Hour of the Witch
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- Create Date：2021-04-21 12:32:21
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Chris Bohjalian
- ISBN：0593348818
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Summary
A Read It Forward Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A young Puritan woman--faithful， resourceful， but afraid of the demons that dog her soul--plots her escape from a violent marriage in this riveting and propulsive novel of historical suspense from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant。
Boston， 1662。 Mary Deerfield is twenty-four-years-old。 Her skin is porcelain， her eyes delft blue， and in England she might have had many suitors。 But here in the New World， amid this community of saints， Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield， a man as cruel as he is powerful。 When Thomas， prone to drunken rage， drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary's hand， she resolves that she must divorce him to save her life。 But in a world where every neighbor is watching for signs of the devil， a woman like Mary--a woman who harbors secret desires and finds it difficult to tolerate the brazen hypocrisy of so many men in the colony--soon becomes herself the object of suspicion and rumor。 When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary's garden， when a boy she has treated with herbs and simples dies， and when their servant girl runs screaming in fright from her home， Mary must fight to not only escape her marriage， but also the gallows。 A twisting， tightly plotted novel of historical suspense from one of our greatest storytellers， Hour of the Witch is a timely and terrifying story of socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt。
A young Puritan woman--faithful， resourceful， but afraid of the demons that dog her soul--plots her escape from a violent marriage in this riveting and propulsive novel of historical suspense from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant。
Boston， 1662。 Mary Deerfield is twenty-four-years-old。 Her skin is porcelain， her eyes delft blue， and in England she might have had many suitors。 But here in the New World， amid this community of saints， Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield， a man as cruel as he is powerful。 When Thomas， prone to drunken rage， drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary's hand， she resolves that she must divorce him to save her life。 But in a world where every neighbor is watching for signs of the devil， a woman like Mary--a woman who harbors secret desires and finds it difficult to tolerate the brazen hypocrisy of so many men in the colony--soon becomes herself the object of suspicion and rumor。 When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary's garden， when a boy she has treated with herbs and simples dies， and when their servant girl runs screaming in fright from her home， Mary must fight to not only escape her marriage， but also the gallows。 A twisting， tightly plotted novel of historical suspense from one of our greatest storytellers， Hour of the Witch is a timely and terrifying story of socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt。
Reviews
Sharon May
，
Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Chris Bohjalian - one of my favorites！ 4。5 stars for a great historical fiction look into early views about women and witches！Mary left London with her parents who settled in Boston in the mid-1600s。 Mary is a very devout Puritan woman who marries an older man， Thomas Deerfield， and becomes his second wife。 Thomas turns out to be a very angry， violent man especially when he drinks and Mary is on the receivi Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Chris Bohjalian - one of my favorites！ 4。5 stars for a great historical fiction look into early views about women and witches！Mary left London with her parents who settled in Boston in the mid-1600s。 Mary is a very devout Puritan woman who marries an older man， Thomas Deerfield， and becomes his second wife。 Thomas turns out to be a very angry， violent man especially when he drinks and Mary is on the receiving end of that violence。 When he stabs a three-pronged fork through her hand， Mary decides she must divorce him。 However， she then finds herself defending against allegations of witchcraft。 While a bit of a slower read， this is a very powerful look into how women were treated centuries ago。 Men were allowed to discipline their wives and the wives were forced to live with that violence。 Hmm， well， maybe we haven't come as far as we should have on that matter。 Barren women were judged to be suspect because they didn't fulfill what they were created to do - be bearers of children。 This book took place in Massachusetts before the Salem witch trials and people were looking everywhere for the signs of the Devil - even in forks！ The trials that Mary underwent were quite eyeopening and led to a tense reading of this book - loved the ending！ 。。。more
Brenda Feinen
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Mary decides to file for divorce from Thomas after a vicious attack。 Though he has abused her all five years of their marriage， there is no proof。 They both provided stories of Mary's clumsiness。 Fearing for her safety， Mary moves in with her parents while her scribe prepares her case。 Whispers of Mary practicing witchcraft surface。 They steal the attention away from the years Mary suffered domestic violence。 Mary fights hard for her independence- refusing to bow to her community's ongoing insis Mary decides to file for divorce from Thomas after a vicious attack。 Though he has abused her all five years of their marriage， there is no proof。 They both provided stories of Mary's clumsiness。 Fearing for her safety， Mary moves in with her parents while her scribe prepares her case。 Whispers of Mary practicing witchcraft surface。 They steal the attention away from the years Mary suffered domestic violence。 Mary fights hard for her independence- refusing to bow to her community's ongoing insistence Mary attempt mediation rather than divorce - their value on the sanctity of marriage than a wife's right to safety。 Women have endured abuse from the beginning of time。 Yet again a terrifying question - what has changed in 500 years？ Women are still not valued as a people， suffer abuse at the hands of men， rulings made by men。 I could go on。 Slow build， great ending。 。。。more
Louise
，
