When I seen this book I was excited because not much is really written about this time period.
However; I was quickly disappointed.
Too many discriptive scenes that did not need to be described that accurately. I gave this book 3 stars for the too descriptive scenes
There were a few historical details otherwise that I enjoyed and I imagined that I "met" them and got a "feel" for the way they lived.
I feel that this book just wasn't for me. I will still recommend this book to others.

Bohjalian triumphs with his account of a woman trapped in an impossible marriage, plotting her escape. Astute readers will likely understand the culprit early on, but that makes it no less fun or enthralling a read. I was spellbound all the way through, tearing through this book in an uncharacteristically obsessive fashion!

Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

I want to start out saying that I recognize Chris Bohjalian as a well-loved and respected writer. I know people enjoy his work very much and, if you are a fan, then I suspect you might like this one too. I have read a number of his books and often have had the same opinion: that they are page turners but--for me--lack some greater depth that I'm seeking in his topics. And let me say that his breadth of topics is another strong point in his favor. So it might just be me: his books often fall flat and this one is not an exception, I'm afraid.

This book is well-researched in many ways and I did enjoy his presentation of a heroine that you want to root for. She seems much more modern than would be likely at the time and that helps us connect with her and with the unfair and horrific treatment a woman might face in the 17th century, especially during the crusades of "witch hunting." In addition, the modern mentality we see in her and a few other of the characters make an appreciated parallel to the modern day "witch hunts" we see with women who seem to be clever or independent or strong--so that's all good stuff. And I liked the ending.

But . . . the first 40% or so of the book seemed to be a tedious repetition of our young protagonist, Mary, checking out the dudes as they worked on the wharf (or anywhere, really--as long as they were younger than her middle-aged husband and hot), masturbation, and forks. (That is not a typo--if you read this, you'll see what I mean.) It was almost comical to see how often this endless cycle would be repeated. Don't get me wrong--the topic is a heavy one: Mary is an abused woman who seeks to leave her awful marriage and, by speaking out, not only is thrown back into her marriage when she's denied a divorce but also is thrown into the spotlight and accused of witchcraft. But the masturbation and the forks. It was rough.

We get away from some of this in the second half--though still quite a bit of fork-talk and Mary is still a-lookin' for a man, but it narrows down to one man so that gets a little less ridiculous, I suppose. And like I said, I liked the ending.

All in all, I really do hate giving this a less than stellar review and I think I'll be in the minority here. But this one just really wasn't for me.

Some fascinating trivia regarding medicine, habits, and beliefs of early New England, with sobering insight into the folly and vindictiveness of witchcraft trials.

The year is 1662 in Boston. Mary, a beautiful young woman is married to Thomas who is almost twice her age. He is cruel and abuses her both physically and emotionally when he is drunk - which is almost every day. When he sticks a three pronged fork into her hand, she decides that she needs to divorce him. But gossip is an ugly thing and greatly affects the way a person is viewed in a community. Mary soon finds that many people are suspicious that she is a witch working together with the devil. As she works on getting out of her marriage, she finds that she has to work just as hard to avoid being hung as a witch.


Once again Chris Bohjalian presents his readers with a totally different book than what he has written before. Yet, it's still a masterpiece and one that you will be engrossed in. The research that he did is apparent in every page - especially with the language used in this time period. He is also one of the best male writers of female characters writing today. His depiction of Mary - her actions and her thoughts are spot on. I will give you the same words that I give on every one of Chris Bohjalian's books - You Don't Want to Miss This Book!

I requested this one because I’ve loved a few past books by Chris Bohjalian - The Flight Attendant and The Guest Room. I also enjoyed The Red Lotus, but in a different way than the first two.

I was a little nervous about The Hour of the Witch, because I’m not typically a fan of historical fiction (this book is set in 1662). The language is a little old-timey, which took some getting used to, but once I got used to it I really enjoyed the style. This was the perfect book to step out of my comfort zone with.

The characters drew me in, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened to Mary. This book would be a perfect book club group, as I believe it would spark interesting discussions about how easily women were disregarded in this time period. If a woman wasn’t conforming to what the rest of society wanted, just accuse her of being a witch and no one will pay her any mind!

I really appreciate how well Chris Bohjalian can write over so many different styles and genres. His range is amazing!

I absolutely adored this book. and can't wait to share it with my feminist readers. It really made the truths of the patriarchy hit home and I found it to be historically sound, albeit fiction. Putting it down was difficult and I know my readers will feel the same.

I love historical fiction but somehow I haven't really read anything set in this time period. A very interesting look at what life was like for women at the time and the choices available to them. I'm not sure the ending was exactly what I wanted, but then maybe it's better that way.

I couldn't finish this book, as it did not hold my interest. I found the writing to be boring and the dialogue to be a little too "with the times," in that it was so old fashioned I was zoning out through my reading. There was no real action and the characters weren't developed enough to keep me engaged.

