Hour of the Witch
Ratings10
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings10
Average rating3.7
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 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 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.
Reviews with the most likes.
3.5
Eu gosto de ler sobre o século 17 e curti o monólogo interior e dilemas da Mary, mas foi só por isso que enfrentei esse livro até o final. Esse livro poderia ter tido 100 páginas a menos, ou até 150. A primeira parte (‘The Book of the Wife') é dedicada ao rolo do divórcio e ela se estende DEMAIS. A segunda parte (‘The Book of the Witch') é quando a protagonista resolve tomar uma atitude finalmente... mas isso já é na metade do livro. Pelo menos o final é algo que vai deixar muitos leitores surpresos.
O livro revela a história muito lentamente, usa muito old english (estejam em dia com o inglês) e acho que só 2 personagens se salvam, o resto é tudo fdp. Não é um livro fácil de ler nem de recomendar.
Não recomendo o audiobook.
I put off reading this, as the topics were a little close to home with some of my current frustrations and anger at world events, but when I finally sat down with this book, I couldn't put it down. Meals went unprepared, shopping undone, etc. The book is a story of a woman living in Puritan Boston in the early 1620s. The story is well written and crafted in a smart way with two larger events framing it. The characters were what had me hooked, however. Mary is the primary character, and her strength, resilience and confidence made her stand out. Constance is more of an ancillary character, but her perspective and confidence and wisdom made her another memorable character. It is not a spoiler or surprising to say that the Puritan life was hard on women, whose lives and reputations could swing quickly through unfounded accusations and gossip, but unfounded accusations and gossip turned toward a man were unacceptable behavior. I would highly recommend this book for book club discussions. There is a lot to talk about and there would be a great discussion point about what is different today? What is similar if not the same?
Solidly three stars for me until the ending. 3.5 stars
I didn't expect this. Not at all. And the again, I've read my fair share of medieval historical fiction that I could've anticipated this. What blindsided me though is the fact that as late as the 17th century superstitions and Prejudice were so rampant. It really made me ponder women's lot in life today and consider myself lucky for living in ‘enlightened' times. Much is still to be done, but we've come a long way. The matter of the divorce, domestic violence and how women were treated in a court of law really drove this point home. Lovely way of better understanding other eras. Prepare for a good but reflective read.
