Böcker av Claude Clayton Smith

In the spring of 1651, nearly half a century before the infamous witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts, a woman known as Goody Bassett was hanged for witchcraft in Stratford, Connecticut. In the spring of 2023, nearly four centuries later, the State of Connecticut absolved all those accused of witchcraft, removing the stigma that their families have needlessly borne. Few facts are known about Goody Bassett and the events surrounding her persecution. This haunting and moving novel, crafted from those few facts as well as detailed accounts of Stratford's early history, tells the tale of young Ruth Paine-later Goodwife Bassett-and how her singular experience beyond the confines of her Puritan world ultimately leads to her demise. Rich in historical insight, The Stratford Devil gives a touching look into the isolated world of an independent woman as she struggles to survive in circumstances beyond her control. With its focus on religion and terror, The Stratford Devil is a parable for our time.

2006 marks the 50th anniversary of the Federal Interstate Highway System, proposed by President Eisenhower as a security measure in case the United States needed to move large quantities of military supplies through the country. The result has been the Interstates, which most motorists take for granted to get us many miles at high speeds. This is Bud Smith''s tale of celebrating the Interstate system by driving the perimeter of the United States: from Ohio to Maine, down to Florida, across to California, north to Washington, then back eastward to his Ohio home all in a ''96 Corvette. Along the way he meets a cross-section of the American people and talks with them about the Interstates and what makes the system so much a part of the American fabric. This is a funny, perceptive, beautifully crafted account of a journey many of us may dream of making, but never do. Bud Smith is there to take us along for the ride.