Historical

Hour of the Witch

Hour of the Witch

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  • Create Date：2021-05-01 02:31:08
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Chris Bohjalian
  • ISBN：0385542437
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Summary

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 historical thriller 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 finds 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 thriller from one of our greatest storytellers， Hour of the Witch is a timely and terrifying novel of socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt。

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Reviews

Stephen Kiernan ，

A spellbinding novel whose investigation of women and power in 1600s Massachusetts is completely pertinent to the issues of today。 Powers of choice and self-determination， understanding of women as more than reproductive vessels， injustice in the courts and among power-brokers， spousal abuse， suspicion and scorn of outspoken women， this novel set in Puritan times raises issues that are all too familiar。 Bohjalian also passes with flying colors the first test of any historical fiction: does it co A spellbinding novel whose investigation of women and power in 1600s Massachusetts is completely pertinent to the issues of today。 Powers of choice and self-determination， understanding of women as more than reproductive vessels， injustice in the courts and among power-brokers， spousal abuse， suspicion and scorn of outspoken women， this novel set in Puritan times raises issues that are all too familiar。 Bohjalian also passes with flying colors the first test of any historical fiction: does it convincingly convey a time and place so that it feels natural and vivid as opposed to vague or contrived？ From food and drink to superstitions and the language of conversation， the prose here nails it on every page。 The plot is compelling， even taut， with a surprise midway to intensify everything that follows。 Fans of The Handmaid's Tale in particular will love this one。An excellent book， highly recommend。 。。。more

Fiction Majorette ，

Full thoughts: https://fictionmajorette。blogspot。com。。。This was a really interesting genre mashup of a book - historical fiction / domestic thriller / courtroom drama。 Historical fiction isn't really a go-to genre for me so I was really drawn in by the thriller and courtroom aspects。 I think Bohjalian does a good job of balancing the different aspects of the story。 The narration style was a little more modern than the dialogue， but not in a jarring way。 It seemed like Bohjalian （and/or his edito Full thoughts: https://fictionmajorette。blogspot。com。。。This was a really interesting genre mashup of a book - historical fiction / domestic thriller / courtroom drama。 Historical fiction isn't really a go-to genre for me so I was really drawn in by the thriller and courtroom aspects。 I think Bohjalian does a good job of balancing the different aspects of the story。 The narration style was a little more modern than the dialogue， but not in a jarring way。 It seemed like Bohjalian （and/or his editor） did a good job making sure to leave out any modern phrases or names for things。 The dialogue uses a lot of 'thine'， 'thee'， 'thy'， etc type of language that did take some getting used to。 Since historical fiction isn't my usual genre， I don't know if this is a normal language choice for books set this far back in time， but it certainly made for an atmospheric read。I really enjoyed the characters in this story and thought they were pretty well developed。 It really felt like the reader was just dropped into the story one day and started following Mary around from there。 We don't get a whole lot of backstory about the character relationships upfront other than the literal connections （X person is married to Y or A is best friends with B， etc）。 But as the story develops and Mary interacts with more people， the backstory slowly comes out in dialogue or Mary thinking back to how things used to be a few years ago。 I think this is especially well done considering the amount of small town gossip and rumors that were just a matter of life back then。Where I felt the book fell flat for me was the romance element。This person becomes pretty integral to the plot later on and while Mary's feelings for him grow， I just didn't get enough of their interactions together to really believe she would fall that hard for this man。 Now， I do understand that this book being set amongst 1662 Puritans means I'm not going to get the very direct and explicit flirting I get when I read contemporary romance but I just wanted some more conversations， maybe a brief hand holding when he's helping her down some steps or something like that。 I think Bohjalian does a really great job at slowly building up the atmosphere and tension throughout the book。 There isn't much by way of action in this story， but there's a lot of smaller events that all culminate at the end。 I think the tension works really great in the courtroom scenes， especially。 Mary is the center of 2 trials in this book and I think the courtroom suspense parts of this book are the real highlight。 Since we are only following Mary's story， it is really easy to get emotionally invested in the trial outcome。 I found the domestic thriller aspects to be pretty light so most of the drama and thrills for me came via the courtroom scenes。Thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay Books for the ARC in exchange for reviewExpected publication date is May 4， 2021 。。。more

