Hour of the Witch: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)
A sensational divorce trial in 17th-century Boston becomes a deadly witch hunt in Chris Bohjalian’s HOUR OF THE WITCH. Puritan Mary Deefield—faithful, resourceful, but afraid of the demons that dog her soul—plots her escape from a violent marriage in this timely and terrifying story of socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt, a thrilling New York Times bestseller from the author of The Flight Attendant.
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Community Reviews
We know that early English settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were very religious and thought a lot about the state of their souls and the devil. The historical record tells us so. According to Chris Bohjalian, they were concerned about the devil a lot. A good chunk of the first third or so of the book has them thinking about little else.
Things start to get more interesting when Mary Deerfield sues her husband for divorce on the grounds of cruelty. Even here, though, the question soon becomes more about whether she's been consorting with the devil (much of the evidence has to do with a three-tined fork, which is, as we all know, the devil's own instrument) as much as it does about whether her husband abuses her.
And there is intrigue as well. It is clear that someone is trying to cast a spell on someone in the Deerfield house, or trying to frame Mary for doing so. But who? And why? Though Mary's ruminations on whether she is unknowingly the devil's tool quickly become tiresome, Bohjalian is quite deft at drawing the reader into this mystery and in making the reader care about Mary's fate, both in life and after.
Of course, the reason that Mary faces such troubles from her community is, of course, that she's a smart woman who occasionally speaks her mind. That truth is lurking behind almost every word in the book, but Bohjalian is subtle in reinforcing it. So don't read this expecting a great deal of outrage about the subservient state of women in 17th century Boston. Do read it for an immersive look into one woman's life and attempt to be more than just a Goodwife to a cruel man.
Things start to get more interesting when Mary Deerfield sues her husband for divorce on the grounds of cruelty. Even here, though, the question soon becomes more about whether she's been consorting with the devil (much of the evidence has to do with a three-tined fork, which is, as we all know, the devil's own instrument) as much as it does about whether her husband abuses her.
And there is intrigue as well. It is clear that someone is trying to cast a spell on someone in the Deerfield house, or trying to frame Mary for doing so. But who? And why? Though Mary's ruminations on whether she is unknowingly the devil's tool quickly become tiresome, Bohjalian is quite deft at drawing the reader into this mystery and in making the reader care about Mary's fate, both in life and after.
Of course, the reason that Mary faces such troubles from her community is, of course, that she's a smart woman who occasionally speaks her mind. That truth is lurking behind almost every word in the book, but Bohjalian is subtle in reinforcing it. So don't read this expecting a great deal of outrage about the subservient state of women in 17th century Boston. Do read it for an immersive look into one woman's life and attempt to be more than just a Goodwife to a cruel man.
I was going to rate it four stars but that ending got me. Five stars for this one!
TW: rape, domestic abuse, miscarriage
TW: rape, domestic abuse, miscarriage
This wasn't my normal genre but I honestly was surprised how much I liked this book. It was recommended to me by a librarian at the Innisfree bookstore and I'm fascinated by the Salem witch trials and that time period so I thought why not.
This book had a great story, sad, but nonetheless interesting. I thought Mary's character was written perfectly. Her internal dialogue going back and forth between knowing her relationship was wrong yet societally being told she was in the wrong made this story so interesting. I couldn't stop routing for her.
It did drag on at points but Mary was an awesome heroine.
http://wistfulescapism.com/2021/11/18/book-review-hour-of-the-witch
When I first ordered my copy of Hour Of The Witch, my initial intentions were to find a "thriller" read with a magical plot involving a witch, an October treat. But to my welcoming surprise, as I started reading, it was clear that this wasn't a thriller, at least not in the sense of being scared; while there weren't any magical witches casting spells, no ghosts and goblins popping out at night, there was far worse. There, in the small town of Boston, a new world had emerged filled with socially endorsed maliciousness and self-righteous individuals. People who claim piety but act otherwise. Chris Bohjalian flawlessly writes this historical fiction depicting what life as a woman could have been like during puritan times. Throughout the story, Bohjalian draws questions from the reader regarding domestic violence, religious morality, and social constructs. Splitting this gripping novel into two sections, The Book of the Wife and The Book of the Witch, we can individually follow through Mary Deerfield's journeys in front of the Court of Assistants, a small panel of men.
