The Hour of the Witch is an intense, nightmarish page-turner. And in my eyes, utter perfection. It’s the story of Mary, a fiery and intelligent Puritan from a wealthy family who has the misfortune of marrying a monster in the New World. Thomas’ acts of ingenious cruelty slowly escalate to the point where Mary can endure them no longer. So she does the unthinkable- she files for divorce.

17th century Massachusetts is a breeding ground for misogyny, salacious gossip and religious fervor. Mary’s fellow colonists are scandalized by her intention to separate from her respected husband Thomas. And thanks to her childless state, fondness for herbal remedies and an unfortunate incident involving cutlery, there are whispers that Mary might in fact be a witch.

The Hour of the Witch is a gripping, spell-binding, emotional rollercoaster ride. I frequently found myself outraged and incensed on Mary’s behalf. The way she was abused by her alcoholic husband and treated as less-than by her community (just for being a woman) was absolutely infuriating. I felt deeply sympathetic for her plight.

I have to hand it to Chris Bohjalian, every book I’ve read by him has been superb, but this one takes the cake. His impeccable research and passion for colonial life comes alive on the page. I was easily swept up in the dramatic whirlwind that was the Puritan witch hunt. Bojhalian expertly crafts a psychological backdrop percolating with paranoia, suspicion and outright hysteria.

I appreciated the use of the wild woman archetype embodied by Mary and Constance. Their intelligence and sharp tongues are seen as a palpable threat to the men in the colony. The only way to eliminate said threat? Accuse them of being the devil’s handmaidens. If those two strong and independent women with scintillating wit were labeled witches, then sign me up. I want to be one too.

It’s interesting to contemplate the overwhelming irony of the colonists’ behavior. They cling desperately to their religion, extreme and single-minded in their pursuit of the kingdom of heaven. And yet, they who studied the Bible and learned to love thy neighbor, were so quick to condemn someone to death (not to mention eternal damnation!) with little to no evidence. The hypocrisy is astounding.

I highly recommend The Hour of the Witch to readers who enjoy suspenseful and thrilling historical fiction that fearlessly explores the dark and intimate corners of the (Puritan) psyche.

A well written and very well researched novel about a wife accused of witchcraft in 1600s New England. Mary,mentally and physically abused by her husband, appeals to the court for a divorce. However, 1600s New England certainly has no sympathy for an abused woman and denies her petition. The court also seems eager to find her *and every woman) guilty of witchcraft. Mary then has to seek justice in her own way.
Especially interesting in this book was 1600s' Boston's fear of forks. I looked this up and it was absolutely true, that early New Englanders thought that forks were "the devil's tines".
Chris Bohjalian crafted an interesting and unique story that should take the place of The Crucible on many reading lists. This book deals with more than the witchcraft scare, but also with women's rights or lack thereof in early America, not even allowed to speak their mind without being accused of witchcraft. This should be required reading for young women of today for how very far we've come!

A new Chris Bohjalian book is an automatic TBR for me. I love that his writing spans such a wide variety of genres and topics and I am always impressed by his ability to write the female perspective with such empathy and authenticity.

In Hour of the Witch, Mr. Bohjalian gives us one of his most compelling protagonists. Mary Deerfield is a woman both beautiful and strong of character who, unfortunately, lives in the wrong time and place, early 17th century Boston. It was very dangerous to be a woman in Puritanical New England, especially if one had an inclination to be outspoken or to challenge one's husband for "cruelty."

While Hour of the Witch is primarily historical fiction, and it is evident the author invested many hours of research to make it an accurate and often disturbing portrayal, this novel also at points reads like a compulsively absorbing thriller. In a word, this book was fantastic -- definitely one of Mr.Bohjalian's best. Five stars all the way.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Chris Bohjalian is always terrific. I love the historical background provided. Look forward to his next title!

This latest from Bohjalian will give you a little insight into the plight of women in early America, where indiscriminate men and jealous women easily isolate and endanger the lives of strong and knowledgeable women. The story follows Mary Deerfield through her volatile marriage, and accusations of devil worship, as she fights Puritan hypocrisy.