Mary G。 ，

In 1662 Boston， Mary Deerfield is in trouble。 She's married to the abusive Thomas， and when he breaks her hand with a fork， she decides to divorce him。 However， not everyone can see Thomas' cruelty， and in a time period marked by paranoia， whispers about Mary being a witch or possessed by the devil abound。 Can she escape the prison of her marriage and repressive Puritan town？Chris Bohjalian is a prolific author recently known for the thriller The Flight Attendant。 It’s important to know that Hou In 1662 Boston， Mary Deerfield is in trouble。 She's married to the abusive Thomas， and when he breaks her hand with a fork， she decides to divorce him。 However， not everyone can see Thomas' cruelty， and in a time period marked by paranoia， whispers about Mary being a witch or possessed by the devil abound。 Can she escape the prison of her marriage and repressive Puritan town？Chris Bohjalian is a prolific author recently known for the thriller The Flight Attendant。 It’s important to know that Hour of the Witch is a very different book。 Although the blurb calls this a thriller， I think it's much more in the vein of literary fiction。 The ending is a bit of a twist， but other than that， you can pretty much predict what will happen plot-wise。What I liked:Mary - she was so strong and easy to root for。 I loved her kindness towards others and her strong convictions。 The second half of the book post-divorce trial is much superior to the first half， and I enjoyed seeing how the rest of the action unfolded。Why was this only a 3 star read for me？ Simply put， it felt very long and heavy。 Mary suffers through misery after misery with her husband， and it was hard to read the scenes of her abuse。 The trial itself is very long and drawn out as well - this device does make you feel Mary's pain， but it's not very pleasant。 I also had some trouble with the writing - the characters use thou and thy， as was common at the time， but it made me feel like I was back in English class。Looking on Goodreads， many people liked this one more than I did。 If you like this period in American history， you probably will too - it's clear that the author did a ton of research。 If you like slow burn， immersive historical fiction， this would also be a good choice。Thank you to Doubleday Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Bam cooks the books ;-） ，

Chris Bohjalian's new novel is a work of historical fiction with a liberal dose of dramatic tension。 The story is set in Boston in 1662 and its protagonist is a 24-year-old woman named Mary Deerfield whose husband abuses her both mentally and physically， so badly in fact that she sues for divorce。 But the trial leaves her vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft。 Which is worse？ Mary is a strong， determined woman who is going up against the cultural patrimony with her suit against her husband。 If Chris Bohjalian's new novel is a work of historical fiction with a liberal dose of dramatic tension。 The story is set in Boston in 1662 and its protagonist is a 24-year-old woman named Mary Deerfield whose husband abuses her both mentally and physically， so badly in fact that she sues for divorce。 But the trial leaves her vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft。 Which is worse？ Mary is a strong， determined woman who is going up against the cultural patrimony with her suit against her husband。 If the law won't protect her， what's a desperate woman to do？ Bohjalian draws the reader into this tense drama， describing well the setting and the forces that Mary is up against。 His characterizations are excellent。 I wanted to boo and hiss whenever the villain entered the room。 I have read several of Bohjalian's books and I have to say this will rank as one of my favorites。 The ending is especially fitting。 Well done！I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Many thanks！ 。。。more

Debra ，

Boston 1662Mary Deerfield is a twenty-four-year-old woman married to Thomas Deerfield。 Mary is Thomas' second wife。 His first wife died after being kicked by a horse。 Mary should feel lucky to be married to such a powerful man， but she lives in fear of his anger， his drinking， and his violence。Mary knows she is talked about。 She and Thomas have been married for five years and she is barren。 She hides her bruises or explains them away when others see them。 But the final straw comes after tainted Boston 1662Mary Deerfield is a twenty-four-year-old woman married to Thomas Deerfield。 Mary is Thomas' second wife。 His first wife died after being kicked by a horse。 Mary should feel lucky to be married to such a powerful man， but she lives in fear of his anger， his drinking， and his violence。Mary knows she is talked about。 She and Thomas have been married for five years and she is barren。 She hides her bruises or explains them away when others see them。 But the final straw comes after tainted objects are found buried in her garden。 Her servant girl， already uneasy after Mary attempts to save her dying brother with herbs and simples， runs away from Mary's home， accusing Mary of being a witch。 To make matters worse， when Thomas learns that their servant accused Mary of being a witch， he stabs a three-tined fork into the back of Mary's hand。 Mary decides enough is enough and decides to divorce her husband。 But Mary lives in a time where neighbors are spying on neighbors。 If you are pointing the finger at someone else， no one is pointing their finger at you， right！？！ Women are not allowed to speak their minds， stand up for themselves or have sexual feelings。 Anything and everything can be used against you。 Talk to a stranger - you are branded a whore！ Try to use a natural remedy to cure an illness - you are branded a witch！ Be different in any way shape or form， you are in league with the devil！ Your husband can beat you citing bible verses and telling you it is for your own good。 How did women back then even dare to leave the house？ Books like these make me happy I was not born back them。 Whew！Slow to start， but it gains ground quickly。 I love books set during this time frame and am fascinated by the accusation of witchcraft。 Throughout history， people （especially women） have been maligned for being different。 People have been persecuted for living or behaving outside of the norm。 Was this the case for Mary？ Judged for not bearing children， for being nice to strangers， for being intelligent， and for sticking up for herself。I found this to be both thought provoking and captivating。 I could not help but feel or Mary and her plight。 There are even a few twists and turns which keep things moving and interesting。 I even loved the language used in the book。 It made this tale feel more authentic while also setting the mood。 The mood is also set with the sense of tension that permeates throughout the book。 This book is also atmospheric。 I had an uneasy feeling throughout and kept thinking "nothing good can come of this。" At times I wanted to take Mary aside and tell her "people are watching you， be smart， be cautious" etc。 Beautifully written and plotted。 Hour of the Witch is tense， atmospheric， and thought provoking。Thank you to Doubleday books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more

