Sara's mother turned away from the books that were later given to Sara by her aunt in Salem. These are very special books with unique qualities, becuase Sara has the flaw of phylactery, and the merit of manifest avatar. Basically it means this: Sara's avatar is held within her bloodline and the books are a manifestation of those bloodlines. Basically when Sara received the books, she discovered that as soon as she accepted them, she had Awakened. And what's more the books seem to write themselves. The moment the books became hers, the latest volume began writing the story of her life up to that point. Within the pages of these books are carefully hidden the rotes, rescipes, herbal healing formulae, and so on from as far back as the family line goes (back to ancient Scotland). With these books, she can access the wisdom of her avatar, her avatar can guide the practice of her magick as it wills, and she has a physical connection to her family.
The Curse:
Unfortunately all the knowledge of the books comes with a price. Sara has the flaw of echoes causing her to act like a lightning rod for all the bad stuff associated with being a witch. Bad things sometimes happen to people near her (such as the accident that killed her father and brother). Milk curdles in her presences, calvs are stillborn in her neighborhood (thank goodness she lives in the city). And animals (save for cats, frogs, pigs, ravens, goats, wolfs, geese, crows, bats, and mice) don't tend to trust her.
