Hour of the Witch
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- Create Date：2021-05-06 22:31:56
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Chris Bohjalian
- ISBN：B08B6GHDRF
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Julie Ann
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This is so “Real Housewives of Boston” circa 1662！I have been looking forward to this book and it did NOT disappoint！ It has a complete Real Housewives vibe going on but it’s perfectly weaved into the era with language and all。 Perfectly done and very unique！
Pat
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Note to self: when you make a vow not to read a certain author because they have grossly annoyed you in past， don't break it just because current reviews claim the leopard has changed its spots。 This is the same Bohjaluan churning out pap to line his pockets。 There is nothing in this tale of a cardboard caricature of a woman and her sadistic marriage that deserves your time。 Read some honest fiction about the time period: The Scarlet Letter， The Crucible or more recently The Mercies。 There is no Note to self: when you make a vow not to read a certain author because they have grossly annoyed you in past， don't break it just because current reviews claim the leopard has changed its spots。 This is the same Bohjaluan churning out pap to line his pockets。 There is nothing in this tale of a cardboard caricature of a woman and her sadistic marriage that deserves your time。 Read some honest fiction about the time period: The Scarlet Letter， The Crucible or more recently The Mercies。 There is no heart or soul in this book， only a pretense at an historical environment and a lot of cruelty。 And it is tedious。 。。。more
Madah J
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Decent。
Reeca Elliott
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Mary is the second wife to Thomas。 Thomas is not an easy husband nor is their marriage based on love。 Thomas is an abuser。 After Thomas breaks her hand with a fork， Mary decides to divorce him。 In the 1600s…this is not easy。Well！ Chris Bohjalian has done it again。 This is probably his best one yet！ The time period， the setting， the history and OMG …the characters are just amazing！There is so much captured in this novel。 The cruelty is one that stands out。 Not only between Mary and her husband， T Mary is the second wife to Thomas。 Thomas is not an easy husband nor is their marriage based on love。 Thomas is an abuser。 After Thomas breaks her hand with a fork， Mary decides to divorce him。 In the 1600s…this is not easy。Well！ Chris Bohjalian has done it again。 This is probably his best one yet！ The time period， the setting， the history and OMG …the characters are just amazing！There is so much captured in this novel。 The cruelty is one that stands out。 Not only between Mary and her husband， Thomas， but also between Mary and the church。 The hypocrisy is another…How times have changed…and how they remain the same。This is a story you will not soon forget！ I am still thinking about it！Need a book you can’t put down…THIS IS IT！I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more
Jennifer
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A woman wants a divorce in 17th century Boston。。。 she must be a witch。 After withstanding all the domestic abuse she can， the final straw prompts Mary Deerfield to seek the courts permission for divorce。 Uncommon in those days， this petition goes to trial and the allegations of her husband's violence and cruelty quickly get overturned as a woman's lies。 But the trial is not over。 Far from it。Chris Bohjalian has not written another witch hunt/witch trial book。 The divorce trial here appears to be A woman wants a divorce in 17th century Boston。。。 she must be a witch。 After withstanding all the domestic abuse she can， the final straw prompts Mary Deerfield to seek the courts permission for divorce。 Uncommon in those days， this petition goes to trial and the allegations of her husband's violence and cruelty quickly get overturned as a woman's lies。 But the trial is not over。 Far from it。Chris Bohjalian has not written another witch hunt/witch trial book。 The divorce trial here appears to be historically accurate based on the amazing and trustworthy research Bohjalian is known for。 But the quick change of events in these court proceedings is a solid study of gender， social dynamics， and a fascinating but sad time period。 Engaging and easy to invest in， this novel is an enjoyable genre mesh of mystery/thriller and history with a satisfying ending。 Highly recommend！Note: 4 stars instead of 5 because， although historically accurate， I quickly grew annoyed at the use of "thou"， "thee"， "thouest"， etc in dialogue。 And sadly， the audiobook narration was not a positive experience for me。 Although I prefer audiobooks for the glorious multitasking it provides， I would absolutely recommend reading off the page with this one。My favorite quote:"There were people in the world who were good and people who were evil， but most of them were some mixture of both and did what they did simply because they were mortal。" 。。。more
