I read the Heretic's Daughter last year and enjoyed it, so I was excited to stuble across this book by Kathleen Kent. The title gave me the shivers, and then the book description gave the setting as colonial Massachusetts, so I had to read it, or rather listen to it on audio.
First let me point out that this book was originally published under the name The Wolves of Andover. I recently found out that it's apparently being published now as The Traitor's Wife. This was a good move on the publishers part because, after reading it, I was baffled by the title. There are wolves in this book, but the literal ones only play a small and brief role in the story. And I was having trouble pinpointing who the figurative ones were, and how they were worthy of the title.
This book tells the story of Martha Allan, who goes to work in her cousin's household. Martha is a strong willed, independent thinking woman, not admirable qualities in a woman at that time. She immediately takes charge, and thus makes enemies within the household. Eventually, a strange courtship begins between Martha and Thomas Carrier, one of her cousin's farmhands. But Thomas has a strange mysterious past, one involving the English Civil War, and soon it's apparent that the wolves aren't the only ones hunting. There are others, the ones that want Thomas dead and silenced forever.
Overall, this was a good story, but it isn't one I can say "you have to read this" about. If you like the time period, or have enjoyed other books by Kathleen Kent, then go ahead and add this to your reading list. But it's not a grand must read. And truly, there are so many great books, that if your pressed for reading time, go ahead and skip over this one.
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