Hour of the Witch | 
pickI started reading this book a year ago for #LiteraryCrew but put it aside at some point as I couldn‘t seem to get through it at the time. Fast forward to now when I picked it up again and finished the last 1/3 in 3 days! I had no problem getting back into the story and loved the ending. 5/5⭐️
(June 5, 2025)
so-soA little slow in parts but honestly I don't think I would have been able to read it any faster as I had to pace myself with the extreme spousal violence. I have a few Puritan/ Witch/ Massachusetts history books set aside to read this year and this was the first. I cannot imagine a more woven narrative to correlate the abuse within a marriage of this time, when women are property and of the inability to leave a marriage.
Continuing the countdown of my books, from 1st to 25th, THE JACKAL‘S MISTRESS. Today it‘s my 22nd: HOUR OF THE WITCH (2021), historical fiction inspired by the first divorce in North America for domestic violence -- a novel that builds a climactic Boston witch trial.
Want to give a signed or personalized copy of one of my novels this holiday season? Visit my local bookstores: Phoenix Books (phoenixbooks.biz or 802 448-3350) and the Vermont Book Shop (vermontbookshop.com or 802 388-2061). I sign, they wrap and ship!
Ebook fans looking for a #spookyseason read, look what‘s on sale for $1.99! @DoubledayBooks
Ebook on sale on Amazon and most places that sell ebooks for $1.99
pickEnded up really enjoying this one. It was a little slow to start, but the second half flew by. I also loved the ending. Read for #literarycrew. Will answer follow up questions a bit later
pickThis is a somewhat typical tale of an innocent puritan woman being accused of witchcaft while trying to get away from her husband but the ending really makes the book and Mary was a fantastic character 🤎
#LiteraryCrew @Librarybelle
It‘s time for this month‘s discussion #LiteraryCrew ! I‘ve posted 7 questions as spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or searching the hashtag. Answer whenever you would like!
I‘ve not quite finished this month‘s book, but I have to say I am greatly enjoying so far!
LaraReads, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks7. In what ways does Mary‘s story resonate today? ~adapted from Reading Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
6. Was justice served at the end of the book? Did the characters get what they deserved? ~from Reading Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
5. As you were reading, who did you think buried the objects in the ground outside Mary‘s door? Were you surprised by the answer? ~from Reading Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
4. Discuss Henry Simmons‘ actions throughout the novel from his first encounter with Mary, to the kiss in her parents‘ dining room. Do you approve of his behavior? What about Mary‘s? ~from Reading Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
3. Mary often wonders if she herself has been possessed by the Devil or if, instead, it is God influencing her actions. How does this inner dialogue change your view of Mary‘s motives? ~from Reading Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
2. The Puritans believed that they were always in the presence of God or the Devil—that they were never truly alone. How did the characters‘ behavior reflect, or not reflect this belief? How would you behave differently if you felt there was always someone watching? ~from Reading Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
1. Bohjalian loosely bases Mary Deerfield on Katherine Nanny Naylor, who is the first woman in the American colonies to be granted a divorce for “cruelty.“
What knowledge do you have of the Puritans and historical witch accusations (it's not only Salem)?
A couple links: https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/chris-bohjalian/
https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/new-england-witchcraft-trials-it-wasnt-j...
#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
I‘m bewitched. Boston 1662. Mary Deerfield is a strong woman holding her ground and fighting for what‘s right.
This is another brilliant book by the master storyteller @ChrisBohjalian
🐶 Bandette is posing like many women on book covers- with her back towards us!
#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
#DogsOfLitsy
I realized I forgot to post an earlier checkin…so sorry #LiteraryCrew ! We are a week away from our discussion of Hour of the Witch.
Any thoughts to share before the 31st? I‘m starting this soon so I‘ll be ready for the discussion! #buddyread
LaraReads, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks
@Librarybelle
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2709708
Today is the first day for this month's
#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! Read at your own pace throughout the month of March. I'll post periodic checkins and post discussion questions on March 31st!
If you would like to be added to this month's tag list, let me know! If you would like to be removed for this month, let me know too!
Today is the first day for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! Read at your own pace throughout the month of March. I‘ll post periodic checkins and post discussion questions on March 31st!
If you would like to be added to this month‘s tag list, let me know! If you would like to be removed for this month, let me know too!
LaraReads, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks
Via @Librarybelle https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2706661
I'm beyond excited for next month's #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! We're reading Chris Bohjalian's Witch of the Hour.
