Even though I read Hour of the Witch last year, it seems I’ve waited for good time to post my book review.
I’m not going to get too political here, but if you’re a woman, particularly one of child-bearing age and means, you’re probably feeling a little limited these days.
But, geez… after reading Hour of the Witch and meeting Mary Deerfield, who hails from Puritan Boston, I’d say we ladies of the 21st century have it pretty darn good.
Author Chris Bohjalian hands over a compelling and mysterious tale about evil, both real and imagined, coursing through 1660s Boston society. Main character Mary’s Puritanical world contains a surprising amount of subterfuge for a society that was supposed to follow commandants like “thou shall not lie” and “thou shall not kill.”
There’s a lot going on in this stunningly detailed historical fiction novel, and most of it’s centered around Mary. Mary’s trying to divorce her abusive husband. Mary’s trying to find a way to poison her abusive husband. Mary’s having impure thoughts about a handsome young man who isn’t her abusive husband.
Meanwhile, someone’s working really hard to make it look like Mary is a witch. Thanks to The Crucible, we all know that’s not something that ends well for most people. **grimace**
Hour of the Witch is a difficult read. There’s violence against women in the book, for one thing. A lot of it. Thankfully, Bohjalian doesn’t go into unnecessary detail, but the sheer barbacity of each act committed against Mary by her husband is enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
As the story unfolds, the nuanced scenes and characters impress upon you just how very, very small a Puritan woman’s life must have been. How limited she was in action and in ambition, in marriage and in love. Puritans were even limited in thought since the whole “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” theme was drummed so hard into their heads, there was barely room for anything else.
The book’s pervading Puritanical insistence that anything besides praying (and even then!) could be the influence of the devil is exhausting. Hour of the Witch shows how there must’ve been no arguing with these people when it came to what may or may not be the work of the devil.
All that said, Hour of the Witch is a really, really, really good read.
Hmmm… perhaps I should have led with that? Sorry. Don’t let all the things I’ve said scare you away from reading this novel. It’s moving, it’s fascinating, and it makes you think.
An interesting side note: it contains a lot of detail about forks; hence, the cover image above. I never knew forks (a.k.a, “The Devil’s tines”) had such a controversial history.
If you’re into the witch trials, women’s rights, or historical fiction, Hour of the Witch is definitely the book for you.
Be sure to check back in for my book-inspired recipe: Apple Crumble.