Chris Bohjalian has done it again， with another immersive spell-binding （no pun intended） story。 This time the setting is 1662-63 in Boston， which is under Puritan rule。 Bohjalian uses archaic， formal dialog to set the tone of his story， and it only took me a short while to get used to it all （“dost”， “thou”， “prithee” and so forth）。 The main character， Mary Deerfield， is a complex person， dealing with an abusive older husband （especially when he’s “drink-drunk”） and struggling to keep her faith Chris Bohjalian has done it again， with another immersive spell-binding （no pun intended） story。 This time the setting is 1662-63 in Boston， which is under Puritan rule。 Bohjalian uses archaic， formal dialog to set the tone of his story， and it only took me a short while to get used to it all （“dost”， “thou”， “prithee” and so forth）。 The main character， Mary Deerfield， is a complex person， dealing with an abusive older husband （especially when he’s “drink-drunk”） and struggling to keep her faith， despite her remaining childless。 I found the colonial legal proceedings very interesting， and grew very frustrated with the magistrates （all of whom， of course， were men）， even while realizing that they were people of their times。 Truly this was not a good time or place to be a woman！ （Or a man， unless you were inclined to follow the Puritan way of life absolutely and completely。） At its heart， the divorce proceedings were a colonial era example of “he said， she said” since there were no witnesses to the husband’s cruelty。 Bohjalian paints a wonderful picture of the everyday lives of the early colonists in Boston， the food they ate and the clothing they wore， the prevalence of indentured servants， and the social structures （and strictures）， without taking away from the very absorbing narrative。 Highly recommended！Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Annie
，
Mary doesn't really fit into 1660s Massachusetts Bay Colony， but she tries and works hard to be a good member of the community。 However， her abusive husband （who is far older than herself）， her inability to get pregnant， and the general climate of religious violence all contribute to Mary ending up in front of the magistrates。 Twice。 The book is a thriller in the sense that it keeps you on the edge of anxiety the entire time。 Bohjalian does an excellent job of making you both frustrated with Mar Mary doesn't really fit into 1660s Massachusetts Bay Colony， but she tries and works hard to be a good member of the community。 However， her abusive husband （who is far older than herself）， her inability to get pregnant， and the general climate of religious violence all contribute to Mary ending up in front of the magistrates。 Twice。 The book is a thriller in the sense that it keeps you on the edge of anxiety the entire time。 Bohjalian does an excellent job of making you both frustrated with Mary and empathetic towards her situation while the climate of the book keeps you on edge， wondering whether or not Mary is going to fall victim to fear， jealousy， and hysteria or escape with her life。 Overall I enjoyed the book， though I found myself getting annoyed with Mary creating some of her own problems and not always seeing - or taking - the sensible way forward for her time and situation。 She is a flawed character， which makes her feel more real even if she is not always that sympathetic to the reader。 There were a few points that felt a little anachronistic for a 17th century Puritan setting and characters， but otherwise it was well written。Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Hour of the Witch early in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Steve
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I requested the ARC of this novel solely because of its author。 I have read several other books by Bohjalian and rated them all highly save one （one which I could not finish， something I rarely do）。 Little did I know what I was getting into。 The story is set in 1662 in Boston。 Mary Deerfield came to America with her parents in search of a more pious lifestyle （aka Puritanical）。 At 19， she was married to Thomas Deerfield， a man twice her age。 The marriage was doomed， not the least because Mary co I requested the ARC of this novel solely because of its author。 I have read several other books by Bohjalian and rated them all highly save one （one which I could not finish， something I rarely do）。 Little did I know what I was getting into。 The story is set in 1662 in Boston。 Mary Deerfield came to America with her parents in search of a more pious lifestyle （aka Puritanical）。 At 19， she was married to Thomas Deerfield， a man twice her age。 The marriage was doomed， not the least because Mary could not bear a child as well as what we call today spousal abuse。 So she decides to do something most unusual in those times - seek a divorce。 Each chapter has quotes from testimony offered at the divorce hearing， an interesting literary ploy given that you don’t know until halfway through the book the judgment of the magistrates。 The second half of the book deals with Mary’s response to the ruling of the court （no spoilers here - you will need to read）。 The tension rises and the story twists back and forth until the surprise ending。 Bohjalian certainly does not stick to one genre （other than fiction） in his writing， and he clearly did some research before putting pen to paper （or should I say finger to keyboard）。 He is a talented writer， willing to take risks。 My thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of this book。 。。。more
Leslie Lindsay
，
{Special and immense gratitude to the author and Doubleday for this review copy。 All thoughts are my own。 Please follow my author interview series for a Q&A with Chris Bohjalian in late April 2021}An Indie Next Pick for May 2021|A Read It Forward Most Anticipated Book of 2021| A Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2021|A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Books of 2021A young Puritan woman caught in the crosshairs of religion， justice， and sexism in Boston during the 17th century。 I've been a longtime fan {Special and immense gratitude to the author and Doubleday for this review copy。 All thoughts are my own。 Please follow my author interview series for a Q&A with Chris Bohjalian in late April 2021}An Indie Next Pick for May 2021|A Read It Forward Most Anticipated Book of 2021| A Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2021|A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Books of 2021A young Puritan woman caught in the crosshairs of religion， justice， and sexism in Boston during the 17th century。 I've been a longtime fan of Chris Bohjalian， ever since I read and loved MIDWIVES， so when HOUR OF THE WITCH （Doubleday， May 4 2021）， I knew I couldn't pass this by。 Mary Deerfield left England years ago with her parents， Priscilla and James， embarking on a new world， one in which religious and mercantile freedom were promised。 Mary soon marries Thomas， a second marriage for him， her first。 They have a stable home， his work at a sawmill provides most comforts of the day， including a servant girl。 All is well--except for the physical and emotional abuse Mary endures at the hands of Thomas。 Not only that， but Mary is unable to 'fall pregnant;' rumors circulate that she is 'barren。' When her daughter-in-law's pregnancy is spontaneously aborted， her servant girl's brother （an indentured servant in another household） falls ill and dies （perhaps after ingesting Mary's 'simples' from the garden）， speculation arises that she is a witch。 What's more--three-pronged forks appear in her garden， and other marks on the doorframe。。。a true mark of a witch。 