A selection of first sentences from new books, Sept. 18

A selection of first sentences from new books, Sept. 18

In 1692 the Massachusetts Bay Colony executed fourteen women, five men, and two dogs for witchcraft.

Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem, now in paperback, by Stacy Schiff

Modern Dispatches From an Ancient Landscape, now in paperback, by James Rebanks

The Oval Office always smelled of cigarette smoke, of medical disinfectant and a faint undercurrent of sage.

“Crooked,” a novel, now in paperback, by Austin Grossman