I rarely meet a book by Chris Bohjalian that I DON'T like, and this was no different! He is such a versatile author, and that trait once again shines through in this historical novel focused in witch-crazed New England. This is so much more than a novel about an accused witch, though - it delves into the struggles women of the time had asserting themselves, and having any credibility or agency in their own lives - separate from the men that ruled them. Another favorite!

I've read all of Bohjalian's books. Often I love them; occasionally I find them merely tolerable and a bit plodding.
I had high --maybe too high--hopes for this one. I am obsessed with the Salem Witch trials era.
The first 50-60% of this book is so slow as to be nearly insufferable. It does pick up--and last few chapters are intense and thrilling--but by time I got to the more fast-paced bits, I no longer cared about any characters in it.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Chris Bohjalian has once again written a great historical novel in ‘Hour of the Witch’. has twists, turns and keeps the reader entirely engaged throughout. His use of the language of the 1600’s and his ability to portray the mind, words and actions of his female characters is exceptional.
Mary Deerfield is the second wife of Thomas, an often cruel and abusive drunk, twice her age. Mary makes a decision to end her marriage after Thomas stabs her in the hand with a three-pronged fork. This decision is not only fodder for gossip but has the puritanical community muttering with suspicion that Mary is a witch, filled with evil and possessed by the devil himself. Catherine, Thomas and Mary’s maid servant is in love with Thomas and blind to his violence and brutality.
Twist, turns and a engrossing narrative makes this a wonderful and highly recommended read.
My thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Books and Chris Bohjalian for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I have enough words to say how much I loved this book! I am endlessly fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials (as I have an ancestor who was hanged as a witch at the trials) and this book dealt with the witch hysteria in Boston about 30 years prior to the Salem Witch madness. We meet Mary Deerfield through both the beautifully written prose of Chris Bohjalian, and quotations from her two court cases. The first court case was a petition of divorce from her violent husband, where the specter of a witchcraft charged loomed largely, and the second where she was tried as a witch. Mary is a 24 year old woman who is the second wife of a man who has a daughter Mary's age. He has the terrible combination of a violent personality and a tendency to get "drink-drunk", as stated in the book. His cruelty spurs Mary to seek a divorce, which was not granted, then a means of escape from this terribly abusive man. Mary has befriend a woman, Constance, who is mostly ignored by the people of Boston, unless they are looking for a convenient woman to accuse of witchcraft. This association help convince the court that Mary is indeed in league with the Devil. A wonderful look into a rather dark period of the history of the colonies.

Boston 1662: when witch hunting is on everyone’s mind; neighbors are looking for the signs of the devil in you
Mary Deerfield is the second young wife of Thomas Deerfield who is an abusive and cruel man. She finally is brave enough to divorce him for obvious domestic abuse, only this is a time when divorce just isn’t done.
She soon finds herself on trial for witchcraft!

I am a Chris Bohjalian fan. I have read thirteen novels. Totally loved most and gave 4 or 4+ stars (I give very few 5 stars ratings. I give more 3 stars ratings as I believe 3 stars means it was a good book.)
As for this story I have read a several novels on this subject.
I am one of the few people who enjoyed “The Crucible.
Well that may have something to do with the fact that my grandson had the lead in the school’s production!! Here is the YouTube trailer ~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0es5InkYPjo

I prefer mystery/thrillers as well as psychological thriller. I am okay with dark and creepy not a fan of disturbing. I do like courtroom drama.

Although my rating isn’t a great one! I have no doubt there will be historical fiction fans who will like it this. I am more of a "The Flight Attendant" kind of a fan!
I believe in Chris Bohjalian and look forward to his next novel.