Genevieve Trono
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Chris Bohjalian is a local Vermont author and I have had the pleasure of reading his work from the very beginning。 I used to love his weekly “Idyll Banter” newspaper column and one of the very first books I ever read "outside of school" was his Oprah Book Club pick， The Midwives。 One of his writing gifts is being able to write books that totally immerse you in an entirely new concept or experience， one you were probably not even expecting when you opened to the first page。 Chris Bohjalian is k Chris Bohjalian is a local Vermont author and I have had the pleasure of reading his work from the very beginning。 I used to love his weekly “Idyll Banter” newspaper column and one of the very first books I ever read "outside of school" was his Oprah Book Club pick， The Midwives。 One of his writing gifts is being able to write books that totally immerse you in an entirely new concept or experience， one you were probably not even expecting when you opened to the first page。 Chris Bohjalian is known for his character-driven novels that are also completely propulsive。 His 2020 novel， The Red Lotus， was a page-turner and while it was a topic I would never have predicted I would be into， I had a hard time putting it down。 What I have learned from his books， is that it isn't always the topic matter that draws you in， but the storytelling itself。 This novel was wholly engaging and totally thought-provoking。 I loved how although it was set in the mid-1600s， there were so many connections to issues that still arise today。 This would make an amazing book club discussion and I highly recommend adding it to your spring 2021 reading list。Thank you to @doubledaybooks for my gifted copy。 As always， all thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kayla （IG: kaylasbookgram）
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The story is based in the 1660s and follows Mary Deerfield as she is accused of being a witch after only wanting to part from her dreadful husband。 I found this book both captivating and provoking。 The way Mary is treated throughout the book by the townspeople and her own family is enraging。 With everyone against her she doesn’t give up she believes that someone will see her innocence。 I was taken by surprise at the ending cause it definitely took a turn I did not see coming but was happy it end The story is based in the 1660s and follows Mary Deerfield as she is accused of being a witch after only wanting to part from her dreadful husband。 I found this book both captivating and provoking。 The way Mary is treated throughout the book by the townspeople and her own family is enraging。 With everyone against her she doesn’t give up she believes that someone will see her innocence。 I was taken by surprise at the ending cause it definitely took a turn I did not see coming but was happy it ended up the way it did。 I was excited to join in on this group read cause the Salem Witch Trails has always interested me and I looked forward to how that played a role in this story。 。。。more
Sue Tretter
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A strong-willed woman and a society in which women were best seen but not heard -- what could go wrong？ Loved the story， loved the things I learned about the times in which my ancestors lived。
Kristen
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A fantastic book！！I read this book over 36 hours because I could not put it down。 I have read hundreds of books and this one is really good。 The characters are well developed and one cares about their welfare。 There are twists， and turns， to keep you on your toes。 Even if you have an idea about the ending there is still the feeling of doubt that you are right。The research is impeccable。 One learns a lot from this writer。 Hat’s off to Mr。 Bohjalian。—Bean
Jo Anna Cunningham
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LOVED IT！ Awesome job on showing the double standers they had for women back then。
Sherri Puzey
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64 // “Yes， this may be the hour of the witch。 But the Devil？ He most definitely wears breeches。 The Devil can only be a man。”HOUR OF THE WITCH is a completely transportive historical novel set in 1600s New England。 I’d hesitate to label it a thriller or a page-turner; it’s more of a slow-burn that does keep readers guessing though it takes its time getting there。 young Puritan Mary Deerfield is desperate to escape her cruel husband， but in a time and place where women are not readily believed a 64 // “Yes， this may be the hour of the witch。 But the Devil？ He most definitely wears breeches。 The Devil can only be a man。”HOUR OF THE WITCH is a completely transportive historical novel set in 1600s New England。 