be raised in the Puritan way like the other kids in Northam Bay.

In a modern twist, John and Elie Stevens lived in Minnesota before John got a job at AdvanceTech in Boston. They had two kids: Jenny (8 years old) and Tommie (12 years old). In their search for a comfortable and affordable house, they got in contact with Oliver McCarty, who found for them the house of the late Martha Wright, a descendant of Margaret Wright. Oblivious to the history that their new home holds, the Stevens got a harmless welcome visit from Claire Bronson and her daughter Maggie, who has a summer home in Northam Bay. On learning that their house might be bewitched, Elie decided to embark on a summer project with the kids to learn more about their house and Northam Bay. What did this summer project reveal? Was the head of Lucas Johnston found?

THE CURSE OF NORTHAM BAY: In the Shadow of the Salem Witch Trials, a Tale of Money, Power, Greed, and God by Keith F. Girard is a story that runs simultaneously between modern and historical events. This story is a perfect representation of what greed is capable of achieving when paired with religious fanaticism. I was so angry at all the lies these religious fanatics told to get things done their way, both in the historical and modern versions. They twist things, knowing full well they are sinful but doing them anyway and finding ways to justify them. Margaret and her crew did it in the historical version, and Elhiba and Hecuba also did it in the Modern version.

I loved how the author represented the "sow and reap" factor in a general sense. You cannot sow evil and expect to reap good from it. I could see the sort of destruction that greed can bring, as well as the change that forgiveness can impart. It does not matter how gravely someone has offended you; your good side will always take precedence if you are a kind soul. The ease with which the story was told and how well-developed the plot was made me go check if the story was really fiction. I must recommend this book to those who love historical fiction, as they wouldn't want to miss out on this one.

I admire young Tommie and Maggie's courage and willingness to decipher the whereabouts of Lucas Johnston's head. As much as they encountered dangers and threats in their quest, they were not deterred. Their mothers were also such good examples of how to support and protect one's children. I enjoyed every bit of this story, and I am delighted to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. I did encounter a few minor errors, which did not have a negative effect on my overall reading experience. There was absolutely nothing I disliked about the book, which is why I gave it a perfect rating.

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The Curse of Northam Bay
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[AbigailRay]

From my experience, this book is going to be a good read. I would love to give it a try. Nice review.

[Uchechi uk]

This book is like an horror movie. I don't really like historical fiction but I enjoyed reading this review. Thank you.

[Okewunmi Pelumi]

This is a suspenseful book. It is good, I like it. I found this review good.