Laura ，

Mary Deerfield is a young Puritan woman married to an husband from whom she seeks to escape。 Mary at first seeks divorce from husband。 She is suspected of witchcraft and adultery。 She is not sure who in her community is friend or foe。 I found this novel difficult to read。 The first half is quite long and slow。 I would say it verges on boring。 The pacing of the story does improve around 75-85% in if you can keep reading that long。 There are too many court proceedings in this novel。 The entire fir Mary Deerfield is a young Puritan woman married to an husband from whom she seeks to escape。 Mary at first seeks divorce from husband。 She is suspected of witchcraft and adultery。 She is not sure who in her community is friend or foe。 I found this novel difficult to read。 The first half is quite long and slow。 I would say it verges on boring。 The pacing of the story does improve around 75-85% in if you can keep reading that long。 There are too many court proceedings in this novel。 The entire first half of the book could be shortened and at least one court case exorcised from this novel。 I think the novel is meant to be an historical fiction with some kind of suspense or thriller aspect to it; however， the 'suspense' aspect doesn't become apparent until the novel is almost over。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 Unfortunately I did not enjoy this one。 。。。more

Jill ，

Mary married a man who should thought would take care of her and she would start a family， as her puritan upbringing taught her。 Little did she know she would suffer terrible abuse at this hand and never become pregnant。 She tried to divorce him but， but instead of the powers that be listening to her they start to question her being in to witchcraft。 She tries to defend herself but is not allowed a divorce so she goes back to the abusive relationship and tries to figure out another way to get ou Mary married a man who should thought would take care of her and she would start a family， as her puritan upbringing taught her。 Little did she know she would suffer terrible abuse at this hand and never become pregnant。 She tried to divorce him but， but instead of the powers that be listening to her they start to question her being in to witchcraft。 She tries to defend herself but is not allowed a divorce so she goes back to the abusive relationship and tries to figure out another way to get out of the terrible situation that she is in。 In 1662 women are being hung because they believe they are witches。 When the finger starts pointing to Mary she finds herself in a wicked situation。 。。。more

Natalie ，

Hour of the WitchBy Chris BohjalianThis latest Bohjalian book deals with the Puritans in Boston – their beliefs， the mores， their dealings with the indigenous peoples – and most importantly， the relationships between men and women。Mary Deerfield is a young woman married to an older man who is verbally and physically abusive。 He is， in fact， a sadistic monster。 Mary is his 2nd wife and the object of all his anger and infliction of pain。 When she can stand no more， Mary decides to appeal for a div Hour of the WitchBy Chris BohjalianThis latest Bohjalian book deals with the Puritans in Boston – their beliefs， the mores， their dealings with the indigenous peoples – and most importantly， the relationships between men and women。Mary Deerfield is a young woman married to an older man who is verbally and physically abusive。 He is， in fact， a sadistic monster。 Mary is his 2nd wife and the object of all his anger and infliction of pain。 When she can stand no more， Mary decides to appeal for a divorce – a shocking request in that day and time。 Unfortunately， the fate of her petition is in the hands of all male magistrates， who are not prepared to believe anything she says about her husband。 She is forced to return as his wife。As horrifying as the situation is， it only grows worse as the idea of someone dabbling in witchcraft， in league with the devil， begins to spread。 It is not long before Mary finds herself on trial as a witch。The story is one that in modern times would be deemed a thriller。 I admit that， as I got closer and closer to the end， I was afraid that Mr。 Bohjalian would not be able to wrap this book up as he has so many times before。 Suffice it to say， that he does come through with a satisfying ending in typical Bohjalian style。 。。。more

Faith Hurst-Bilinski ，

Hour of the Witch was more historical fiction than thriller。 A story about an abused woman trying to get a divorce and the way the society and the courts treated her were an interesting read。 I wish the pace had been slightly more exciting or swift。 I realize the author was trying for the style of writing and speaking at the time， but you can do this without dragging the narrative down。 There was a lot of telling when we could have been experiencing。 None of the characters were particularly lika Hour of the Witch was more historical fiction than thriller。 A story about an abused woman trying to get a divorce and the way the society and the courts treated her were an interesting read。 I wish the pace had been slightly more exciting or swift。 I realize the author was trying for the style of writing and speaking at the time， but you can do this without dragging the narrative down。 There was a lot of telling when we could have been experiencing。 None of the characters were particularly likable or easy to relate to even thought the subject was as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago。 This was my first book by the author。 I'd like to see what the rest are like。 。。。more

Jessica Jang ，

An upgraded crucible tale。 I thought even though this obviously takes place in a time when people are burned as witches， the main character was fearless， feminist， and breath-taking。 She proves that women can take their power back in such powerless times。 This was great book。 This author continues to impress me。 I also loved The Flight AttendantThank you to #netgalley #arc for an honest review。 An upgraded crucible tale。 I thought even though this obviously takes place in a time when people are burned as witches， the main character was fearless， feminist， and breath-taking。 She proves that women can take their power back in such powerless times。 This was great book。 This author continues to impress me。 I also loved The Flight AttendantThank you to #netgalley #arc for an honest review。 。。。more

