This is the haunting tale of Hugh and Mary Parsons of Springfield, Massachusetts. Using actual testimony recorded in their depositions and trials, the book recreates the story of this ill fated couple. 

Happily married in 1645, their life slowly disintegrates into a nightmare of accusations, madness, and death. By 1651, Hugh is accused of witchcraft by his own wife, and the entire town turns against him. Hugh's friends and neighbors tell outlandish tales of unnatural occurrences, ghostly lights, and mysterious beasts, pointing the finger of blame squarely at Hugh. 

In a wild turn of events, Mary confesses that she is also a witch, and has danced with the devil. Both Hugh and Mary are deposed and sent to Boston to stand trial for witchcraft before the General Court of Massachusetts. There, one is charged with murder. Their very lives hang in the balance. 

Exhaustively researched, this book is filled with vivid details of life on the frontier of Massachusetts, and brings to life the people who struggled for existence in the harsh world that was Puritan Massachusetts. Predating the famous Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 by almost 40 years, this is the story of a tragic couple whose life is overtaken by ignorance and superstition.