In The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood dedicates her famous novel to a relative, Mary Webster. Webster had survived a hanging as a witch in the 1600s New England. Upon learning about this, I wrote this story. What if, during that long night of dangling at a rope, Mary had been approached by Old Scratch and offered revenge? In turn, she would promise her soul. Drawing upon other stories I've read, I created this story of Mary Webster, historically a good and pious woman, into a woman seeking revenge, and by doing so, pays with her soul.

Boston, 1636. , a respected midwife and devoted mother, holds private religious discussions that draw women and men alike, including the Massachusetts Bay Colony's governor's niece, Elizabeth Winthrop (ancestress of the author). Bound by a shared spiritual hunger, their quiet friendship becomes Anne's secret strength as she challenges the rigid doctrines of Governor John Winthrop and the colony's powerful clergy.