Deborah Cleaves ，

A masterwork with a surprise happy ending。 I tend to loathe books written with thee， thy， thou， but this author’s use of those words is so facile and perfect that they seemed but normal conversation rather than affectation。 The juxtaposition of the trials’ transcripts with the chapters was a brilliantly affecting touch， showing that such words can mask a hundred other things。 This is the most affecting portrait of that period of time that I have read， demonstrating mindsets so foreign to our way A masterwork with a surprise happy ending。 I tend to loathe books written with thee， thy， thou， but this author’s use of those words is so facile and perfect that they seemed but normal conversation rather than affectation。 The juxtaposition of the trials’ transcripts with the chapters was a brilliantly affecting touch， showing that such words can mask a hundred other things。 This is the most affecting portrait of that period of time that I have read， demonstrating mindsets so foreign to our way of thoughts and beliefs while making them as normal as they would have been at the time。 I cannot recommend this book highly enough except to say it will sit with me for a long time。 。。。more

Rachel ，

This is the third book I’ve read by Chris Bohjalian and I have to say， I’m impressed with his range。 Most of you are probably familiar with The Flight Attendant now that it’s been made into a TV series。 I’ve also read The Sandcastle Girls which is a historical novel about the Armenian Genocide。 Hour of the Witch is also historical fiction but this time set in Boston， all the way back in 1662。Mary Deerfield’s husband Thomas drinks too much， which makes him very cruel towards her， both physically This is the third book I’ve read by Chris Bohjalian and I have to say， I’m impressed with his range。 Most of you are probably familiar with The Flight Attendant now that it’s been made into a TV series。 I’ve also read The Sandcastle Girls which is a historical novel about the Armenian Genocide。 Hour of the Witch is also historical fiction but this time set in Boston， all the way back in 1662。Mary Deerfield’s husband Thomas drinks too much， which makes him very cruel towards her， both physically and emotionally。 When he stabs her hand with a fork， she decides that she can’t take it anymore and petitions to divorce him。 Unfortunately， she lives in a Puritan community in 1662， where divorce is virtually unheard of。 At the same time， mysterious objects found buried in Mary’s yard and other supposedly suspicious happenings leave some people wondering if Mary could be a witch。Hour of the Witch is well-researched historical fiction。 Mary’s divorce trial and the town’s treatment of her in general highlights how women were treated as second-class citizens incapable of taking care of themselves or making decisions on their own。 The Puritans also held each other to suffocatingly high standards。 A lot of the drama is caused by the fork。 Fork seem innocuous to us today but apparently， Puritans thought they were the “devil’s tines。” The fact that Mary’s father imported some from Europe is a strike against her。The pacing of Hour of the Witch was a little uneven。 The first half was kind of slow and then the last chapter or so went at breakneck speed to wrap things up。 Nevertheless， I enjoyed reading it。 Recommended。 。。。more

Abbie ，

This was a page-turner and thoroughly entertaining book （am I allowed to say that about books that describe hanging witches？） I love how each novel from Chris Bohjalian is in such a different style and on such different and unique topics。 This one didn't disappoint。 In this story you are pulled into the life of Mary Deerfield， an intelligent and independent young woman living in 1662 Boston。 She is judged for her conduct， but really for her gender。 While I was enraged at her treatment， I suspect This was a page-turner and thoroughly entertaining book （am I allowed to say that about books that describe hanging witches？） I love how each novel from Chris Bohjalian is in such a different style and on such different and unique topics。 This one didn't disappoint。 In this story you are pulled into the life of Mary Deerfield， an intelligent and independent young woman living in 1662 Boston。 She is judged for her conduct， but really for her gender。 While I was enraged at her treatment， I suspect Bohjalian did his research and it is entirely accurate。 It was a suspenseful novel where you THINK you know how it's going to end。。。 but does it？ I recommend！Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC！I just reviewed Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian。 #HouroftheWitch #NetGalley 。。。more