I’d hesitate to label it a thriller or a page-turner; it’s more of a slow-burn that does keep readers guessing though it takes its time getting there。 young Puritan Mary Deerfield is desperate to escape her cruel husband， but in a time and place where women are not readily believed and everyone lives in dread of the Devil and his work， Mary moves from defending herself to questioning herself and where she falls on the spectrum of good and evil。 I’ve not read many novels set in this time period， but the extensive and meticulous research that went into this book was obvious。 the book did feel a little long in the middle， but I was anxious to discover Mary’s fate in the last quarter of the book。 3。5/5⭐️—it was good！thank you to @doubledaybooks and @netgalley for the digital copy of this book！ #hourofthewitch 。。。more
Diane
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3。5 / 5 stars review coming soon
Wendy
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Mary Deerfield is married to an abusive monster。 Unfortunately this is 1662 in Salem。 When Mary tries to divorce her husband she ends up being accused of witchcraft！Hour of the Witch is a riveting piece of historical fiction。 This was my first book by Chris Bohjalian but it won't be my last。 It held my attention from page 1 to the end。 I highly recommend Hour of the Witch to historical fiction fans。 Mary Deerfield is married to an abusive monster。 Unfortunately this is 1662 in Salem。 When Mary tries to divorce her husband she ends up being accused of witchcraft！Hour of the Witch is a riveting piece of historical fiction。 This was my first book by Chris Bohjalian but it won't be my last。 It held my attention from page 1 to the end。 I highly recommend Hour of the Witch to historical fiction fans。 。。。more
Diane
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I just started the book and love it！ I have read everything Chris B has written and never been disappointed。 The book is about witchcraft and mentions Hartford CT as a place where witchcraft trials were held。 We used to go to the Halloween festivities in West Hartford where there was a great Halloween night in the cemetery in West Hartford Center。 It was performed in the dark with members of an acting group and it chronicled the witchcraft trials in the area。 So this new book has special meaning I just started the book and love it！ I have read everything Chris B has written and never been disappointed。 The book is about witchcraft and mentions Hartford CT as a place where witchcraft trials were held。 We used to go to the Halloween festivities in West Hartford where there was a great Halloween night in the cemetery in West Hartford Center。 It was performed in the dark with members of an acting group and it chronicled the witchcraft trials in the area。 So this new book has special meaning to me。 Just captivating。 I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction （and I am not even finished with it yet）！ 。。。more
Sheila
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Maybe 3。5。 Slow and tedious in the beginning。 More intriguing toward the end。
Martha Trzepacz
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While the setting is 17th century colonial New England， the narrative has a slightly modern twist。 Mary Deerfield is married to a verbally， physically abusive older man。 Restrictive laws， public opinion and the suggestion of witchcraft prevent her from getting a divorce and the freedom she desperately seeks。 While most of her peers would have buckled under the pressure to conform， you have to admire her grasp of the situation and attempts to deal with it。 Well written， historically researched， t While the setting is 17th century colonial New England， the narrative has a slightly modern twist。 Mary Deerfield is married to a verbally， physically abusive older man。 Restrictive laws， public opinion and the suggestion of witchcraft prevent her from getting a divorce and the freedom she desperately seeks。 While most of her peers would have buckled under the pressure to conform， you have to admire her grasp of the situation and attempts to deal with it。 Well written， historically researched， the author a “master of atmosphere” details the problems in this age old dilemma。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Hour of the Witch by @chrisbohjalian is a great historical fiction read set in the 1620s in Boston。 The story unfolds from the perspective of Mary， a strong， courageous woman trapped in an abusive marriage who tries to seek her freedom but the society within which she lives is highly religious and ruled by pious and powerful men。 Women like her who are independent and who challenge the « natural order » are readily dealt with by branding them as witches doing the Devil’s work。 Mary’s story unfol Hour of the Witch by @chrisbohjalian is a great historical fiction read set in the 1620s in Boston。 