But Thomas is a brute， slamming Mary into things around the house， coming home 'drink-drunk，' spending hours at the pub， and more。 She's fed up and wants a divorce。 But divorce is largely unheard of in New England。 The case goes to court。 It's denied。 And still， there's so much going on in HOUR OF THE WITCH， things that ring true to today's world of justice， religion， feminism， and more。Mary is a fabulous character I couldn't help but love。 She's resourceful， sharp， faithful， and like all good characters: flawed。 But she's no witch。 Bohjalian has mined the seventeeth century with a fine-toothed comb， bringing fabulous details--from language to visual and visceral--to life。 HOUR OF THE WITCH is propulsive， spell-binding， and masterful。 I was absolutely in awe with his courtroom scenes， the way he handled the twisty ending。 This is Bohjalian at the top of his game。 As I read HOUR OF THE WITCH， I was reminded， in part， of THE SCARLET LETTER （Nathaniel Hawthorn）， THE HANDMAIDS TALE （Margaret Atwood）， but also Christina Baker Kline's THE EXILES with a touch of Laura Purcell （THE SILENT COMPANIONS， THE CORSET， BONE CHINA）。 For all my reviews， including author interviews， please see: www。leslielindsay。com|Always with a Book。 Chris Bohjalian to appear 4。30。21。 Special thanks to Doubleday and the author for this review copy。 All thoughts are my own。 。。。more
Beth H
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I received an advanced copy of this book。Really interesting fictional account of a life as a woman during the Puritan times。 Mary is a young woman with a mean husband who is not afraid to use physical reminders of his power over her。 Mary is brave and more out-spoken than most women during that time， and files for divorce - a nearly unheard of activity in that time。 Three-tine forks are found buried by Mary's door - are they just forks or are they the devil's sign？ Mary works through the divorce I received an advanced copy of this book。Really interesting fictional account of a life as a woman during the Puritan times。 Mary is a young woman with a mean husband who is not afraid to use physical reminders of his power over her。 Mary is brave and more out-spoken than most women during that time， and files for divorce - a nearly unheard of activity in that time。 Three-tine forks are found buried by Mary's door - are they just forks or are they the devil's sign？ Mary works through the divorce proceedings and eventually finds herself accused of witchcraft - an accusation that often leads to a death sentence。 The book is very well researched and enlightening about life during this time。 。。。more
Sabrina Berndt
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Mary is trying to escape her abusive husband via divorce， but when things take a dark turn， the story turns into one of survival and women's rights in puritan America。 I would give this book a strong 4/5。 I'm a sucker for a colonial witch plot， and the feminist undertones of this story made it more appealing。 Even though the author is a man， I thought Bohjalian did a great job subtly （and sometimes not so subtly） reminding the reader how women were viewed and treated during this time （ex。 when M Mary is trying to escape her abusive husband via divorce， but when things take a dark turn， the story turns into one of survival and women's rights in puritan America。 I would give this book a strong 4/5。 I'm a sucker for a colonial witch plot， and the feminist undertones of this story made it more appealing。 Even though the author is a man， I thought Bohjalian did a great job subtly （and sometimes not so subtly） reminding the reader how women were viewed and treated during this time （ex。 when Mary pointed out the difference in how the judges responded to a male witness and a female witness。）。 Each character seemed to have plenty of depth。 Mary definitely had the most depth as a woman who wanted to please God， but also wanted to live a fulfilling life - an impossible position for a woman of the time。 Bohjalian blurred the good/bad lines between the rest of the characters， leaving me conflicted about some characters that I made my mind up about in the beginning。 Except for Thomas。。。 I definitely still hate him。Overall， I liked the plot and the pacing。 If I hit a particular spot that was a bit slow or dull， Bohjalian would make up for it by providing an intense chapter right after。 And the ending - woah！ The plot twist was great and super satisfying after such a dark read。 This is a good read！Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for gifting me the ARC！ 。。。more
Rebecca Lyman
，
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review。I was interested in the premise behind this book and thought I would give it a try。 And I should have known that I wouldn't end up loving it but I still thought it sounded interesting。 I just couldn't get into the characters or even the plot line。 I'm sure it's historically accurate but it was so depressing and more than that it was maddening！ Which I'm sure it was supposed to be maddening because they did actually I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review。I was interested in the premise behind this book and thought I would give it a try。 And I should have known that I wouldn't end up loving it but I still thought it sounded interesting。 I just couldn't get into the characters or even the plot line。 I'm sure it's historically accurate but it was so depressing and more than that it was maddening！ Which I'm sure it was supposed to be maddening because they did actually murder a bunch of innocent women calling them "witches。" The whole book though with trying to first divorce Thomas and then second defend herself against a completely unfounded accusation of witchery。 I liked maybe the last 5% of the book （the ending） but the rest of the book was somewhat torturous to get through。 Overall I really didn't enjoy this book very much but I'm sure that there are many who would end up loving it - it seems like it might be an accurate representation of the frustrations of the time。 。。。more
Maureen
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I don't know as though I can think of another author who has the range of Chris Bohjalian。 No two of his novels are the same。 As a result of his range， I can tell you that haven't elected to read all of his books， because the story lines do not all appeal to me， and I am totally good with that。 I even stopped reading one of the books my book club chose because it wasn't for me。 That being said， one of his books is one of my husband's favorites， and I first learned of the Armenian Genocide from a I don't know as though I can think of another author who has the range of Chris Bohjalian。 No two of his novels are the same。 As a result of his range， I can tell you that haven't elected to read all of his books， because the story lines do not all appeal to me， and I am totally good with that。 I even stopped reading one of the books my book club chose because it wasn't for me。 That being said， one of his books is one of my husband's favorites， and I first learned of the Armenian Genocide from another of his works that I loved （ok， I don't love genocide， but you get what I mean）。 This new work is another in a long line of excellent novels on diverse topics。 It is definitely a slow burn， and the postscript at the end of every chapter doesn't do anything to hide where things are headed。 Despite the span of centuries， the plot has many similarities to more recent times， although people don't often seem to write these days of people who come close to the edge of terrible crimes and step back from them。 Even though we should expect it， the scenes is the 'courtroom' where we hear unsupported aspersions cast on her， are chilling。 This is an absorbing story of a brave young woman。 Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC。 。。。more
