Hour of The Witch by Chris Bohjalian

5 (5)
$17.00

Product details

Web ID: 17333743

New York Times Bestseller. From the acclaimed author of The Flight Attendant- and Historical fiction at its bestandhellip,. The book is a thriller in structure, and a real page-turner, the ending both unexpected and satisfying and (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 soul plots 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 Marya 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,…

  • Product Features

    • Suggested age range- Adult
    • Format- Paperback
    • Dimensions- 5. 1" W x 7. 9" H x 1. 3" D
    • Genre- Fiction
    • Publisher- Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Publication date- 01-25-2022
    • Page count- 496
    • ISBN- 9780525432692
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Ratings & Reviews

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2 years ago

Excellent historical fiction

When starting a Chris Bohjalian book, you know from the synopsis a general idea of what the story contains. But you're never prepared for where his stories will take you. Along the way, he leaves so many hidden clues that I find after the fact that I keep coming back for more of his books to try my wits against him again. Set in 1660's Boston, a young wife sues her abusive husband for divorce, something no woman has ever successfully done before, only to be accused of being a witch. Once branded a witch, she must fight for her life. As the story unfolds, this young woman of privilege will become a source of fear and scorn. Bohjalian so skillfully paints Boston during this era that I could see the streets and warehouses and hear the judge's comments as if I were there. But this is no surprise to any Bohjalian fan. I could go on all day about how good his books are, but the best way to find out is to read them for yourself.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

3 years ago
from Lincoln, NE

Don't Fear the Devil; fear an Abused Wife

Mary Deerfield is a dutiful Puritan wife to an abusive husband. Her parents are wealthier citizens of the small burg of Boston, running an importing business. Mary explains away her various injuries, as generations of abused women have done. Mary and her husband have an indentured servant girl, Catherine, who cannot hide her admiration of Thomas, Mary's husband. Catherine's brother, William, is an indentured servant in a separate household, but is sickly, and Mary tries to help him get well w/ various herbal remedies. Mary's father imports a new product that is all the rage in Europe, the three-tined fork. Of course, the Puritans are terrified of anything new and call them the "Devil's tines." One of the forks is stuck through Mary's left hand; she also finds some buried in her garden... is this witchcraft pointed against her? Or someone else? Mary leaves her husband over her broken hand and moves home to her parents. They hire her a scrivener - lawyers being frowned upon by Puritans - and sues for divorce. This is a rare move in Puritan Boston. Does her Mary win her lawsuit against Thomas? Or will they believe the slanders against her, and rather than grant her divorce, jail and hang her for... witchcraft??? Each chapter is begun by a sworn statement from Mary or a witness in her trial, and that chapter discusses that event, so you can see what slander you are about to meet in the chapter. This really added to the suspense of the story for me, and I honestly couldn't put the book down b/c I had to find out what happened! As I was reading this on my Kindle on vacation, it was difficult to skip ahead to find out, and just had to keep reading! I was really moved by the terror of the Devil and not being Saved by this poor Puritan soul.

Recommends this product

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

3 years ago
from New York, NY

Loved the story

I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought Mary Deerfield's story had so many parallels to the world we live in today.

Recommends this product

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

3 years ago
from Wilmington, NC

Highly Recommended

A very timely novel, well written and researched. This story is fiction, but could just as well have been true as it is based on historical events. The plot is captivating, the pace of the story makes the reader want to keep turning pages until 3 AM to finish this book. Unfortunately, the slump that follows the completion of the book makes the reader wish they had savored it more despite the desire to burn through the pages. I greatly enjoyed this book. The only thing I disliked about it was the horrible book hangover it left me with. Highly recommended.

Recommends this product

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

3 years ago
from Sat Lake City, UT

I LOVE this book!

This book was so good. I loved the story and it kept me craving more. I couldn’t put it down. It was intense and the story just kept getting better.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com