Read at your own pace. I'll post periodic checkins throughout the month, with discussion questions posted on March 31st!
All are invited to join!
I‘m beyond excited for next month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! We‘re reading Chris Bohjalian‘s Witch of the Hour.
Read at your own pace. I‘ll post periodic checkins throughout the month, with discussion questions posted on March 31st!
All are invited to join! Just let me know, and I will add you to the tag list!
LaraReads, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks
Shopping? Lots of Bohjalian to choose from! Thanks! #bookstore #bookseller
pickStarting out October with a historical fiction novel of the “witches” that haunted the early history of America. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The story is a slow burn but one that keeps the reader engaged throughout. I loved reading about the God fearing era where everything that was out of the ordinary was attributed to the devil. Humans from that century would lose their 💩 in this one 🤣
I can't say it better than Book Bub: HOUR OF THE WITCH has over 10,500 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings on Goodreads and right now the eBook is only $1.99. Go back in time to New England's original witch hunt and one of the first divorces in North America. @DoubledayBooks
pickThe Crucible is one of my favorite books, so this instantly appealed to me. It‘s so amazing to realize that this world was only 300 years ago—a blink of the eye in Earth‘s history. In 300 years we‘ve gone from blowing ground up spiders up a person‘s nose as a medical treatment to the sophisticated microsurgeries of today. The arrogance of the patriarchy and oppression of women is, of course, infuriating. Highly recommended for Crucible fans!
panThat‘s another one finished.
I really wish I enjoyed this one more. In the end I found that I just didn‘t care.
#thehourofthewitch #chrisbohjalian #bookreview
"... in her #heart she feared it was
something more: it was a sign. Because, if one looked around carefully, wasn't everything?" from tagged book. #LitsyAuthor Chris Bohjalian quotes his muse Emily Dickinson in another novel of his Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands: If I can stop one #heart from breaking I shall not live in vain.
#InQuotes
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
pickTalking about the Devil, “I have no desire to meet Him. Not ever. I have seen too much of His likeness here in Boston, even among the saints”.
This book has gotten great reviews on Litsy, & a friend told me I needed to read it. Once I got used to the thees & thous, I found the story really interesting. It made me angry at times, I wanted to slap some fictional men (and some women). Sadly, much of this story could be true today. Women are still 👇
Stocking stuffer for that reader who enjoys historical fiction…and wants to see a woman take on the patriarchy.
so-soThis was good. It felt slow-moving even though we got to Mary‘s petition for divorce fairly early on in the book, but of course, this wasn‘t the entirety of the story. There were a couple of twists toward the end. I found the bit about the forks interesting – that is, they were a new item and people looked on them suspiciously. I had no idea! I did like the book, but there are others by the author that I‘ve liked better.
This was a treat! There‘s HOUR OF THE WITCH in the bookstore in the new Netflix holiday movie, THE NOEL DIARY. And look at how many of my pals are with me. (I‘ve tagged a bunch.) Gobsmacked, grateful, and honored. (PS: Thanks, R.J. Julia, for having a staff recommend card for HOUR OF THE WITCH. Bookstores rock; booksellers rule.)
Nearly 9,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings on Goodreads — and still on sale for $2.99. Beware the Devil‘s Tines!
so-soI enjoyed the description of 17th-century Boston, both culturally and geographically, as the ground of the city has changed so much in a few hundred years, and I almost found this to be an excellent novel, but Bohjalian set up a completely plausible motive and suspect and then ignored that angle and took the story in a direction that I find less interesting bordering on trite. His novels tend to be like this for me: more promise than return.
pickHour of the Witch is probably one of my favorite reads this year. Certainly top 5. The characters do use old English vernacular, so it may not be for everyone. But for those of us that love historical fiction: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“She was sent to the scaffold because she had a sharper tongue and a shrewder mind than her accusers. It is always the case when men hang women.” — from HOUR OF THE WITCH.
Oh @AmyG it‘s all wonderful. You‘ve got Woodford‘s nose done to a T! 🤣🤣🤣love the book and pouch and I‘ve just joined the village Bookclub and it‘s all rather formal - so I‘ll wow them all with my dedicated notebook! 🤣Thank you honey
Had a great vacation but I‘m glad to be home.
Law, if this is what it took to get better back in the 1600‘s then I might rather die. Inhaling spider and toads? 😳🤢