The story unfolds from the perspective of Mary， a strong， courageous woman trapped in an abusive marriage who tries to seek her freedom but the society within which she lives is highly religious and ruled by pious and powerful men。 Women like her who are independent and who challenge the « natural order » are readily dealt with by branding them as witches doing the Devil’s work。 Mary’s story unfolds in two parts - the Book of the Wife and the Book of the Witch。 Both parts are equally interesting and well-delivered with the second half really ratcheting up the tension， leading to a great ending。 It is clear that the author took a lot of care and did a lot of research in writing this novel。 I also thought that the author did an excellent job of developing Mary’s character。 She is a wonderful character。 I really liked that she was portrayed as having conflicting feelings about what is right versus wrong; it was a good contrast with the hypocrisy of those around her who claimed to be righteous but whose actions belied that claim。 Mary’s story made me feel so many emotions - fear， anger， disgust， sorrow at the plight of women who dared to find their own path， but also hope。 I thoroughly enjoyed The Hour of the Witch。 I can absolutely understand why the Washington Post has called the novel « historical fiction at its best »。 This will definitely be one of my favourite and best reads of 2021。 5 stars！！！ 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
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This is historical fiction at its best。 Set in 1662， and Mary， a 24-year-old woman living in the world of the Boston Puritans， is barren。 She has not given birth and is therefore not doing her duty。 When she meets a young man， she dreams of a life with him rather than her aged， abusive husband。 Not only does she dream of a satisfactory sex life， but she also decides to divorce her husband after he stabs her with “the devils tines”， what we now call forks。 She is not successful in her divorce att This is historical fiction at its best。 Set in 1662， and Mary， a 24-year-old woman living in the world of the Boston Puritans， is barren。 She has not given birth and is therefore not doing her duty。 When she meets a young man， she dreams of a life with him rather than her aged， abusive husband。 Not only does she dream of a satisfactory sex life， but she also decides to divorce her husband after he stabs her with “the devils tines”， what we now call forks。 She is not successful in her divorce attempt and rather finds herself the subject of gossip about her being a witch and then fighting for her life in a trial accusing her of witchcraft。 Bohjalian’s research has helped him form the world of a woman who fails to see life as the Puritans wished。 She is determined， independent and able to think for herself， all attributes not wanted by the men who run the Puritan world。 At times， I felt history is repeating itself。 Not in the witchcraft trials， but by the way conservative thinkers are suspicious of anything that challenges them or introduces new idea that threaten their leadership and power。 。。。more
Erika Shaw
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Ahhhhhh！！！ This book is great！！ I loved everything about it。 It was intense and thrilling and I legitimately couldn’t stop thinking about the story when I wasn’t reading it。 The characters are complex， the historical aspects seem realistic and accurate。 Definitely trigger warning for domestic violence though because the main character is subject to so much abuse yet is such a strong female character for this time period。 It is kind of like watching a train speeding towards someone and you cannot Ahhhhhh！！！ This book is great！！ I loved everything about it。 It was intense and thrilling and I legitimately couldn’t stop thinking about the story when I wasn’t reading it。 The characters are complex， the historical aspects seem realistic and accurate。 Definitely trigger warning for domestic violence though because the main character is subject to so much abuse yet is such a strong female character for this time period。 It is kind of like watching a train speeding towards someone and you cannot tell them to move！ But the whole situation ends in a way you’re not expecting。 Also loved all the religious aspects of this novel （it was Puritan New England after all）。 Overall， love love love， would def recommend！ 。。。more
Kristine
