3.5 rounded up for 'Weather Work'

This story is about a Northeastern professor, Connie, her familial connection to witchcraft and a 'curse' that threatens the man she loves.

At first I was really impressed with the world building and the authentically of life as an academic / PhD student / mentor; but at times it felt like it was a book about how much being an academic / PhD student / mentor sucks. For me, it took away from the story which was very slow to begin with.

The last act was great! I only wish that the rest of the book held that intensity and urgency. It was beautifully well-executed and exciting. The scenes with Connie's hippie mother, Grace, were of my favorites. I largely enjoyed the scene at the antique shop with their "honor" system. Lots of well-written female friendship!

Overall, I could have used more witch-y mythology and less babble about dissertations and book deadlines.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy.

I enjoy this series, and Daughter of Temperence Hobbs is a great addition.
I enjoy this series., and Daughter of Temperence Hobbs is a great addition.

A wonderful follow-up to The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. A great mix of history, the world of research, and good ol’ spells and cunning women. If you havent read the Physick Book, I recommend reading it in the next few months to prepare yourself for this, although it does kind of stand on its own. Still, would highly recommend you read the first one. Congrats, Katherine Howe, on another fantastic read. Sorry, no spoliers or clues on the plot in this review.

I loved the Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, but I’ve been somewhat disappointed by Howe’s follow-ups. Here, she returns to her “roots”, writing about a modern-day woman who discovers her connection to one of the original Salem witches. Connie Goodwin has always been fascinated with the history of supposed witchcraft in the United States, perhaps in large part because she is descended from a Salem witch who may have actually had some of the powers her Salem neighbors were so terrified of. In her quest to uncover the truth about her ancestor and all the Hobbs women who came before her, Connie begins the research that will bring the women of her family to life, giving them a chance to finally have their voices heard. Traveling between past and present, this was a novel I could really sink my teeth into, and since I stayed up most the night to read it, I think it’s fair to say that Howe has got her groove back.