Want to thank NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled April 20, 2021

If you enjoy stories of women surviving, then read this book!
Anyone who has read works by Chris Bohjalian knows he has the special gift of story telling. His skill not only lies in the ability to create interesting plots or write great intrigue, which he does, or his ability to write so many different types of books (mystery/thriller, love stories, historical pieces, and my favorite - the ones that leave you still thinking about them for days). His greatest skill is the ability to write a book that has more than one meaning. Hour of the Witch is such a book. It is an amazing story at its most basic level; moving, heart wrenching, a statement at its deepest. Now, I am not a professional in anything dealing with books. I just happen to love books and have been reading them in great quantity for many years. In a way, this has slanted how I rate or experience books. It takes hard work on the author's part to make me feel so deeply I sit in silence with my fast awash in tears once I've reached a conclusion; for me to talk about the book over supper days after I finish it. This book did this to me. Or for me to give it 5 stars?....Hour of the Witch will get 5 stars. I would give more if I could. It is not about witchcraft, directly, (for those who may be concerned) except it is set during a time when man was so blinded that anyone weaker or different - especially strong individuals who did not want to follow in the demented footsteps of ignorant townsfolk - could be labeled and condemned as a witch. Which is why this book is more than a story. It is a statement, of what was and what still is, in several ways. It is the story of strong women fighting for their lives against those who see them as weak, unnecessary beings, the always leader into Sin. It is truly well-written, and one of Mr. Bohjalian's best works. For those who want a great historical fiction read, please pick this up., though I imagine you will finish it getting more from it.

Thank you to NetGalley, DoubleDay, and of course, Chris Bohjalian for allowing me to read this advanced copy. The opinions I have stated, however, are definitely my own.

Thought provoking, very thought provoking.
1662 in Boston young Mary is 24 and beautiful! Back in the old world she would have had her choice of a suitor but in the new world she is forced to be the second wife to Thomas Deerfield. This is a major scumbag who is a dangerous and abusive man!
Now, Mary really wants to end this marriage but she had to do it in the right way because she is already suspected of being a witch so when she tries to divorce him she is put on trial for her life!
During this time divorcing someone just wasn't done so when she does this she is of course thought to have been a witch!
The first half of the book sets everything up but the second half of the book was AMAZING, like can't put down at 3 a.m. The one thing that is very thought provoking is how easily it was for her to be on trial for being a witch and how easily she was sentenced to death.I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely check out more by this author! Thank you Netgally and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read and review this one!

Chris Bohjalian has written a thought-provoking story about a young woman in puritanical Boston. Mary Deerfield, 24, has been married to an increasingly abusive Thomas for five years. When he stabs her hand with a three-pronged fork - the 'devil's tines' - that she dared bring into their home, she sues for divorce. In this time of accusations of witchcraft, Mary gets caught up in a world where women must stay in their place and assigned role in society.
Mary is a wonderfully complex character and not all innocent as many characters in a story like this could be. She is an active character who lusts, sins, and fights to the end. The author does a nice job illustrating what a woman's life might be like in this time, when the struggle to live a godly life conflicts mightily with human frailties and basic human emotions.

Atypical Bohjalian. Historical fiction set in the 1600’s in New England where the fear of witchcraft - and the trials of accused women - are all too real. I cannot fairly rate this novel as I could not finish it. Perhaps it was all the early American literature I was forced to endure at college, but I find it difficult to enjoy any stories of women -usually “fallen women” - wrongfully convicted of witchcraft. No reflection on Mr. Bohjalian as a writer and story teller as I usually love his work.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Hour of the Witch is a historical fiction for those who love being immersed in the past setting. One reason I enjoy historical fiction is learning little details about life back when. Hour of the Witch does an outstanding job building the Puritan Boston world from the ground up with clear, detailed imagery.

Because the story aims for historical accuracy, there are no fireworks to excite the reader. For the sake of believability, a lack of fireworks is acceptable. However, Mary could drone on for pages talking about something the reader can infer on their own or something already explicitly stated.

The story is somewhat familiar. A young woman, too independent for her time, is accused of witchcraft. How the HoftW differs from most witchcraft trial stories is that the witch trial is only half of the story. Mary is only accused after trying to divorce her abusive husband. I had no idea that divorce because of abuse was possible in Puritan America, so reading about that and the historical POVs was interesting.