Mary Deerfield, a beautiful young puritan woman, is stuck in a marriage with Thomas Deerfield, a drunk, abusive man who undeniably feels threatened by a woman's intelligence, especially his wife's. Mary arrived from London with her parents not too long ago, expecting the New World to give more opportunities. She is a well-educated woman who comes from an affluent family. But of course, her sharp mind is two-folded, a blessing and a curse all the same. Her beauty and social status also seem to provoke spitefulness in others. Thomas thinks poorly of his wife, feeling the need to "educate" her on behaving like a proper woman and helpmeet in the form of violence. Mary knows all too well how dire her situation is when her husband plunges a three-tined fork, the devil's tool, into her hand, shattering her bones and will to stay in her marriage. Realizing she is in a life or death situation, Mary decides to take her chances and bring forth a petition to divorce her monstrous husband. The risk she takes to escape her volatile circumstances opens up an opportunity for the contemptuous people in society to accuse her of being a witch.
I applaud Chris Bohjalin for his precise depiction of puritan times. Excellently written with absolute cohesion and flow, the narration of Mary Deerfield's journey in Hour of the Witch is top-notch. Bohjalian captured my full attention producing the story to come to life. Each character was well thought out and fit seamlessly in the storyline. I highly recommend Hour Of The Witch by Chris Bogjalin. I was on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put this book down!
Subscribe to my blog for more book reviews & recommendations!
http://wistfulescapism.com
When I first ordered my copy of Hour Of The Witch, my initial intentions were to find a "thriller" read with a magical plot involving a witch, an October treat. But to my welcoming surprise, as I started reading, it was clear that this wasn't a thriller, at least not in the sense of being scared; while there weren't any magical witches casting spells, no ghosts and goblins popping out at night, there was far worse. There, in the small town of Boston, a new world had emerged filled with socially endorsed maliciousness and self-righteous individuals. People who claim piety but act otherwise. Chris Bohjalian flawlessly writes this historical fiction depicting what life as a woman could have been like during puritan times. Throughout the story, Bohjalian draws questions from the reader regarding domestic violence, religious morality, and social constructs. Splitting this gripping novel into two sections, The Book of the Wife and The Book of the Witch, we can individually follow through Mary Deerfield's journeys in front of the Court of Assistants, a small panel of men.
Mary Deerfield, a beautiful young puritan woman, is stuck in a marriage with Thomas Deerfield, a drunk, abusive man who undeniably feels threatened by a woman's intelligence, especially his wife's. Mary arrived from London with her parents not too long ago, expecting the New World to give more opportunities. She is a well-educated woman who comes from an affluent family. But of course, her sharp mind is two-folded, a blessing and a curse all the same. Her beauty and social status also seem to provoke spitefulness in others. Thomas thinks poorly of his wife, feeling the need to "educate" her on behaving like a proper woman and helpmeet in the form of violence. Mary knows all too well how dire her situation is when her husband plunges a three-tined fork, the devil's tool, into her hand, shattering her bones and will to stay in her marriage. Realizing she is in a life or death situation, Mary decides to take her chances and bring forth a petition to divorce her monstrous husband. The risk she takes to escape her volatile circumstances opens up an opportunity for the contemptuous people in society to accuse her of being a witch.
I applaud Chris Bohjalin for his precise depiction of puritan times. Excellently written with absolute cohesion and flow, the narration of Mary Deerfield's journey in Hour of the Witch is top-notch. Bohjalian captured my full attention producing the story to come to life. Each character was well thought out and fit seamlessly in the storyline. I highly recommend Hour Of The Witch by Chris Bogjalin. I was on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put this book down!
Subscribe to my blog for more book reviews & recommendations!
http://wistfulescapism.com
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