Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

 May 4, 2021 (April 20, 2021)

Edelweiss/NetGalley

Doubleday (Random House)

416 pages

Fiction, romance, suspense, arc, digital, print 

ISBN: 9780385542432 

7/28/21-8/8/21

 

In Colonial  Massachusetts, laws of society were dictated by the men who seemed to be exempt from the restrictions placed upon women at that time. The story is told with excepts from the trial of Mary Deerfield being accused of being a witch. She was 19 years old when she married Thomas Deerfield, who was a 45 year old influential man. People’s lives revolved around their Separatist religion often spending hours at the church. Ironically, this practice did not ensure chastity or good will within the community. Thomas Deerfield had been married before to Anne Drury who apparently died after falling off a horse. Their daughter Peregrine was married to Jonathan Cooke, a young carpenter with whom they were blessed with children. They were close in age to Mary which presented many awkward situations. After many years of trying to be obedient to Thomas, Mary was still subjected to verbal and physical abuse especially when he was drunk. They had a live in indentured servant, Catherine, who often overlooked the abuse desiring to win favor with Thomas. 

 

Ironically, the same religion used to govern people was always used to excuse a man’s bad behavior granting the man resolution from his sin. Women who disagreed or dared to speak their opinion were classified as witches who were then tried and hanged. This story described such a difficult journey for Mary Deerfield as she tries to divorce Thomas after he stabs a fork into her hand requiring months of disabling pain from the broken bones. Mary becomes desperate and seeks assistance from several people to support and provide refuge from Thomas’s ire. It’s a compelling story not unbelievable for the time period with an ending which gives hope for the future of women in society.

 

 

I received a complimentary digital copy from Edelweiss and NetGalley vis the publisher. My review is voluntary and unbiased.