In 1848 Nathaniel Hawthorne is married and living in Salem, Massachusetts, a stone's throw from where the alleged witches were hanged in 1692. He is burdened with guilt over his ancestor's involvement in their trial, and bored with the stultifying work in the Custom House. Unable to write anything of significance, he is bitter and depressed. Susan Pryor, a young maid in a wealthy Salem household, aspires to become more than just a maid. Though she...