Hour of the Witch - Chris Bohjalian

Hour of the Witch

By Chris Bohjalian

  • Release Date: 2021-05-04
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
4.5 Score: 4.5 (From 631 Ratings)

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of The Flight Attendant: “Historical fiction at its best…. The book is a thriller in structure, and a real page-turner, the ending both unexpected and satisfying” (Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander series, The Washington Post).

A
young Puritan woman—faithful, resourceful, but afraid of the demons that dog her soulplots her escape from a violent marriage in this riveting and propulsive novel of historical suspense.


Boston, 1662. Mary Deerfield is twenty-four-years-old. Her skin is porcelain, her eyes delft blue, and in England she might have had many suitors. But here in the New World, amid this community of saints, Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield, a man as cruel as he is powerful. When Thomas, prone to drunken rage, drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary's hand, she resolves that she must divorce him to save her life.

But in a world where every neighbor is watching for signs of the devil, a woman like Mary—a woman who harbors secret desires and finds it difficult to tolerate the brazen hypocrisy of so many men in the colony—soon becomes herself the object of suspicion and rumor. When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary's garden, when a boy she has treated with herbs and simples dies, and when their servant girl runs screaming in fright from her home, Mary must fight to not only escape her marriage, but also the gallows.

A twisting, tightly plotted novel of historical suspense from one of our greatest storytellers, Hour of the Witch is a timely and terrifying story of socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt.

Look for Chris Bohjalian's new novel, The Lioness!

Reviews

  • Excellent story

    5
    By Dog parch
    The characters were interesting and intense. The story of early Boston engaging and shocking but I could not put the book down!
  • Hour of the Witch

    4
    By danieluniss53
    I really liked this book. I felt that I learned a lot about life in America in the late 1600’s. Happy Reading!
  • Good read.

    4
    By ElliotPepper
    This book dragged a bit for me. The story is good, but it took a long time to reach a conclusion. The ending was good and unexpected.
  • Hour of the Witch

    2
    By GWYNEDD READER
    Slow start. Mainly just wanted to finish the book.
  • Spellbinding

    5
    By Ann of the North Shore
    Impossible to put down- so well written!
  • Loved it!

    5
    By mpender01
    Such a great book! I couldn’t put it down.
  • Recently Purchased the Paperback

    5
    By Film Fan Family
    Very good story. Has you guessing until the very last page. A satisfying ending that leaves you breathless. You will not soon forget Mary Deerfield!!
  • A captivating read

    5
    By ballin'94
    A real page turner. I was taken in by each character. The author wove together the many layers of this beautiful story masterfully. I am never disappointed by a Chris Bohjelian novel.
  • AMAZING!!!!!

    5
    By Sarareader
    I’m for sure not someone who turns to reading to pass time but on a whim I decided I would read this because it’s right up my alley. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!!! It had me on the edge of my seat and I felt every emotion that Mary felt, and the ending?? HOLY CRAP! You’ll just have to read it ;)
  • Terrific!

    5
    By Kmcfp
    Loved the history of Salem, Massachusetts with a powerfully moving story.

Comments