Before reading Six Women of Salem by historian Marilynne K. Roach: The Untold Story of the Defendants and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials, it should be clear that I didn't know much about the Salem witch trials, other than knowing that they took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692-93. I only recognized that there were a few unfortunate women who had been accused of being witches, condemned to their deathbed, and brutally burned in front of the entire town. After reading Roach's book, I discovered that this idea was false, because none of the accused were supposed to be burned, but instead the entire town was called to witness the hanging of these women. He created an example for the town and explained to them the consequences of being convicted of witchcraft. What I recognize now is what I ignored: how it happened and how it all ended, who was accused and who made the accusations. Roach does an impeccable job of making sure this is all understood. As the book unfolds, the stories of six women in particular begin to emerge. The first to shake up the idea of ​​witchcraft was the slave Tituba, who aroused accusations among the other women. Bridget Bishop and Rebecca Nurse were two elderly women convicted of witchcraft and sent to hang. Ann Putnam, started out as the mother of an accuser, but later claimed to see the spirits of witches. Mary English being a wealthy woman who was sent to prison after being accused but later managed to escape. It all comes back to one final woman named Mary Warren who was first seen accusing women and then was accused. She tells each story with the same amount of research and insight, avoiding bias. She also finds ways to explain that ... middle of paper ... was exceptional. It gives a great insight into the horrors and suffering and allows the reader to be placed in one place with a broad understanding of the emotions that took place. The only thing to complain about is the excessive amount of detail on dates and statistics. It's hard to follow and hard to pay attention to and that's where it becomes commonplace. I can definitely confirm that it was worth the purchase and time spent reading. I could honestly say that I have already recommended him to others and will continue to do so. The people I would recommend it to though are people who are interested in the subject and too keen to learn new things, as opposed to my buddies. Works Cited Roach, Marilynne K. Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials. Massachusetts: Da Capo, 2013. Print.