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Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early May。Ooh， I've been looking forward to this one and， sure enough， it narrows and douses you in the insular world of American colonists very， very quickly。 There's lots of quiet， observational rumination from Mary Deerfield， who is a thoughtful， headstrong， amateur healer， and endures mental and physical abuse from her husband Thomas， then occasionally notices that her neighbors and members of her household are dro Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early May。Ooh， I've been looking forward to this one and， sure enough， it narrows and douses you in the insular world of American colonists very， very quickly。 There's lots of quiet， observational rumination from Mary Deerfield， who is a thoughtful， headstrong， amateur healer， and endures mental and physical abuse from her husband Thomas， then occasionally notices that her neighbors and members of her household are dropping hints of her being a witch。 It has chapter headings of quotes made during an impending trial that alternatingly attacking and defending Mary's actions， before its outcome hardens her heart with hopelessness and revenge。 。。。more
Michelle Wong
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book took awhile to get me hooked but once it did I couldn't put down until I started to predict outcomes of characters。 The description and detail used to draw your imagination to the time frame of the story is well done as I could play dreams of where our character lived and adventure too。To hear how the witch trails changed as time past and how the changes of the times till made people closed minded such a 3 prong fork being static。 I never thought about certain everyday items have a bad This book took awhile to get me hooked but once it did I couldn't put down until I started to predict outcomes of characters。 The description and detail used to draw your imagination to the time frame of the story is well done as I could play dreams of where our character lived and adventure too。To hear how the witch trails changed as time past and how the changes of the times till made people closed minded such a 3 prong fork being static。 I never thought about certain everyday items have a bad history。This book is gives you emotions for how a family will stick together even if it means losing everything， faith can be interpret in many ways， women are always striving to stand on their own。 I highly recommend this book if you enjoy history of the witch trails， witch reads and historical fiction。 。。。more
Kathy
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Things have sure changed in the world since 1662 or have they？ Small town gossip and speaking behind the backs of people is still the same but women are allowed to speak their mind and are there witches？？？ It amazes me that Chris Bohjalian can write in the mind of a woman and be right on point！ This book kept me turning the pages even though it was making me very anxious。 I was rooting for Mary Deerfield to safely escape her drunken husband who is so cruel。 He should be the devil after stabbing Things have sure changed in the world since 1662 or have they？ Small town gossip and speaking behind the backs of people is still the same but women are allowed to speak their mind and are there witches？？？ It amazes me that Chris Bohjalian can write in the mind of a woman and be right on point！ This book kept me turning the pages even though it was making me very anxious。 I was rooting for Mary Deerfield to safely escape her drunken husband who is so cruel。 He should be the devil after stabbing her with a three pronged fork in the hand， not her。 I think her husband Tom was cruel because she could not give him a child， so instead of being compassionate he was a monster。 The tension builds in this book with an unexpected ending I never saw coming。 I would definitely recommend this wonderful book。Thanks to #doubledaybooks， #netgalley and @chrisbohjalian for an ARC of this book 。。。more
Rebecca
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Thanks to the publisher， via Edelweiss， for an advance copy for honest review。 I'm sure I've said it before， but I'll say it again: one of the best things about author Chris Bohjalian is that you never know what he's going to write next。 He pivots between genres in a way that seems absolutely effortless， and it's always incredibly well done。 I truly don't know how he does it。This historical fiction was so interesting and tense， set in 1662 Boston with a young woman in an abusive marriage。 Mary i Thanks to the publisher， via Edelweiss， for an advance copy for honest review。 I'm sure I've said it before， but I'll say it again: one of the best things about author Chris Bohjalian is that you never know what he's going to write next。 He pivots between genres in a way that seems absolutely effortless， and it's always incredibly well done。 I truly don't know how he does it。This historical fiction was so interesting and tense， set in 1662 Boston with a young woman in an abusive marriage。 Mary is well educated， smart， and has a lot of resources available to her- at least， for the time period she lives in， but even this is not enough to save her， first from the marriage or for the equally lethal charges that may be brought against her。 It's a frightening story about power， trust， and relationships， and is incredibly compelling reading。 。。。more
Sara Levine