Kat
，
"How do you know she's a witch？" The oft-quoted line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail that serves to highlight the utter non-sensical logic of the witch hunts of yore， kept echoing in my head as I read Bohjalian's latest novel。 Set in Boston in the 1630's， it tells the tale of Mary， an abused young woman who simply seeks a divorce from her cruel husband。 But it's not quite that simple for the puritans， whose piety and superstitions cause them to see the devil in just about everything - from "How do you know she's a witch？" The oft-quoted line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail that serves to highlight the utter non-sensical logic of the witch hunts of yore， kept echoing in my head as I read Bohjalian's latest novel。 Set in Boston in the 1630's， it tells the tale of Mary， an abused young woman who simply seeks a divorce from her cruel husband。 But it's not quite that simple for the puritans， whose piety and superstitions cause them to see the devil in just about everything - from the way she speaks to the utensils she uses to eat。 The original form of 'gaslighting，' the men of （and women） of Boston are so steadfast in their beliefs that they have Mary even doubting herself and whether she is in fact， possessed by Satan。 I was enthralled by Hour of the Witch， frustrated with the Puritan attitudes and superstitions but nonetheless enthralled with Mary's story。 Bohjalian's writing， as always， is spellbinding and he manages to capture the time period， the language， and the setting without overwriting it。 I picked it up， and didn't put it down until I was done。 。。。more
Lisa Wolf
，
I have read quite a few books by Chris Bohjalian by now， and without fail， they’re always interesting， unusual， and thought-provoking。 And while most of the books I’ve read by him have been contemporary fiction， I’ve also read two terrific historical novels （The Sandcastle Girls and The Light in the Ruins）， both of which shed light on important and disturbing historical periods and show these periods through the eyes of ordinary people。In The Hour of the Witch， the author goes several centuries I have read quite a few books by Chris Bohjalian by now， and without fail， they’re always interesting， unusual， and thought-provoking。 And while most of the books I’ve read by him have been contemporary fiction， I’ve also read two terrific historical novels （The Sandcastle Girls and The Light in the Ruins）， both of which shed light on important and disturbing historical periods and show these periods through the eyes of ordinary people。In The Hour of the Witch， the author goes several centuries into the past to bring us a story set in the Puritan settlement of Boston in the 1600s。 If you’ve read stories of the early Colonial days， then the moral code and rhythm of the community’s life may feel familiar。Mary Deerfield， at age 24， is married to a truly awful man， Thomas Deerfield， a miller。 Thomas often comes home “drink-drunk” and berates her， intimidates her， and beats her。 His violence escalates over time， as does his verbal cruelty — but apparently no one sees his abhorrent behavior but Mary。 Their servant girl Catherine appears to be enamored of Thomas， and Mary feels such shame about her marriage that she hides her bruises and keeps the violence a deep， dark secret。On top of the misery of this abusive behavior， Mary has not conceived， despite five years of marriage。 Her “barren” state subjects her to even more abuse from Thomas， not to mention public scorn and mistrust。 If she’s barren， it must be God’s will — and could that be because she’s in league with the Devil？“Women who are barren often act strangely。 It would be like an owl that couldn’t fly: it would be antithetical to our Lord’s purpose， and the animal would， by necessity， go mad。” Mary’s troubles grow further when she innocently accepts a gift from her father， a successful importer — a set of silver forks。 But in the Puritan view， these are “the Devil’s tines”， since a three-pronged implement resembles a pitchfork， and those who use the Devil’s tines must therefore be suspect of inviting in evil。When Mary finds a pair of forks buried in her garden， she suspects that someone is trying to curse her， and when Catherine observes her in the garden with the forks， Catherine immediately suspects that Mary herself is in league with the Devil。Thomas’s violence eventually causes severe injury and Mary flees to her parents， taking the unprecedented and dangerous step of petitioning the elders for divorce。 In the book’s two sections， we see two different trials， each giving us a horrifying view of what passes for justice at that time。 The magistrates follow their own set of rules， accept as evidence hearsay and superstitious signs， and have no respect for women — especially not a barren woman like Mary， who， by their logic， must be guilty of something bad in order to be deemed unworthy of bearing children。If it sounds like a no-win situation for Mary， as well as any woman who’s unusual and perhaps not quite meek enough， that’s because it is。 You can see where Mary’s situation is headed， even when she doesn’t quite believe it， and we readers know early on that Mary’s legal case as well as her domestic situation will go from bad to worse。The Hour of the Witch presents a fascinating view of Puritan life， although it doesn’t exactly feel new or different to me。 I’ve read enough history books and articles about the period to have a pretty decent sense of what a woman’s life would have been like at the time， and the notion of an outspoken woman being accused of witchcraft isn’t exactly startling。The Puritan phrasing makes the dialogue feel slow and heavy throughout the book， with characters exclaiming such things as “Thou canst not believe that！” and “Do what thou likest” and “I thank thee”。 Maybe that’s supposed to be authentic speech， but it feels awkward， especially when a character later in the book says “I feel bad that she has been dragged into this”， which could be something said in a 21st century heart-to-heart。I did really like Mary as a character， although she makes some unwise choices along the way — but for the most part， these just illustrate how very little control a woman of the time would have had over her own life， and how even the slightest step out of line could lead to life-threatening consequences。The Hour of the Witch feels a little simple in comparison to some of the more twisty-turvy plots I’ve read by this author， but I still enjoyed reading it。 Despite the sometimes slow pace， I was invested in the outcome and had to know Mary’s fate。If you’re interested in this era in US history， then I’d definitely recommend checking out The Hour of the Witch！Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley。 Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies。 。。。more
