Windsor Author Releases Historical Fiction Book

WINDSOR, CT - A local author has released a new historical fiction novel and will host events throughout the area, according to a statement from the author.

The Salty Rose: Alchemists, Witches and A Tapper in New Amsterdam by Beth M. Caruso follows its characters through the dramatic takeover of present-day New York City by the English from the Dutch in the mid-1600s. It is a sequel to an earlier historical novel, One of Windsor: The Untold Story of America’s First Witch Hanging, but can be read independently as well.

Seen through the eyes of a tavern keeper, Marie du Trieux, the novel also highlights John Winthrop Jr.’s influence in stopping the witch trials in Connecticut, as well as his success in obtaining a charter that initially included the Dutch colony.

Within this larger story are several smaller plots, including Winthrop’s alchemical practice, his rise to power and his relationship with his assistant, merchant John Tinker. Winthrop was later one of the first and most respected governors in Connecticut colony, and Tinker went on to be one of the founders of New London, Connecticut.

A full list of events tied to Caruso's book is available on her site.

“The new novel deals with a mostly hidden history of the Dutch colonial past in America,” Katherine Hermes, professor of history at Central Connecticut State University, said in a statement. “It highlights the role of women as business operators in that environment and calls out the role and status of women in society. It also gets to issues of peace and negotiating, and how they were very important in that world.”

“The Salty Rose’s characters’ histories and true life events are woven together in a way that maintains the historical integrity of their lives yet fictionally builds upon them creating palpable passion, drama and intrigue,” Caruso explained.

“It’s wonderful to have an author who is so imaginative about the colonial period,” Hermes said. “Beth’s characters are strong and sometimes controversial, and her work is historically accurate as well. The book is well-researched and engaging.”

“I do a lot of research to make sure the known historical background is accurate, but there is also a good deal of literary invention,” Caruso said. “The book has two storylines that come together, one in New Amsterdam (later New York) and one in New England. The stories intertwine through trade, secret alchemical aspirations, the Hartford Witch Panic, and the English quest for colonial domination and power.”

Both of Caruso’s books are published by Lady Slipper Press and can be purchased on-line at Amazon, ordered through any bookstore, or through the author at any of her events. They can also be purchased at the Blue Dragonfly or the House of Books and Games in Windsor or the Windsor Historical Society.