Nathaniel Hawthorne’s courtship of Sophia Peabody lasted for three years, because he insisted on keeping it secret. He had his reasons, none of which Sophia agreed with.
But she knew they were destined for each other and he was worth the wait. When they married in 1842, Sophia wrote in her journal: “We became Adam and Eve alone in our Garden of Eden”. But not all was paradise in their Eden. Nathaniel bore a burden that plagued his family since 1692. His ancestor, Judge Hathorne, condemned 19 innocent victims to death during the Salem witch trials, bringing shame and guilt upon the family through the centuries.
In her last moments on earth, from the hanging tree, condemned witch victim Sarah Good cursed the judge and his descendants. Nathaniel’s belief in this curse haunted and tormented him…until Sophia made it her quest to save him.
