Additional Reading: “Wonders of the Invisible World”
If you’d like to get more out of this reading, you’re in luck. There are a lot of resources available for historical context, and you’ll have the opportunity to delve into some fictional texts as well.
Also by Cotton Mather
Magnalia Christi Americana (1702) is a history of New England, including biographies of notable figures and accounts of significant events. You might also consider The Angel of Bethesda.
Non-Fiction Books
The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege by Marilynne K. Roach is based on 27 years of research and exploration of real documents. I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s on my TBR list.
The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe by Brian P. Levack provides a comprehensive overview of the history of witch-hunting in Europe and the cultural and social factors that contributed to the phenomenon.
The Witch in History: Early Modern and Twentieth-Century Representations edited by Diane Purkiss examines the cultural and historical representations of witches, including the role of gender and power in the construction of the witch figure.
The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England by Carol F. Karlsen explores the cultural and social factors that contributed to the belief in witches in colonial New England, with a focus on the role of gender and power in the Salem witch trials.
Fiction Books
“The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” by Katherine Howe
“The Witch of Willow Hall” by Hester Fox
“The Witch of Blackbird Pond” by Elizabeth George Speare
Music
In 2006, The Handsome Family titled its album Last Days of Wonder, a reference to Cotton Mather.
Plays
The Crucible is the most famous play about the Salem witch trials. Arthur Miller’s piece helps paint the picture. A 1996 film of the same name is based on the play.
Historical Context
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