Kelly Roxanne
，
A smart woman living in Puritan Boston in 1662 attempts two different ways to separate herself from her abusive husband。 She plots and schemes to set the stage for a specific turn of events， pushing the boundaries of women for that time， and ultimately faces witchcraft charges。 It’s a quick read filled with tension and an unexpected ending。
Mary McBride
，
What a great novel。I have read most of Bohjalian's novels and next to Midwives， this is the best。It was written about a fascinating time in 17th century America that was dominated by strict religious beliefs。 If women did not behave or honor their husbands， they were accused of witchcraft。 There were great characters and twists and the ending was so perfect。It will be released the first week in May。 Loved every page！ What a great novel。I have read most of Bohjalian's novels and next to Midwives， this is the best。It was written about a fascinating time in 17th century America that was dominated by strict religious beliefs。 If women did not behave or honor their husbands， they were accused of witchcraft。 There were great characters and twists and the ending was so perfect。It will be released the first week in May。 Loved every page！ 。。。more
Kelli Roberts
，
Count this as another successful notch in Chris Bohjalian's belt。 This novel of historical suspense was so interesting， filled with details about 1662 New England， and went places that I never expected it to。 As a Massachusetts native， I've always held a fascination for the Puritans， as well as Salem and the witch trials， and I learned so much from this。 The details and the claustrophobic atmosphere added to the tension that kept increasing with each chapter， and the culmination was completely u Count this as another successful notch in Chris Bohjalian's belt。 This novel of historical suspense was so interesting， filled with details about 1662 New England， and went places that I never expected it to。 As a Massachusetts native， I've always held a fascination for the Puritans， as well as Salem and the witch trials， and I learned so much from this。 The details and the claustrophobic atmosphere added to the tension that kept increasing with each chapter， and the culmination was completely unexpected。 I have great admiration for Mary and the other strong-willed women that we read about here。 Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the advance digital copy！ 。。。more
S。 Smith
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Bohjalian's latest novel is a masterly depiction of 17th-century New England that brings to life the beliefs and contradictions of colonial Puritan culture as experienced by a tormented young matron。 Though she comes from an affluent and pious Boston family， Mary Deerfield's status neither prevents the local powers from denying her a divorce from her abusive husband nor from upholding the subsequent vicious accusations of witchcraft brought against her。 The intense， twisting narration commands - Bohjalian's latest novel is a masterly depiction of 17th-century New England that brings to life the beliefs and contradictions of colonial Puritan culture as experienced by a tormented young matron。 Though she comes from an affluent and pious Boston family， Mary Deerfield's status neither prevents the local powers from denying her a divorce from her abusive husband nor from upholding the subsequent vicious accusations of witchcraft brought against her。 The intense， twisting narration commands -- and rewards -- reader attention from the first chapter to the thrilling denouement。 Thanks to the publisher for supplying an advance reading copy via NetGalley。 。。。more
Maureen Mayer
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4。5 starsI love reading about the witch trials that took place in Puritan times and thought this was a great historical fiction that incorporated just that。Mary Deerfield is a devout woman， both to her husband and her faith， but one can only take so much abuse。 Her husband， Thomas， is a cruel man and uses his words and hands to hurt his second wife， but when he stabs her hand with a three-tined fork， Mary finally decides enough is enough and petitions for divorce。 The only problem is there are n 4。5 starsI love reading about the witch trials that took place in Puritan times and thought this was a great historical fiction that incorporated just that。Mary Deerfield is a devout woman， both to her husband and her faith， but one can only take so much abuse。 Her husband， Thomas， is a cruel man and uses his words and hands to hurt his second wife， but when he stabs her hand with a three-tined fork， Mary finally decides enough is enough and petitions for divorce。 The only problem is there are no witnesses to the abuse， and rumors have spread that she may be dabbling in witchcraft。This story was definitely a suspenseful thriller， and I couldn’t wait to finish it。 Though the dialogue was accurate for the time period， it didn’t slow me down， and by the end of the story I was very happy with how everything turned out。If you enjoy reading historical fiction and anything/everything involving witches， then this is definitely the book for you！*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Suzanne
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Dark， brooding tale of young wife， with an alcoholic and abusive older husband， who finds herself isolated in a harsh community while seeking a divorce。 The historical setting reminds us that women of the late 1600’s had few rights and least among them was to live without fear。 Hoping for a divorce， the protagonist learns the true cost of saying her truth out loud， she will be ostracized and labeled a witch。 This book is best when the dialog is overlooked; it’s just too gimmicky， although I’m su Dark， brooding tale of young wife， with an alcoholic and abusive older husband， who finds herself isolated in a harsh community while seeking a divorce。 The historical setting reminds us that women of the late 1600’s had few rights and least among them was to live without fear。 Hoping for a divorce， the protagonist learns the true cost of saying her truth out loud， she will be ostracized and labeled a witch。 This book is best when the dialog is overlooked; it’s just too gimmicky， although I’m sure the author was seeking authenticity。 The writing is gorgeous when left to narration。 HOUR OF THE WITCH is a fascinating counter point to the present #metoo climate。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Charisma D
