What drives a mother to take the life of her own child? This week, we crack open a dusty, unsettling case file from 17th-century Massachusetts—a “first trial” that saw a Salem colonial woman stand accused of the unthinkable in today’s America.

But we don’t stop there. In the second half, we look back through ancient Rome and Greece, pre-colonial Africa, and beyond—to see that accepting a child is not exactly love at first sight. From honor codes to infanticide laws, from desperate poverty to ritual practice, the answers are messier and more fascinating than you’d expect. Equal parts true crime and cultural norms on tossing your newborns to the wolves. Grab your headphones, maybe a comfort snack, and join us for a conversation that’s dark, deeply human, and surprisingly full of “I can’t believe that happened” moments.

Keywords: 17th-century Massachusetts, Puritan history, colonial America, first-order trial, filicide, infanticide, child homicide, maternal violence, legal history, crime history, cross-cultural history, historical true crime, anthropology, women’s history, social history, courtroom drama, colonial justice, unthinkable acts, podcast episode