Overall I did not finish this book at 20%.

I found this novel intriguing to say the least. This is the first Chris Bohjalian novel that I have read and I plan to read more.
Knowing that this novel was fiction, it still read as a part of history highlighting the cruelty and misconceptions of actions during that time period. Each character drew me in with the descriptive writing of thoughts and hardships that they ( women) endured.
Thank you.

This book transports the reader back to the 1600’s where life is hard and social norms are exacting for those who live there. Now place yourself there as a woman. Mary is a 24 yr old woman who becomes the second wife of a prominent older man. She endures physical and mental abuse from him until she reaches her tipping point. Then she does what society abhors – she stands up for herself. Chris has shown a meticulous eye for detail in this riveting story of early life in the colonies. You will be enlightened and outraged as you make your way through the pages. Twists and turns keep you reading. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Chris Bohjalian, Doubleday and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Loved this story. Kept me wanting to turn the page. Just shows how much ridicule and hardship women had to endure during those times, sometimes even by their husbands. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Such a dark time and dark story. The cast of characters—except for Mary’s parents and their friends—-are a mean, sad lot. The book is well written and was hard to put down once I was halfway through. But I still didn’t care for some of the parallels the author tried to draw. Our society has come so far from the Puritan days, and to suggest otherwise is a narrative I don’t support.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Fantastic novel about an intelligent, beautiful young woman named Mary, who during Puritan times (17th century) in Boston is abused by her husband and ultimately accused of being a witch. I've never read a book that took place during this period of time and found this story to be absolutely gripping

5 Stars
Fantastic novel about an intelligent, beautiful young woman named Mary, who during Puritan times (17th century) in Boston is abused by her husband and ultimately accused of being a witch. I've never read a book that took place during this period of time and found this story to be absolutely gripping. It's not a thriller in the usual sense, although there IS a wonderful twist. I must mention that the ending is just superb. So far Chris Bohjalian has not disappointed with his novels! I really love the way he writes and each book is very different from the one before. He will not be pigeon-holed! Anyway, this is a must read as it is quite thought provoking and obviously well researched. (I enjoyed the "acknowledgements" too!)
Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. I also want to thank the author, [author:Chris Bohjalian|3509] for writing this special novel. You have piqued my interest in this time period and the injustices that women endured. Thank you!

I am a big fan of Chris Bohjaliian and was very interested tor read his take on this dark and fascinating time in our history. This is Boston in the 1660's and historical fiction at it's finest as we delve into Puritan society and possible "witches"... fascinating characters (especially our lead Mary trapped in an abusive marriage), and the dialogue and settings all come together to make this novel a winner, as one would expect from this excellent writer! Highly recommend! Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and author for my ARC!

Hour of the Witch takes place in Puritan Boston in the 1660's. Mary Deerfield is a young, very pious wife who has been unable to get pregnant by her physically and verbally abusive older husband. When he spears her hand with a fork, otherwise known as the Devil's tines, she decides she has had enough and with her parents help she tries to divorce her husband. The divorce is a very public display and it becomes more of an indictment of her than of her husband. The fact that she is barren becomes fodder for her possibly being a witch.

Chris Bohjatian does a wonderful job of bringing us into the mindset of the Puritan times and how one person can bring accusations against another. It's a very dark time for women and Mary makes it clear that men can do anything and are never questioned while she is accused of being a harlot, a potential murderess and a witch.

I really glad I read this book and would recommend it. More importantly, I'm definitely glad I didn't live during this time! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Chris Bohjalian's novels. In fact, each new work is better than the next. The Hour of the Witch is a departure from his more recent thrillers, I loved this historical novel. The dialogue was on point and the research was extensive. So not only was the plot complicated and rich, the characters well developed, but the story was informative and so well written. The Hour of the Witch is one of my favorite novels of 2020. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review such a captivating story.

This is a delicious book, full of fantastic detail and beautiful writing. Set in Boston in 1662, we follow the life of Mary Deerfield, a formidable young woman who seeks a better life for herself, first through legal means and then through careful and meticulous plotting and planning. The author deftly creates the world of the Puritans in North America, their beliefs and everyday lives and language, and offers up complex characters with realistic internal conflicts and desires. The novel explores power and social hierarchies, gender and sexuality, and the relationship between religion and abuse. Highly recommended.

Mary Deerfield is a young wife living in Boston during the height of women being accused of witchcraft is cities like Salem and Hartford. While Mary seeks a divorce from her abusive husband, her neighbors and friends begin to think she a witch.

I couldn't get enough of this book! Bohjalian obviously did a great deal of research to make this historically accurate from the details of the trials to manor of speech. While I don't love reading Early Modern English, it made the story feel more authentic. The twists and turns in this book were on point. Just when I thought I knew the ending, Bohjalian threw in a curve ball I didn't see coming. I highly recommend this read!