Before reading this book, what did you know about the Salem Witch Trials? Were there any details within the book that were surprising to you?

In 1692, it was common and widely agreed upon that witches were real. What does society say now about witchcraft? Do you think witches are real?

Many reasons have been given over the years for the cause of the Salem Witch Trials. What do you think the real reason was? Do you think it is possible for people’s nature to allow something like this to happen?

What role do you think you would have played if you were alive during the Salem Witch Trials? Do you have ancestors that were there?

Many stories are about people falling in love. This is not one of them. At what point do you think John and Caroline’s marriage began to fall apart? At what point do you think it was no longer salvageable? Do you think they could still reconcile?

How did you feel about the way the story was told? Do you think the flashbacks took away from the events surrounding the trials or added to the horror of them? How can knowing about someone’s past change the way you view their present actions?

One in four women experience pregnancy loss due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies, stillbirths, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), newborn deaths, pre-term births, and other medical reasons. While it is not diagnosed, in this story Caroline has an incompetent cervix. Very few of her friends and acquaintances were willing to talk to her about her losses. Today, this is too often the case as well. Chances are you, or someone close to you, has experienced one or more of these things. If you feel comfortable, please share your experience within your group. Sharing personal stories can help de-stigmatize the topic and offer comfort to those who may be struggling with similar feelings.

Many of the families in Andover and Salem stayed in the area after the trials, marrying within the community and raising their children there afterwards. But a few took their families elsewhere including Caroline, who at the end makes the choice to leave. Do you agree with her choice? What would you have chosen in the aftermath?