Ardette ，

Picture this。 You’re a young women in an unfamiliar home。 Your family sailed to the United States from England to better their lives both financially and spiritually。 Your husband is chosen for you as he is a member of your church and an important business man。 You are 24 and have been married to this much older man for 5 years。 Your husband has been physically and mentally abusing you for most of your marriage。 Every night you sit quietly at the dinner table hoping he isn’t “drink， drunk “。 Lat Picture this。 You’re a young women in an unfamiliar home。 Your family sailed to the United States from England to better their lives both financially and spiritually。 Your husband is chosen for you as he is a member of your church and an important business man。 You are 24 and have been married to this much older man for 5 years。 Your husband has been physically and mentally abusing you for most of your marriage。 Every night you sit quietly at the dinner table hoping he isn’t “drink， drunk “。 Later in the evening you hope he passes out quickly。 Eventually enough is enough and Mary our protagonist decides to file for divorce。 The irony is that the year is the 1662 and the only way you divorce your spouse is to prove “cruelty”。 Cruelty is defined as “ violence without provocation and discipline that is excessive 。” Basically a husband can discipline his wife if she provokes him。 Excessive is determined by the court ， the court is governed by men。 Mary can’t prove Thomas is cruel because no one witnesses the abuses。 Some of bruises are visible but Thomas says that Mary is clumsy。 Of course it can’t be anything else。 The Puritan life is one of suspicion。 Mary is judged by her husband ， their servant Catherine and other townspeople。 Mary walks alone， she is “barren “， she feels sympathy for the Quaker man who was publicly whipped， she visits an herbalist， she tried to divorce the important and justly Thomas， she has devil tines in her home。 She must be a witch。 She must be tried。 The Hour Of The Witch is powerful historical fiction with a side of courtroom drama 。 It reads like non fiction and it will make you think。 It’s a tense and difficult read at times。 The story for me was easy to visualize as it is so descriptive。 Thank you Doubleday and NetGalley for the ARC ebook for read and review for an honest opinion。 Thank you Chris Bohjalian for sharing the story of the very brave Mary Deerfield in 1662 to us in the year 2021。 It is out on May 4， 2021。 Prithee read this book。 I can’t wait for the audiobook 。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of this novel。 Chris Bohjalian past books have been mysteries， family dramas， medical mysteries and and others， with fascinating characters in sometimes horrendous situations。 Hour of the Witch is a historical thriller set in the time of or Puritans in Boston， Massachusetts。Mary， at only 24， is trapped in a abusive， both physically and emotionally marriage with Thomas a much older previously married man。 After an act of violence， Ma My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of this novel。 Chris Bohjalian past books have been mysteries， family dramas， medical mysteries and and others， with fascinating characters in sometimes horrendous situations。 Hour of the Witch is a historical thriller set in the time of or Puritans in Boston， Massachusetts。Mary， at only 24， is trapped in a abusive， both physically and emotionally marriage with Thomas a much older previously married man。 After an act of violence， Mary decides that she has had enough。 Though being 1662 a woman has few options in marriage， except for subservience。 Added to her woes objects that could be considered tainted by the Devil are found in her garden， and a person that Mary had been trying to help with herbs goes drastically wrong。 Being different at this time in anyway， standing out from the norm could lead to more than gossip or even ostracism。 It could lead to death。Mr。 Bohjalian has crafted a well researched tale， with intriguing characters and a great sense of place and tone。 Sure to be another bestseller， but even better a very good read。 。。。more

Kelly Williams Nagel | kwnreads ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。Hour of the Witch is the atmospheric and captivating story of Mary Deerfield， a 24 year old Puritan woman who must deal with the following: an abusive， alcoholic husband， a servant with MAJOR Abigail Williams vibes， and community members who are both sexist and nosy as hell。 Someone is trying to frame Mary for witchcraft。 Or are they？ Y'all， the central dilemma of this book hinges on， you'll neve Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。Hour of the Witch is the atmospheric and captivating story of Mary Deerfield， a 24 year old Puritan woman who must deal with the following: an abusive， alcoholic husband， a servant with MAJOR Abigail Williams vibes， and community members who are both sexist and nosy as hell。 Someone is trying to frame Mary for witchcraft。 Or are they？ Y'all， the central dilemma of this book hinges on， you'll never guess。。。Forks。 Forks！！！ The "devil's tines，" as the characters frequently call them。 It is funny until you realize people felt this way and women died because of it。 Forks。 Overall， this book is a wonderful and pretty quick read。 By like， 60% of the way through the book， I was ready for things to wrap up toward their conclusion。 I sped through some of that （and you honestly can， too）。 It could've been about 40-50 pages shorter， in my opinion。 There are a few red herrings and twists that someone who has read more mysteries than me may catch！ Otherwise， I created a witchy Spotify playlist because I love reading and existing in the witchy/Salem/1660s reading atmosphere。 If you like The Crucible， you'll like this one， too。 。。。more

Lori Enterline ，

Mary Deerfield is a young woman married to an abusive husband in 17th century Boston。 She’s determined to get a divorce when such things weren’t acceptable for a woman， so she finds herself facing the wrath of her community。-Bohjalian has done an enormous amount of research， but he’s an artful writer， so he doesn’t show his hand。 The setting and culture feel lived in and just flow so that you feel fully immersed in 1660s Boston。 And as a reader， you may find yourself - much like Mary Deerfield Mary Deerfield is a young woman married to an abusive husband in 17th century Boston。 She’s determined to get a divorce when such things weren’t acceptable for a woman， so she finds herself facing the wrath of her community。-Bohjalian has done an enormous amount of research， but he’s an artful writer， so he doesn’t show his hand。 The setting and culture feel lived in and just flow so that you feel fully immersed in 1660s Boston。 And as a reader， you may find yourself - much like Mary Deerfield - clawing to get out。 It’s shocking to experience the unfettered power the church had， in coordination with the legal system， to use shame and intimidation as a means of control。 You experience the subjugation through all of the characters but none so much as Mary， who must grapple with her impulse to be an independent woman in a society that is terrified of such a thing。The court proceedings are fascinating: they shed light on the law and the legal processes of our country’s history while embodying all the intrigue of a Grisham-type legal thriller。This has similarities with The Handmaid’s Tale。 And just like that novel， it’s a cautionary tale of what our society could slide back into if we aren’t vigilant in protecting and furthering our rights。 This was actually the first book of Bohjalian’s that I've read， and I look forward to reading more！It comes out May 4！Thank you Doubleday for the ARC！ 。。。more

