In Salem in 1609, devils and witches were an accepted fact of life and of religion. When some girls in the village began having fits and tremors, their torments were attributed to the action of witches.
Elizabeth Putnam and her parents were different from many of the other village folks, having more education and sophistication. They did not believe in the accusations nor in the spectacle of witchcraft that they began witnessing. However, a dear friend and business partner of Elizabeth’s father, Jonathan Corwin, as well as his son, George, felt differently. They were all too ready to believe that the devil had come to Salem Village, and that witches now inhabited in the souls of women and men — even children — in the village.
As Elizabeth struggles to find her way among the alarming events, she also finds herself at odds with George, her best friend and companion since babyhood. Things come to a head when Elizabeth herself is accused of witchcraft. George has to make some decisions about becoming a man in his own right.