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Historical Fiction

Deluded By the Devil:
A Tale of Love and Survival in Colonial America

Inspired by True Events

Symon Freeman, the son of Quaker immigrants, has never known peace. His family’s life on the New England frontier has been a constant battle—against fierce winters, Indian raids, and deadly epidemics. Yet the greatest threat to Symon comes not from nature but from society. As the witchcraft hysteria from Salem spreads, cracks in the fragile community of Andover widen, and the Freeman family finds themselves at the heart of it.

Abigail Marshall, thrust into adulthood at fifteen after her mother’s death, bears the burden of raising her younger siblings. Four years later, she is forced into marriage with a wealthy man forty years her senior. But after his death, her sudden inheritance makes her the target of malicious gossip. When she marries Symon, a penniless carpenter, the rumors of him being a “gold digger” follow her everywhere.

Now, as witchcraft accusations flood into Andover, Symon, Abigail, and their daughters are dragged into the hysteria. With the community turning against them and old suspicions resurfacing, will they be able to escape the noose, or will past grievances and Symon’s eccentricities seal their fate?

A compelling story of love, survival, and the devastating power of fear, Deluded By the Devil delves into a world where truth is the first casualty of mass hysteria.

© 2023 by Andy Decker. Proudly created with WIX.COM
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