The Burning

Moving hundreds of miles away was her mother’s idea. Anna is starting at a new school to try to become a new girl, far away from the pain and humiliation of what happened before. As things are going great and Anna is making new friends, the rumors startup, the pictures show up, and the insults ramp up. Thankfully, a school project about a local historical figure helps Anna pass the time researching the life of Maggie, a local girl accused and tried of witchcraft centuries before. However, even distractions are just that, and Anna must find her voice in order to avoid following in Maggie’s footsteps, though centuries separate them.

The parallels of the witch burnings and Anna’s ruined social life provide a backdrop for social commentary on the misogyny that is still alive and well today. Unfortunately, it is all too familiar to girls everywhere but never discussed. This story helps to expose this attack on girls using Anna’s journey as she comes to understand her role and responsibility, or lack thereof, in the assassination of her character. This is an excellent statement that shows that girls are more than the sum of their parts, or what others think of them.