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One of my favorite books （I’m looking at you Sandcastle Girls） was an earlier novel by Bohjalian， and I’ve really enjoyed the books I’ve read of his since then。 When I saw that his new book was on NetGalley， I knew I had to request it ASAP。I went into this book largely blind， and it hooked me almost immediately！ Hour of the Witch is told in two parts， and follows the story of Mary Deerfield - a 24-year-old woman in Boston in the 1660s who wants a divorce from her abusive husband。 Set in the time One of my favorite books （I’m looking at you Sandcastle Girls） was an earlier novel by Bohjalian， and I’ve really enjoyed the books I’ve read of his since then。 When I saw that his new book was on NetGalley， I knew I had to request it ASAP。I went into this book largely blind， and it hooked me almost immediately！ Hour of the Witch is told in two parts， and follows the story of Mary Deerfield - a 24-year-old woman in Boston in the 1660s who wants a divorce from her abusive husband。 Set in the time period before the Salem Witch Trials， but just towards the end of the Hartford Witch Trials， the fear of witches is prevalent in society and Mary’s actions begin to arouse suspicion from those around her。 Bohjalian perfectly crafts this story with a blend of historical truth and fictional thriller， and I read the whole thing in about 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down！Considered a part of the historical thriller genre， it was less of an edge-of-your-seat thriller and more of a courtroom drama， with a little mystery mixed in。 While I didn’t wholly guess the ending， I did see the twist coming and so the end wasn’t a huge surprise to me。 I absolutely loved the setting though， and am always here for books set in Boston - or near it - in the 1600s。 Hour of the Witch was heavily researched and the language so intentional - really setting the scene for the story as it unfolded。 Overall， this was an excellent read that I recommend to anyone who loves history or courtroom dramas - you won’t be disappointed with this one！A huge thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Judith von Kirchbach
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In this book you are hooked into the life of Mary Deerfield， an intelligent and well- educated， privileged young Puritan woman living in 1662 Boston。 She is the second wife to a bully of a husband and wants to escape her fate through a divorce proceeding only to discover that even though she bears marks of physical abuse she is judged for her conduct in the relationship as well as for seeking divorce but really she is also judged for her gender。 Her word does not count for much against a man’s w In this book you are hooked into the life of Mary Deerfield， an intelligent and well- educated， privileged young Puritan woman living in 1662 Boston。 She is the second wife to a bully of a husband and wants to escape her fate through a divorce proceeding only to discover that even though she bears marks of physical abuse she is judged for her conduct in the relationship as well as for seeking divorce but really she is also judged for her gender。 Her word does not count for much against a man’s word。The courtroom scenes in the first and second trial （the trial to determine whether she is a witch） are the high points of the book for me， the questions， the phrasing and the witness testimony。 It seems like Bohjalian did his research extremely well and the way these proceedings are conducted feels entirely accurate。The quotes， sources and 17th-century vocabulary （"drink-drunk" or "linsey-woolsey"） make the novel feel rooted in history。 I loved this glimpse into life in the 17th century in the growing port city of London - the strict and set Puritan ways and the new products being brought in through the port。 While the puritans warily eye new things as potential temptations by the devil， the merchants live of an active trade。 I took my own deep dive （facilitated by google） into the history of cutlery since the three-tined fork as a devil’s tool has a special significance in the story and it is fascinating。 While Hour of the Witch is quieter than last year’s „Red Lotus“ by the same author， it's thrilling nonetheless。 It was a very suspenseful work of historical fiction。 。。。more
Blaire
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This is magnificent。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on NovelStar。
Dea Spears
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Amazing fully packaged hell of a beautiful piece。I love it。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on NovelStar。
Vicki