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This was definitely an interesting read。 Bohjalian truly showed what it was like to be a female accused of witch craft in the mid 1600s。 I mean honestly， to be a female in general in that time。 I truly loved this book but especially how it showed and stated a few times how even the most saintful people have the devil hidden very well and/or are the most sinful people ever。 I felt as though he truly touched on religion and the hypocrisy of people whom are religious and how they saw what they only This was definitely an interesting read。 Bohjalian truly showed what it was like to be a female accused of witch craft in the mid 1600s。 I mean honestly， to be a female in general in that time。 I truly loved this book but especially how it showed and stated a few times how even the most saintful people have the devil hidden very well and/or are the most sinful people ever。 I felt as though he truly touched on religion and the hypocrisy of people whom are religious and how they saw what they only wanted to see。 How dangerous it was to be a female accused of witch craft。 The ending I did not see coming but I truly felt vengeance was completed because of it。 TW: domestic abuse and verbal abuse， hypocrisy 😂 。。。more
Darreth Naylor
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4。75 stars rounded up。 This was a really good read。 If you're at all interested in the Salem Witch Trials， you'll for sure want to pick this book up。 It follows a young woman who gets swept up in the accusations。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley！ I loved it！ 4。75 stars rounded up。 This was a really good read。 If you're at all interested in the Salem Witch Trials， you'll for sure want to pick this book up。 It follows a young woman who gets swept up in the accusations。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley！ I loved it！ 。。。more
Hayley Sykes
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Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian is a classic tale of the witch hysteria that took over the American colonies in the 17th century。 The main character/witch on trial is Mary。 She is a devoted Christian and wife。 As with all of the 17th century witch trials none of these things were taken into consideration at her trial。 Mary is from a wealthy family in the British colonies in America。 She travelled from London to the colonies with her mother and father to begin a new， more devout life in the Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian is a classic tale of the witch hysteria that took over the American colonies in the 17th century。 The main character/witch on trial is Mary。 She is a devoted Christian and wife。 As with all of the 17th century witch trials none of these things were taken into consideration at her trial。 Mary is from a wealthy family in the British colonies in America。 She travelled from London to the colonies with her mother and father to begin a new， more devout life in the new world。 She is married off young， to a widower that is old enough to be her father and becomes step-mother to a daughter that is her own age。 Unfortunately for Mary， her husband becomes abusive when he has too much drink， which leads in an off handed way to her witch trial。 I enjoyed this tale。 It reads a lot like other books on the same subject with one poor soul being accused of witchcraft with no real proof or a way to prove their innocence。 Witch hysteria was truly a sad time in our budding country and really illustrates how the mob mentality can take over any situation and matters can turn deadly very quickly。 A reader cannot help but love and sympathize for Mary。 She speaks her mind in a world that was ruled by men。 She knows that they aren't really going to listen to her so she just goes ahead and says what's on her mind， which provides some good comic relief in the story to help breakup the seriousness of the subject。 Hour of the Witch is a good book to help readers appreciate how far America has come in four hundred years。 。。。more
Barbara （The Bibliophage）
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Originally published on my book blog， TheBibliophage。com。Chris Bohjalian’s new book， Hour of the Witch， is proof to me that even a beloved author sometimes writes a book that feels like a dud。 Your mileage may vary， but despite having elements I usually love， this book just didn’t do it for me。 I love journeying back in time—here we go to 1662-3 Boston。 And yes， I love a good witch story。 Unfortunately， this book felt stilted and depressing to me。Our main character is the generally Godly wife， M Originally published on my book blog， TheBibliophage。com。Chris Bohjalian’s new book， Hour of the Witch， is proof to me that even a beloved author sometimes writes a book that feels like a dud。 Your mileage may vary， but despite having elements I usually love， this book just didn’t do it for me。 I love journeying back in time—here we go to 1662-3 Boston。 And yes， I love a good witch story。 Unfortunately， this book felt stilted and depressing to me。Our main character is the generally Godly wife， Mary Deerfield。 She’s just 24 and married her much-older widower husband， Thomas， at 19。 He is a successful businessman， but also a drinker。 And particularly when drunk， he’s nasty and both emotionally and physically abusive。 Mary is desperate for relief， possibly even escape from his clutches。So， she asks the magistrates for a divorce from Thomas， on the grounds of cruelty。 Her father is an even more successful businessman and， along with her mother， supports Mary’s desire。 As the story progresses， the witch accusations bubble just under the surface。 The family tries to keep Mary from being accused of witchcraft。 Considering that in 17th century Boston a woman willing to speak truth to power was considered possessed by the Devil， this is no small task。 Despite the specter of spells and witchcraft， the reality is that Mary literally has no power in the face of these men， especially her husband who abuses her。 Imagining what a woman’s life was like back then is nothing short of deeply depressing。My conclusionsMary’s Boston was a world of emotional suppression。 Women expressing their feelings risked being branded a witch。 Even being overly happy held the possible accusation of being less than devout。 And reading page after well-written page utterly exhausted me。 It also made connection with the characters harder。 Mary is from a devout family and there’s a lot of preaching and sermonizing in this book。 Nearly every character follows the Puritan beliefs of extreme devotion to their religious beliefs。 But still， the men are excused from accusations of bad behavior when then gamble， drink excessively， and beat their wives。 The misogyny runs rampant。 And all I pray now is that I never time travel to this time period， for I’d surely be burned at the stake for speaking my mind （among other things）。However， if a journey to this world appeals to you， perhaps Mary will inspire and enlighten you。 She’s persistent and willing to sacrifice all to escape this nasty husband。 Sadly， women today still fight these battles。 Just with fewer accusations of witchcraft。Pair with the Witches of New Orleans series by J。D。 Horn for a fantastical perspective on being a witch。 Or try The Secret People: Parish-Pump Witchcraft， Wise-Women and Cunning Ways by Melusine Draco if you prefer a historical perspective on the topic。Acknowledgements Many thanks to NetGalley， Chris Bohjalian， and Doubleday Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for this honest review。 Anticipated publication date is May 4， 2021。 。。。more