Amanda Hupe ，

Thank you， NetGalley， Chris Bohjalian， and Double Day Books for the opportunity to read this book！Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian takes readers back to the year 1662 in Boston。 Yes， we are in the time of the Puritans。 The Salem Witch trials are still 30 years away， but the Salem Witch Trials were not the only witch trials that occurred in America。 Seriously， check out the Connecticut Witch Trials。 In this book， Mary Deerfield is 24 years old and married to Thomas Deerfield， a miller。 Mary i Thank you， NetGalley， Chris Bohjalian， and Double Day Books for the opportunity to read this book！Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian takes readers back to the year 1662 in Boston。 Yes， we are in the time of the Puritans。 The Salem Witch trials are still 30 years away， but the Salem Witch Trials were not the only witch trials that occurred in America。 Seriously， check out the Connecticut Witch Trials。 In this book， Mary Deerfield is 24 years old and married to Thomas Deerfield， a miller。 Mary is Thomas’s second wife and he is a lot older than her。 Thomas’s daughter from his first marriage is near Mary’s same age。 That isn’t the issue。 Thomas is cruel。 He takes great care in where he hits her and always has an excuse for every injury that occurs。 One day， Mary finds some forks buried in the yard。 But is Puritan Society forks are also known as The Devil’s Tines。 Mary’s indentured servant Catherine believes that Mary planted them。 This leads to an increase in Thomas’s abuse。 Mary can’t take it anymore and files for divorce。 Every aspect of Mary’s life is under scrutiny and proceeding with this divorce could end up in an entirely different trial altogether。TRIGGER WARNINGS: ABUSE and RAPEThis book begins with an abusive relationship， but the majority of the book is the details of the trials。 That sounds pretty boring， right？ NOT AT ALL。 I was glued to the page all the way until the very end。 However， I was pissed off like 90% of the time。 But that is the point。 The author really makes readers worry about the characters。 Mary experiences torture just because she is a woman。 I loved Mary’s fierceness in the presence of danger。 She is clever and tries to stay one step ahead。One thing that the author absolutely excels at is really bringing in the religious and psychological aspects of the Puritan community。 In a sense， no one is safe。 Those who hold the power， claim to be “Men of God” but are actually those who are scared when a woman manages to move out from under their thumb。Then there is the underlying mystery that keeps the story moving。 Who placed the forks and why？ Could it be the indentured servant who has designs on Thomas Deerfield or Thomas himself？ Could it be some jealous woman from town or a man bearing some sort of grudge？ The possibilities are endless and the mystery had some magnificent twists and turns。 I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars！ This book releases on May 4th and you will not want to miss out！ 。。。more

Kelly ，

What happens when a Puritan woman in New England wants to leave her abusive husband？ Chris Bohjalian's historical fiction novel Hour of the Witch deftly answers this unique question in the heart-pounding first part but then fizzles a bit after that。In 1662， Mary Deerfield is living with her husband， Thomas， and their servant girl， Catherine。 Thomas is terribly violent toward Mary and rather than tolerating it， she decides to take matters into her own hands and file for divorce。 Back then， one ne What happens when a Puritan woman in New England wants to leave her abusive husband？ Chris Bohjalian's historical fiction novel Hour of the Witch deftly answers this unique question in the heart-pounding first part but then fizzles a bit after that。In 1662， Mary Deerfield is living with her husband， Thomas， and their servant girl， Catherine。 Thomas is terribly violent toward Mary and rather than tolerating it， she decides to take matters into her own hands and file for divorce。 Back then， one needed to get government approval to divorce。 Not only that， but Mary soon finds herself the target of suspicion of witchcraft。This book is divided into a few parts。 The part leading up to Mary's divorce hearing is absolutely compelling。 After that， Hour of the Witch loses a little luster and becomes predictable。 But I admire Bohjalian for taking the topic of divorce on at a time period when it was almost unheard of。 MY RATING - 3。5 。。。more

