Saturday, December 20, 2008

Introduing Nissitissit Witch by Rosemary Chaulk



Nissitissit Witch
Perfect Paperback: 317 pages
Publisher: AuthorHouse; Second Edition
Copyright September 2, 2008
Language: English
ISBN: 98-1-4389-1713-9

Rosemary Chaulk tells us about her book:

My book, Nissitissit Witch,suggests that the original curse on the valley was from the Indians who were slaughtered when the invading white settlers took the Nissitissit. We, as victors, wrote the history, but what about the history of those who came before us, what about the troubled Indian spirits?

During the 1800s, the Nissitissit was no different than any other river. During that time our rivers were the recipient of every waste product and poison produced. North village is located in a narrow valley that concentrates the flow from about forty thousand aces of land upstream. There were many little villages along the Nissitissit and any toxins they wanted to dispose of were dumped into the river.

I found that they made felt and had a velvet shop ni9 North Village. The process of making felt uses mercurous oxide. Velvet clothes use felt in the collars, and the dyes in the velvets were also very toxic. Long-term exposure to mercury causes death by fits of insanity and people died in 'an unusual way'.

The Nissitissit Witch captures the essence of a bygone era and exemplifies how narrow-mindedness and ignorance can lead to tragedy and regret. Following rumors of witchcraft, curses, and the work of the Devil, panic and hysteria force a community to retreat and ultimately vanish. Set in the town of North Village (which is now Pepperell, Massachusetts) the story begins in the late nineteenth century and, with the author's clever use of flashbacks, takes the reader further back in time. Ailing, old-timer Ebb recounts painful memories from both the Civil War and his childhood, trying to make sense of the trauma in his life. His return home is bittersweet, as he is controlled by an undeniable desire to enter the river's mist and embark upon a remarkable, spiritual journey.



Please visit Vivian's Mysteries and Prairie Dog Cowboy.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi,

I hope you all like my book.

Rosemary Chaulk

Vivian Zabel said...

Thanks for stopping by, Rose. I'm sure anyone who likes history and well researched books will like Nissitissit Witch.

Thank you for sharing the background of your book.

elysabeth said...

Sounds like an interesting bit of history here. Witches and Indians and all sorts of things. Good posting, Vivian. See you all around - E :)