Patty
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion。Hour of the Witch is Chris Bohjalian’s latest book about a young Puritan woman in 1662 Boston。 Mary has married an older widower， Thomas Deerfield， who hides his cruelty and conniving ways from the community。 After much abuse， she cannot suffer anymore after he drives the tines of a fork into her hand。 Her petition for divorce creates scandal in a time fraught with the mass hysteria and Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion。Hour of the Witch is Chris Bohjalian’s latest book about a young Puritan woman in 1662 Boston。 Mary has married an older widower， Thomas Deerfield， who hides his cruelty and conniving ways from the community。 After much abuse， she cannot suffer anymore after he drives the tines of a fork into her hand。 Her petition for divorce creates scandal in a time fraught with the mass hysteria and panic of witchcraft accusations。Bohjalian has taken this dark and fascinating period in colonial Massachusetts and created a great story while showing deference the fact that these times were real and terrible。 In telling Mary’s story， the horror and ease with which a woman could become its victim， how frustrating and fearful it was for her to be accused， and how inane the trial was comes across to perfection。 Imperfect characters that make me think “no don’t be weak like that or do that” can add to the mix， but the “no no no” moments don’t。 In this case， the need to include Mary sexually satisfying herself was unfortunate。 It wasn’t necessary for the storyline， and it really didn’t fit。 Otherwise this would’ve been in perfect harmony for the times as the story crafted here is brilliant， emotional， and immortal。 4。5 stars 。。。more
Irene
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Mary tries to make the best of her marriage to Thomas Deerfield， and is as good a wife as she can possibly be considering that he treats her poorly when he is sober and violently when he is not。 An act of increasing brutality is the final straw， and she attempts to escape this marriage。 In a time where a man's word is law and a woman's word carries very little weight in her own defense but is thought highly of should she accuse another of witchcraft or even adultery， Mary tries to navigate her Mary tries to make the best of her marriage to Thomas Deerfield， and is as good a wife as she can possibly be considering that he treats her poorly when he is sober and violently when he is not。 An act of increasing brutality is the final straw， and she attempts to escape this marriage。 In a time where a man's word is law and a woman's word carries very little weight in her own defense but is thought highly of should she accuse another of witchcraft or even adultery， Mary tries to navigate her way to freedom。 Divorce is rare in these days， not for lack of wanting one but for the difficulty in obtaining one when a husband chooses not to allow it。The author seems to have put in a lot of research hours to make the language of the day and the pervasive superstition and bigotry that blanketed that time period feel authentic。I'm not sure I would consider this a thriller， but it is a compelling work of historical fiction with realistic characters and a thought provoking plot。4 out of 5 starsI received an advance copy for review。 。。。more
Tara
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Mary is married to an older man who is verbally and physically abusive and she is unable to get pregnant。 She is not allowed to make any choices for herself or seek anything that might bring her happiness。 Even worse- she's in 1662 Boston。 So now she also has to worry about being accused of being a witch also。I knew some of the history of this setting and time period but this book really portrayed the extreme Puritan beliefs of their society and how incredibly tricky it was to be a woman then。 I Mary is married to an older man who is verbally and physically abusive and she is unable to get pregnant。 She is not allowed to make any choices for herself or seek anything that might bring her happiness。 Even worse- she's in 1662 Boston。 So now she also has to worry about being accused of being a witch also。I knew some of the history of this setting and time period but this book really portrayed the extreme Puritan beliefs of their society and how incredibly tricky it was to be a woman then。 I thought this would be a little more of a thriller than it was but it was definitely tense and surprising timely。 Mary has to use her cunning to try to escape her situation but her community and it's beliefs just have no place for a woman to have a voice at all and when she tries， she is labeled a witch。 I enjoyed this book as a historical fiction thriller。 Can we please have more books in this niche category？？ I have read and enjoyed a few other books by Bohjalian and now need to add his entire backlist to my TBR。 Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review。 。。。more
Tracy
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I started this but did not like it at all。 I'm sure it would have gotten better， but it was set in olden times and there was a lot of thee and thou and I put it down pretty quickly。 I started this but did not like it at all。 I'm sure it would have gotten better， but it was set in olden times and there was a lot of thee and thou and I put it down pretty quickly。 。。。more
Alina Kline-Schoder
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Very quick read - fascinating thriller about a horrifying era in US history。
Christine
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Overall 4 stars for the historical research and engrossing setup， but personally 3 stars for a bit of a paint-by-numbers tale of women getting accused of witchcraft by Puritans in 17th century New England。The book opens with an intriguing peek at what's to come， namely: our protagonist Mary Deerfield， daughter of an upstanding English merchant family， petitions for divorce from her husband， town miller Thomas Deerfield。 We soon find out why， although we wonder how quickly things will escalate （v Overall 4 stars for the historical research and engrossing setup， but personally 3 stars for a bit of a paint-by-numbers tale of women getting accused of witchcraft by Puritans in 17th century New England。The book opens with an intriguing peek at what's to come， namely: our protagonist Mary Deerfield， daughter of an upstanding English merchant family， petitions for divorce from her husband， town miller Thomas Deerfield。 We soon find out why， although we wonder how quickly things will escalate （very quickly， as it turns out）。 