Melissa S ，

Mary Deerfield is a 24 year old Puritan woman in Boston in the 1660s。 Her family emigrated to the New World and she became the second wife of Thomas Deerfield。 He's a successful and prominent man in the community， but he's also prone to cruelty toward Mary， particularly when he's been drinking。 When he stabs her in the hand with a fork one night， she has reached her limit。 She decides that her only choice is to divorce him to save her life。 In filing for divorce， she shines a spotlight upon hers Mary Deerfield is a 24 year old Puritan woman in Boston in the 1660s。 Her family emigrated to the New World and she became the second wife of Thomas Deerfield。 He's a successful and prominent man in the community， but he's also prone to cruelty toward Mary， particularly when he's been drinking。 When he stabs her in the hand with a fork one night， she has reached her limit。 She decides that her only choice is to divorce him to save her life。 In filing for divorce， she shines a spotlight upon herself in a community that is already suspiciously watching for any sign of the devil or witchcraft。 As a woman with secret desires and her own mind and voice， she finds herself the object of brazen and dangerous rumors。 In her attempt to save herself from Thomas's abuse， she finds she has placed herself at even greater risk from the scrutiny of the community。I'm fascinated with the era of the Salem witch trials and this book did not disappoint。 It's clear that a considerable amount of research went into this book。 The rhythm of daily life， the setting and the conversations between the characters felt very authentic and I felt really immersed in that moment of history。 This story focused on the treatment of women in the 17th century， which is a maddening to read about。 Women were expected to be obedient and subservient。 They were patronized， infantilized， repressed and discriminated against unfairly。 None of this is probably news to any of us。 Mary put herself in the crosshairs of her community's patriarchy by displeasing her husband， upsetting the status quo and daring to speak up for herself。 I was infuriated by what happened to Mary but I really enjoyed the masterful telling of her story and seeing it all unfold。 There were some good twists and turns along the way that kept me guessing。 I think any historical fiction fan will love this book。 Trigger warnings for domestic abuse and sexual assault。 。。。more

CR ，

This was an epic story about one girls life。 I felt so much for the main character that I felt like crying and hoping into the book to save her on more than one occasion。 These types of books being Pagan are so hard to get through sometimes but this one I turned the pages and just fell so in love。

Kate Vocke （bookapotamus） ，

The Hour of the Witch is a historical suspense novel about a young Puritan woman in 1662 Boston who struggles to leave an abusive and violent husband after he comes home “drink-drunk” one night and stabs her with a fork。⁣⁣This was a very dark and atmospheric slow burn for me - the witch trials have always fascinated me and I loved how it made me feel transported back in time - a time when women are meant to serve and be silent， and everyone fears the devil。 And some even fear… forks？！⁣⁣It’s got The Hour of the Witch is a historical suspense novel about a young Puritan woman in 1662 Boston who struggles to leave an abusive and violent husband after he comes home “drink-drunk” one night and stabs her with a fork。⁣⁣This was a very dark and atmospheric slow burn for me - the witch trials have always fascinated me and I loved how it made me feel transported back in time - a time when women are meant to serve and be silent， and everyone fears the devil。 And some even fear… forks？！⁣⁣It’s got all the Handmaid’s and Scarlet Letter vibes and is equally infuriating， as callous and arrogant men decide her fate calling her disobedient， a whore， and worst of all - a witch。⁣⁣Because witches hang。⁣⁣I enjoyed this one - the ending was so satisfying and I am always pleasantly surprised how unique and different Chris Bohjalian's novels are！⁣ 。。。more

Linda Quinn ，

Set in Boston， 1662， Hour of the Witch is a look at Puritanical men and the women they are allowed to basically own。 Mary Deerfield petitions the court for a divorce from her husband who has become both physically and mentally abusive。 Because there have been no witnesses to his cruelty， it is his word against hers and the magistrates send her back home to him。 The relationship deteriorates further until Mary is accused of being a witch， at which point she is fighting for her life instead of sim Set in Boston， 1662， Hour of the Witch is a look at Puritanical men and the women they are allowed to basically own。 Mary Deerfield petitions the court for a divorce from her husband who has become both physically and mentally abusive。 Because there have been no witnesses to his cruelty， it is his word against hers and the magistrates send her back home to him。 The relationship deteriorates further until Mary is accused of being a witch， at which point she is fighting for her life instead of simply her freedom。 。。。more

Michelle ，

Stop what your doing and read this book - it is one of the best books I've read in a while！ I'm not a fan of the Salem witch hunt era， but I read this because I really like Author Chris Bohjalian。 I was instantly transported to Massachuetts where the main character， Mary Deerfield and her husband Thomas were brought to life by Bohjalian's vivid writing。 We follow Mary through her ordeals with her abusive husband and through her being tried as a witch， all the while becoming totally immersed in t Stop what your doing and read this book - it is one of the best books I've read in a while！ I'm not a fan of the Salem witch hunt era， but I read this because I really like Author Chris Bohjalian。 I was instantly transported to Massachuetts where the main character， Mary Deerfield and her husband Thomas were brought to life by Bohjalian's vivid writing。 We follow Mary through her ordeals with her abusive husband and through her being tried as a witch， all the while becoming totally immersed in the story and rooting for a happy outcome for Mary。 I'll leave it there and urge you to pick up this book。 It is a great read from start to finish and you won't want to put it down！ 5 stars for another great read from Mr。 Bohjalian！ 。。。more

