Written by: Robert McCammon
Submitted By: Sean Boyer
In high school, Robert McCammon was my favorite author, but after my senior year and the publication of Gone South, he retired. It was several years until I read The Winter King and had a new favorite author (you know who) and developed a love for historical fiction as a result. Such was the case with McCammon. He retired because he did not want to be pigeonholed as a horror writer and wanted to delve into historical fiction, against the wishes of his publisher. Enter Speaks the Nightbird. Althought written over a decade ago, it has finally seen the light of day. Set in the Carolina territory in 1699, it tells the story of a magistrate and his clerk who are summoned to preside over the trial of a witch who is blamed for the ill luck of a small town. Despite the evidence against her and then-held beliefs about witchcraft, the magistrate's clerk has serious reservations about the so-called witch's guilt and begins to unravel a conspiracy that goes to the very core of the town itself. Speaks the Nightbird is filled with period detail and wonderful characters, and McCammon's prose is rich and eloquent. I read the hardcover edition, which may be hard to find, but Pocket Books released Nightbird in 2 softcover volumes. Those who like this book may also want to check out McCammon's Boy's Life (mix of Twain and Something Wicked This Way Comes) and The Wolf's Hour (set during WWII and right up there with the Sharpe series for action).