Hour of the Witch is an interesting take on Puritan ideals and hypocrisy. It offers a look into how those who don't believe in abuse allow it to happen. Other Puritan witch stories often present everyone on the other side as blatantly evil. HoftW shows that most of the time, those allowing evil to happen weren't trying to be evil. That's where Hour of the Witch, combined with its detailed historical world building, shined. I'd recommend this to those who like serious historical fiction.

I may be alone in this, but I found this story pretty slow, and by the time it picked up I felt as if I didn't care anymore. I didn't care for the characters, especially Mary and Thomas. I know that the times allowed for some of the actions, but I just didn't connect with them on any level.

Puritans vs Demons

I have read many of Bohjalian’s novels, but this story is a total turnaround from a conventional narrative. Delving into the demonic and frenzied era of our country in 1622, we are propelled into the life of Mary Deerfield. She is twenty-four years old and the narrator of this tale, until the story takes a more omnipotent point of view in third person. She lives in Boston, brought there by her wealthy parents from England.

It doesn’t take long for the reader to become accustomed to “thee,” “thou,” and “thy.” Usage of these pronouns convey more courtesy but civility is far from the truth. We are in the New World, where belief in saints vs the Dark One is prevalent.

Married to Thomas Deerfield, forty-five years old, a wife-beater, drunk (often), and a fairly successful businessman. He is rough with Mary in the bedroom and physically and emotionally abusive out of the bedroom. Married for five years, Mary is yet to become pregnant, she is considered barren. Mary harbors desires which do not include her cruel husband. Those desires move the plot along to expand her horizons.

It seems like everyone was looking for the devil, ready to accuse their neighbors, servants or best friends of the occult. There is an obvious demarcation between the decent characters vs evil ones. Mary tried to divorce Thomas in the “courts” but she is sent back home. She then tries to escape her marriage and believes she may prevail, until she is put on trial again for being a witch.

I read this with trepidation, not really sure how it was going to resolve. How was Mary to escape? The novel was a bit too long. However, it’s packed with suspense, and Bohjalian ties up the loose ends in this hypocritical part of our history.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing me with a pre-published book for an honest review.

Chris Bohjalian has done it again. This historical novel of seventeenth century Boston, the witchcraft hysteria, and marital abuse can not be put down. As an avid fan of Chris Bohjalian's work, I sometimes have pre-ordered his novels, accessed them at midnight on release day, and read them straight through. This novel is a real thriller, and the reader walks in the shoes of Mary, feeling her physical and emotional pain. Bohjalian always promises a fully-researched piece of writing with clearly developed characters walking the historical period of which he writes. This novel fulfills that promise!

OH MAN, this pains me to only be giving this 3*. I have such a crush on Chris Bohjalian and thoroughly enjoy his books and his writing style. With all that said, this one just didn't do it for me. That does not mean that it won't be your favorite read of 2021.

This story is based in the 17th century, Puritan Boston. Mary is a young beautiful women married to Thomas Deerfield who is much older than her. Mary wants a divorce, which is hard to get during this time. Mary may or may not be a witch. The story goes on from there. It starts out a bit slow, but does build throughout.

If you enjoy period books AND Chris Bohjalian, I encourage you to add this to your list of must reads for 2021.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in April 2021.

I received a temporary digital advanced copy of Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian from NetGalley, Doubleday Books, and the author in exchange for an honest review.

Mary, second-wife of Thomas Deerfield, decides after a brutal fork stabbing that it is time to divorce her husband--an action foreign in 1662 Boston. However, due to items being buried in her garden and the Deerfield's indentured servant's brother dying, who Mary tried to help, her extremely Puritan neighbors begin talking about her behaviors. Mary quickly realizes she has much more to worry about than her husband.

Bohjalian's Hour of the Witch was captivating. From the accuracy of the colonial speech to the socially sanctioned brutality, the author creates a well-written and though-out novel; however, there is a lot of physical violence which was difficult to consume. I gave the novel four stars instead of five because the beginning started off a little slow for me and the focus/fear of forks was wearing after a while.