Kerrin P ，

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian is described as a historical thriller。 I only found it to be moderately thrilling， especially during the first half。 But still， it is an enjoyable story that gives a deep insight into the mindset of the Puritans who founded Boston as a holy commonwealth。 These religious leaders had exclusive control over all aspects of colonial life。 Their world was full of hellfire and brimstone sermons which caused a deep and constant fear of the devil。 With no separation o Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian is described as a historical thriller。 I only found it to be moderately thrilling， especially during the first half。 But still， it is an enjoyable story that gives a deep insight into the mindset of the Puritans who founded Boston as a holy commonwealth。 These religious leaders had exclusive control over all aspects of colonial life。 Their world was full of hellfire and brimstone sermons which caused a deep and constant fear of the devil。 With no separation of church and state， religion was used as a weapon to keep people in line。 Women who showed independence and intelligence were often called witches。 Quakers were publicly whipped for their beliefs and people were excommunicated if they spoke out against the church leaders。The protagonist of Hour of the Witch is Mary Deerfield， a 24-year-old woman married to the much older Thomas。 Mary came to Boston with her wealthy parents when she was 16 and married when she was 19。 Thomas， a widower， is a respected merchant。 They do not have children， which causes Mary great sadness。 Thomas's daughter by his first marriage is married to a handsome man who is Mary's age and they have children。 Mary’s father imports luxury items from Europe and the Caribbean， including three-tined forks， which many Puritans call the “devil’s tines”。 They believe the forks to be instruments of evil。Mary and Thomas live together with an indentured servant， Catherine。 Catherine has a great fondness for Thomas， but none for her mistress。 When Mary finds some of the forks buried in the front yard， along with a pestle， Catherine believes Mary is trying to cast a spell on Thomas。 When Catherine’s brother dies after Mary tried to ease his pain with simples， Catherine thinks Mary expedited his death。 Later， a mark of the devil is carved into the wood of the house and a coin with the same mark is found in an unusual place。 Mary is obsessed with finding out who is trying to curse her household。 Catherine is convinced Mary is a witch。 Thomas abuses Mary， both mentally and physically， but only when Catherine is not around or is asleep。 He accuses her of having “white meat” for a brain， when in fact， she is very clever and enterprising。 Thomas’s first wife supposedly died after being struck in the head by a horse， but there were no witnesses。 The final straw comes for Mary when Thomas stabs her left hand with one of the Devil’s Tines。 Mary files for divorce， which is practically unheard of in the Puritan community。 She is willing to do anything， perhaps even murder， to get out from under Thomas’s cruelties。 Mary must not only fight Thomas but the extreme prejudices and shocking beliefs of the community。 During all this tribulation， she falls in love with another man。 It is her hope for a future with him that propels her to get out of the marriage。There are two trials in the novel。 The first is for the divorce hearing。 The second is when Mary is accused of being a witch due to those dang forks which have reemerged。 Both times the servant， Catherine， testifies against Mary。 The legal system is a farce。 Magistrates ask outrageous questions that have nothing to do with the issue before the panel。 Witnesses are encouraged to speculate as to motives and to give religious opinions。 Mary often speaks up during testimony to interrupt a witness。 I had to laugh at this jab “When someone disputed a magistrate， it tended to be a lawyer， whose unpopular profession was known for its tendency to bark and bray。” Mary’s outspokenness does her no favors in either trial。4-stars。 Book club recommended because there will be great discussions about domestic abuse， Puritans， the justice system， and prejudices。 Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for my advanced reader copy。 This novel is expected to be published on May 4， 2021。 。。。more

Nancy ，

I enjoyed The Hour of the Witch。 I felt a strong sense of place and time， and sympathized with Mary Deerfield。 The early colonial period is interesting to me， as I am a descendant of Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer （both of whom were mentioned in the book！）。 Not what I would call a thriller， but there was certainly an element of suspense that kept me wanting to read。 Chris Bohjalian did his homework and wrote an interesting piece of fiction。 Thank you to Edelweiss and Doubleday for this ARC。

Kristy ，

Hour of the Witch paints a dark， twisty， complicated picture of Puritan Boston in the mid-17th century。 Mary Deerfield is the young， second wife of an abusive husband。 She applies for a divorce with all the attending accusations of witchcraft that go with it。 Mary’s husband Thomas is truly horrible， but it’s hard to figure out which other characters the reader can trust。 The story is grim but engrossing and clever。 I was born and raised in Boston， we spent all our school field trips visiting the Hour of the Witch paints a dark， twisty， complicated picture of Puritan Boston in the mid-17th century。 Mary Deerfield is the young， second wife of an abusive husband。 She applies for a divorce with all the attending accusations of witchcraft that go with it。 Mary’s husband Thomas is truly horrible， but it’s hard to figure out which other characters the reader can trust。 The story is grim but engrossing and clever。 I was born and raised in Boston， we spent all our school field trips visiting the early settlement sites， but I was still surprised by how completely unlikeable and irrational these particular Puritans were。 It all made for a great， unusual， suspenseful narrative。 （Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC！） 。。。more

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 ，

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

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