Join us

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Newsletter

Richard Francis

Crane Pond

Cover: Crane Pond - Richard Francis

Richard Francis

Crane Pond

2016, pp. 326, e-Book
ISBN: 9781609453565
Region: Britain
Paper edition Paper edition Paper edition
$ 9.99
READ NOW READ NOW READ NOW

The book

A Novel of Salem

The great success last year of Stacy Schiff's The Witches proves, once again, that abiding interest in the Salem Witch Trials remains high. Richard Francis's stunning novel Crane Pond is the story of Samuel Sewall, loving father and husband, anti-slavery advocate, defender of Native American rights, and presiding judge at the Salem Witchcraft trials in 1692, where he sentenced twenty innocent women to death. He was the only judge to later admit his terrible mistake, and ask for forgiveness.

At once a searing view of the Trials from the inside out, an empathetic portrait of one of the period's most tragic and redemptive figures, and an indictment of the malevolent power of religious and political idealism, it is an absorbing new telling of one of our founding stories.

Crane Pond explores the inner life of a well-meaning man who did evil. It humanizes an unflinching portrait of political hysteria that is as relevant today as it was in the seventeenth century. The novel brings to life Sewall's efforts to piece together a new perspective from shattered preconceptions—illuminating his search for atonement, peace, and ultimately a renewal of hope.

Richard Francis, Sewall's most lauded biographer, seamlessly marries rigorous research and an astute understanding of a deeply complex character to a compelling dramatic framework sure to enchant the wide readership of quality historical fiction.

The author

Richard Francis
Richard Francis was educated at Cambridge and Harvard. He has written 17 books, both fiction and nonfiction, including a number of books on American history and thought. His award-winning novels and books of nonfiction have been published by leading houses in London and New York, including Fourth Estate, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, W.W. Norton, Faber & Faber, and Pantheon. He and his wife live in Bath.

Press

From the same country

  • Cover: Bournville - Jonathan Coe

    Jonathan Coe

    Bournville

    2023, pp. 400, $ 28.00
    A tender and wickedly funny portrait of England told through four generations of one family.
  • Cover: Mr. Wilder and Me - Jonathan Coe

    Jonathan Coe

    Mr. Wilder and Me

    2023, pp. 256, $ 16.95
    A New York Times Editors’ Choice FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE ROTTERS’ CLUB AND MIDDLE ENGLAND...
  • Cover: Hourglass - Keiran Goddard

    Keiran Goddard

    Hourglass

    2023, pp. 208, $ 25.00
    A short, lyrical debut novel about love, loss, work, time, and the unquenchable desire for connection with others—for fans of Jenny Offill, Mieko...
  • Cover: My Father’s House - Joseph O’Connor

    Joseph O’Connor

    My Father’s House

    2023, pp. 440, $ 27.00
    From the acclaimed, bestselling author of Star of the Sea and winner of the 2021 Irish Book Awards Book of the Year for Shadowplay, comes...
  • Cover: The Slowworm’s Song - Andrew Miller

    Andrew Miller

    The Slowworm’s Song

    2022, pp. 320, $ 18.00
    A New Yorker Best Book of 2022 A Wall Street Journal Best Book of Fall 2022 From Costa Award-winning and Booker Prize-shortlisted...
  • Cover: Mr. Wilder and Me - Jonathan Coe

    Jonathan Coe

    Mr. Wilder and Me

    2022, pp. 256, $ 27.00
    A New York Times Editors’ Choice FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE ROTTERS’ CLUB AND MIDDLE ENGLAND...

More suggestions

  • Cover: A Volga Tale - Guzel Yakhina

    Guzel Yakhina

    A Volga Tale

    2023, pp. 512, $ 28.00
    Named Best Foreign Book of 2021 in France Finalist for the Prix Médicis 2021 Longlisted for the European Literature Prize 2021...
  • Cover: Paradises Lost - Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

    Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

    Paradises Lost

    2023, pp. , $ 27.00
    The beginning of a unique adventure, the tremendous challenge of recounting the history of humanity.
  • Cover: The Postcard - Anne Berest

    Anne Berest

    The Postcard

    2023, min., $ 29.95
    Brilliantly told, Anne Berest’s luminous, moving, and unforgettable new book The Postcard is the most acclaimed and beloved French novel in...
  • Cover: The Postcard - Anne Berest

    Anne Berest

    The Postcard

    2023, pp. 464, $ 28.00
    Brilliantly told, Anne Berest’s luminous, moving, and unforgettable new book The Postcard is the most acclaimed and beloved French novel in...
  • Cover: Monument Maker - David Keenan

    David Keenan

    Monument Maker

    2023, pp. 784, $ 24.00
    David Keenand is one of today’s most exciting, fearless, and entertaining writers. Monument Maker is his most daring book to date.
  • Cover: Dying is Easier than Loving - Ahmet Altan

    Ahmet Altan

    Dying is Easier than Loving

    2023, pp. 496, $ 18.00
    The third volume of the internationally acclaimed Ottoman Quartet, written by Ahmet Altan while he was imprisoned by the Turkish regime

Join Our Newsletter and receive a FREE eBook!

Stay updated on Europa’s forthcoming releases, author tours and major news.

Are you a bookseller? Click here!

Are you a librarian? Click here!

X