Book Report - Dear America: I Walk in Dread

Dear America: I Walk in Dread is a fiction book written by Lisa Fraustino. The book is set in Salem Town, Massachusetts during the early 1690’s during the Salem Witch Trials. This novel is about one girl and her struggle to keep her and her family safe. Throughout the book Deliverance Trembley tells of all the things she witnesses during the trails. Deliverance must choose between family and friends, and between saving others or herself.

Deliverance also known as “Liv” is the main character in the book and the “author” of the diary. She is fourteen years old and lives in Salem Town, Massachusetts. Most of her family was killed or captured in an Indian attack, only her and two siblings lived through the attack. Liv and her sister go to live with their uncle, but he leaves them to go earn money to buy land. They are under strict orders not to tell anyone they are alone, because it is not acceptable for them to live by themselves. When the accusations for the witch trials begin Liv is forced to choose to stand up for the people she loves or save herself. Liv develops into an adult and chooses to save herself and her family, she learns that you cannot save everyone, and that just because everyone says something doesn’t mean it’s true.

Liv’s sister Remembrance, or Mem, is another main character. Mem is very lazy and self-centered, she leaves Liv to do most of the work on their uncle’s farm while he is away. Mem also follows the crowd and when the witch trials begin, and she even starts to wonder if Liv is a witch. When Darcy Cooper asks for permission to court Mem, she accepts even though she is disgusted because he isn’t good looking, although he is kind, and his family is well off. She finally agrees to marry him and move when Liv convinces her it is no longer safe for them to stay in Salem because they may be accused of witchcraft and hung although they are innocent. Mem learns that sometimes you have to do things even if you don’t want to. She also finally comes to realize that sometime the majority of people can be wrong.

Martha Corey, Liv and Mem’s neighbor, is very relevant to the plot of the book. Liv comes and reads the bible to Martha every day, Martha is very wise and is often giving Liv advice and trying to help her with daily struggles. When Martha is accused of witchcraft she is appalled that everyone in Salem, including her husband, is willing to testify against her. Mrs. Corey refused to allow Liv to testify for her, because she was afraid for Liv’s safety. Martha denies that she is a witch all the way to the gallows where she was hung for her “crimes against God”.

Liv and Mem’s lives change forever when the Cooper family stops at their house during a snowstorm. Mr. Cooper and his son Darcy Cooper stumble upon their door step one night asking for shelter from the storm; Mem agrees immediately because she finds Mr. Cooper to be quite attractive. The Coopers leave a few days later and promise to return for a visit. Mem is certain that Mr. Cooper is going to ask permission to court her, but when his son Darcy asks instead Mem sadly accepts. Darcy then goes to search to see if he can find out what happened to Mem and Liv’s uncle. When he returns he insists that Mem marries him and moves away from Salem; Mem accepts and marries Darcy Cooper for her and her sister’s safety.

The book begins in Salem Town, Massachusetts when Liv first finds the diary she begins to wonder if her uncle had been practicing witchcraft, but she opens the book to find it full of nothing but empty pages. Liv is overjoyed and begins writing about her everyday life experiences. We first learn that Liv and her family used to live on the frontier, but when Indians attacked her town most of her family was killed and her mother was taken hostage. After the attack her brother Benjamin went to join a militia in the north, and the girls went to live on their uncle’s farm. Then their uncle tells them that he is going on a trip to earn money so he can buy the farm not just rent it. He leaves Liv and Mem under strict orders not to tell anyone that he is away, as it is not proper for two young ladies to live alone.

Besides their uncle being gone life is very normal for the girls they go to church, gossip with friend, and fight just like sisters do. Until one day when Liv finds Mem and her friend putting an egg into a glass of salt water, this was supposed to show an image to hint at your future spouse, Liv gets very angry because this is an act of witchcraft and a sin against God. Mem convinces Liv not to tell anyone and she hesitantly agrees. Liv soon forgets about the incident, and turns her worries towards the upcoming snowstorm. Just when the storm seems to be at its worst they