In short， Thomas is cruel and violent， and he and Mary have nothing resembling affection for each other。 With no direct witnesses to Thomas's shocking abuse， Mary faces an uphill battle in court。 My favorite aspect of Chris BohJalian's "Hour of the Witch" was its portrait of 1662 Puritan New England and the Puritan outlook on justice， marriage， and morality。 I loved how people used cunning and just the right mean word to avoid telling the truth， or imply what they mean， or sow seeds of doubt in others。 The playacting， the careful choice of how to behave and how to make it seem authentic and morally unimpeachable。。。 it's all fascinating and the perfect setup for a court battle where your peers really are your judges （or magistrates）。 Bohjalian did a fantastic job depicting this time period and culture that are so specific to 17th century New England。 （By comparison， over in France， Louis XIV was in the first few years of his adult reign， and that feels like something from a whole other planet）。What didn't work for me much were the plot and characters （which just goes to show how much work the historical setting does to keep the reader hooked）。 We spend a lot of time with Mary in her head， but we don't know much about her except that she isn't happy in her marriage， she didn't think Thomas was a great match for her in the first place， and she's fairly compassionate as a person （except when she tries to manage public expectations）。 She'll befriend a woman suspected of being a witch， but not much， and she's open to herbal medicine and likes to read books。 She's not superstitious but is devout。 I suppose what feels a bit hollow is that she doesn't seem to have many flaws。 and those she does display mostly serve the plot。 I was a bit surprised at how optimistic and cavalier she felt about a divorce， considering divorce was theoretically possibly but rarely granted for domestic abuse （or "cruelty"）。The same goes for the other characters: the maidservant who pines for Thomas， Mary's daughter-in-law with the handsome husband， Mary's best friend who is barely in the book but comes in handy later， even a potential love interest who shows intense interest in Mary but we never get to see why （and good grief， does that lead to trouble。。。）， none of these characters feel particularly well-rounded or lived-in。 It's a shame because the slower parts of the story might have been used to better effect with more character details。As for the plot， I know （I know） the title of the book is a bit of a giveaway， but I was really hoping the plot wouldn't center on a witchcraft accusation， because we know that never ends well， and we know courts hearing this kind of issue are never reasonable。 It's a story with a known destination， and none of the side mysteries are strong enough （or obscure enough） to make up for the underwhelming tension。All in all， the book makes for a great historical thriller， even if you see the end coming， because there ARE some surprises along the way， and like I said， Bohjalian does a uncanny job of putting us in an unnerving time and place， where everyone is waiting for the next scapegoat to use as a sign of their own piety and status。 Not a great place to be a woman， a Quaker， or really anyone subject to intense public scrutiny。 One hint of difference and the crowd smells blood。Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more
Elle
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okay not gonna lie， this cover looks like it could be the cover of The Crucible
Obsidian
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Please note that I received this book via NetGalley。 This did not affect my rating or review。I liked Bohjalian's take on historical fiction with "Hour of the Witch。" There were parts of the story that did not read as very realistic to me at times and due to that， I was happy to give this 5 stars， but not name it a favorite。 A favorite to me is a book I will happily read over and over again。 And even though I enjoyed my first read through， I don't see me reading this over the years。"Hour of the W Please note that I received this book via NetGalley。 This did not affect my rating or review。I liked Bohjalian's take on historical fiction with "Hour of the Witch。" There were parts of the story that did not read as very realistic to me at times and due to that， I was happy to give this 5 stars， but not name it a favorite。 A favorite to me is a book I will happily read over and over again。 And even though I enjoyed my first read through， I don't see me reading this over the years。"Hour of the Witch" follows 24 year old Puritan， Mary Deerfield。 Mary is married to an older man named Thomas， and has to deal silently with his rages and taunts。 When Thomas ends up stabbing Mary in her hand， she is determined to petition for a divorce。 The book follows the ins and outs of the testimony of friends and neighbors。 The book takes place in Boston， Massachusetts in 1662。 Of course your first thought is going to be the Salem Witch Trials。 This book takes place before the Salem Witch Trials which started in 1692。 So Mary's story is in essence of things to come to the state of Massachusetts with many women in communities accusing each other of being witches either for nefarious means， or just because they were forced to do so in order to prevent anyone accusing them。 Mary's different than the other women in her community。 Probably because her family used to live in England （the Old World） and they are used to finer things than most in the community have。 Mary is clever and seeks out an older woman who is considered a "witch" by some。 When Mary can finally not take Thomas's beatings and cruelty anymore， she starts to realize that some in the community have been whispering her name as a witch。 Mary you realize is not aware of the damage that is being done quietly to her and deals with her parents， even her terrible husband， and others trying to come in and save her from being hanged。 I liked the other characters that get introduced in this one。 Mary's family （father and mother） are supportive and are focused on keeping her safe。 Mary has a stepdaughter （Thomas was married before her） who is torn between doing what a good Puritan woman should do （support her father and husband） and not wanting to call Mary a liar about being abused by her husband。 I also liked the overall mystery of who set up Mary to make it appear that she was a witch。 The dialogue was great and Bohjalian writes in the dialect of the times。 I found it easy to understand and follow along。 But some readers may have an issue with that。 There were a couple of false notes I thought in this one。 I can't say much without spoiling， but I think it would have been a stronger ending if Bohjalian had the story go to what I think was not only a foregone conclusion， but also the truer one。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Hour of the Witch
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Hour of the Witch&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Hour of the Witch&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0