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"Hour of the Witch” by Chris Bohjalian， Doubleday， 416 pages， May 4， 2021。Boston， 1662。 Mary Deerfield， 24， is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield， a violent man almost twice her age。 She is childless after five years of marriage。 Thomas says her mind is like white meat。Thomas， a widower who has an adult daughter， owns a mill。 Thomas usually only hits Mary when he is drunk。 But when he is sober and drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary’s hand， she knows that she must divorce him。 Mary "Hour of the Witch” by Chris Bohjalian， Doubleday， 416 pages， May 4， 2021。Boston， 1662。 Mary Deerfield， 24， is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield， a violent man almost twice her age。 She is childless after five years of marriage。 Thomas says her mind is like white meat。Thomas， a widower who has an adult daughter， owns a mill。 Thomas usually only hits Mary when he is drunk。 But when he is sober and drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary’s hand， she knows that she must divorce him。 Mary is smart， but she lives in a world where neighbors suspect smart women of witchcraft。 She gives people herbal remedies for illnesses。 Mary’s father， a wealthy merchant， imported the forks that Puritans consider to be “Devil’s tines。”Luckily， her parents， James and Priscilla Burden， agree that she should get a divorce。 Mary has to go before an all-male panel which includes the governor。 The hearing is more of an indictment of her than of Thomas。 Her servant， Catherine Stileman， testifies against Mary。 Mary had treated Catherine’s brother， William， when he was ill， but he died。 The divorce is denied and Mary must return to Thomas。 This is well-researched and well-written。 Chris Bohjalian writes strong women characters and all of his books are different than the book that he wrote before it。 Each novel has a compelling problem， complex characters and solid writing。 The plot of “Hour of the Witch” is intense， while at times distressing because of the way Mary is treated， even by people she thought of as friends。 But it is a fascinating story of early America。 The ending is outstanding。In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Aimee Dars
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Although faithful， Mary Deerfield is also intelligent and independent， not to mention beautiful。 Had her family stayed in England， she would have had her choice of men to wed， but in Boston of 1662， few have the social standing to marry a woman of her social position。 Thus， Mary agrees to a union with Thomas Deerfield， a much older widower。 Often drunk and always cruel， Mary endures Thomas’s beatings as she tries to be a proper wife， even at times thinking she deserves such punishment for her im Although faithful， Mary Deerfield is also intelligent and independent， not to mention beautiful。 Had her family stayed in England， she would have had her choice of men to wed， but in Boston of 1662， few have the social standing to marry a woman of her social position。 Thus， Mary agrees to a union with Thomas Deerfield， a much older widower。 Often drunk and always cruel， Mary endures Thomas’s beatings as she tries to be a proper wife， even at times thinking she deserves such punishment for her impure desires or because she’s been unable to get pregnant。 But when Thomas stabs her in the hand with a three-tined “devil’s fork，” she resolves to divorce him。 Mary endures a hearing before a panel of the colony’s most powerful men， arguing that her life is in danger under Thomas’s roof。 Very few stand beside Mary as she challenges the very social fabric of the community。 A devil’s fork and pestle are found in her garden， and then a sick boy she treated with herbs died。 Rather than given a divorce， Mary found herself accused of witchcraft and she found herself fighting to save herself from the gallows。Of all periods of American history， I am least familiar with this one， which is exciting because I have the most to learn。 Once I fell into the rhythm of the cadence of speech of the characters， I was so fascinated with （and horrified by） the details of daily life。 （Forks were associated with the devil， and according to the Smithsonian Magazine， Americans didn’t use forks regularly until the 1850s！ I went down a rabbit hole looking at pictures of trenchers since I didn’t know what they were before。） Even worse were the conditions of women—husbands were not only allowed but expected to discipline their wives。 （The book happened to read right before this was set in late 1800s and revealed it was almost as hard for women to get divorces then as it was for Mary。） Women who at all deviated from social norms could be accused of witchcraft and executed。 Mary was well aware of the dangers， and she was savvy in the ways she tried to use the little power she had to gain favor with the judges。 That Mary has been unable to get pregnant weighs heavily on her and affects her relationships and sense of self， and I think that it is interesting to see how struggles with infertility compare and contrast over time。For me， though， the best part of the book is the denouement。 Perfection！TW: domestic abuse， rape， infertilityThanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Emily
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