Set against the backdrop of Puritanism and witchcraft in Boston in 1662, this well crafted historical fiction was fascinating and thought provoking. Mary Deerfield is the second wife of a widower twice her age. Although her husband is a respected business man in the community, at home he is verbally and physically abusive to his wife. Mary’s story illuminates what it would be like to be trapped in a time where women had little power or agency and were considered a witch if they defied what was considered by the community as appropriate behavior.
Although the story is slow burning at first, the tension mounts and there are several unexpected twists. The language used made the story feel authentic as did the atmospheric sense of place and historical accuracy. This compelling story immersed the reader in this time period facing issues of gender and social dynamics. Ultimately answering the question, what can a woman do in 1662 to escape an abusive husband? Great choice for book club!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story about the making of a witch out of nothing.

This was like nothing I’ve read about the time period prior. The combination of historic function with suspenseful thriller was expertly done, and it was a gritty view of the ways in which Puritan women were demonized for any behaviors that didn’t serve their male counterparts., I was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t a paranormal element, but overall a solid read!

Thank you NetGalley & Double Day Books for this eARC!

This book reminded me of The Crucible and The Salem Witch Trials. It didn't end how I expected it to and for that I am glad. It took a bit to get used to the "thee's and thou's" but it put you right into that time period/setting. I had no idea that forks were a sign of the Devil and enjoyed those little tid bits of information. It seemed like a thoroughly well researched book but moved a little slow for me overall.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have very mixed feelings about this one - hence three stars. I wanted to like it more than I actually did as I have enjoyed several of the author's books in the past. However, I think that I just may be the wrong audience for it - the scenes of domestic violence deeply disturbed me, and for some reason I just couldn't stop picturing the characters from the movie 'The Crucible,' which I did not like at all. It's also rather long if you're just not in to it. I do think that it's well written and those who are interested in the subject matter, particularly the time period and Salem witch trials may appreciate it more than I.

Mary Deerfield is a Young woman who was married to an older man who is an abusive husband. She turns to the courts for help but she is dismissed and instead of getting help, she ends up being investigated as a witch.
I've always been fascinated with the Puritans and with their discrimination against women, especially in their rush to condemn women as witches as strong women presented an obstacle to their ideas of governance and life.
The book is well-researched. I did have a problem with the ending in that it did not feel realistic, but I enjoyed the writing and the authenticity in the novel.

Quite frankly, I'll read anything that Mr. Bohjalian writes so I'm a bit biased. Fans of his work will not be disappointed in this tale of Puritan New England, with hysteria, and the plight of being a woman in such a challenging and dark period of American history. Well done.

I think this has to be one of my favorite Chris Bohjalian books to date. I devoured this in just a few days! The details in the setting and characterizations are so perfect, you are transported to Puritan New England in the 1600s, bearing witness to the atrocities that fall upon Mary Deerfield. The poor woman was abused by her husband and subsequently accused of witchcraft, with no fair trial which was SO frustrating as a modern woman to read. I wanted nothing more than to stand up in that courtroom on behalf of Mary and shout at those men (Caleb Adams in particular!) that they are condemning her based on gossip and hearsay. Whew! I got really worked up with this one, and I won't spoil the ending for you, but I am pleased with how the story was resolved. Way to go Mr. Bohjalian!

In the beginning, it was hard to get used to the language. The story took over. The Salem with trials has always interested me. Gripping to read

What a phenomenal book! Full of twists and turns, and so wonderfully realized through mountains of historical research, I felt fully immersed in the world of these characters from the very first page. Bohjalian brought to life a city, a time, and its characters with fullness and so much color. I highly recommend this book.

A witching tale of the late 1600 set in Boston. A tale of its time and a for ours as well. A young woman of 24 Mary married to a brute of man Thomas. He was horribly abusive that Mary sought for a divorce which did not go well even with circumstantial evidence. The narration is done well that you will feel her frustration and anguish. You will be amazed at her fortitude and shocked by the fear of a simple eating utensil.

Thoroughly enjoyed the tale and the research that went into this.

A special thank you to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Hour of the Witch is an excellent, thought-provoking, historical fiction novel with a nice dose of thriller added in. Set in Boston, 1662, Mary seeks to escape her abusive marriage by divorce. Of course, this is in a world where women couldn't do anything out of the ordinary or they were viewed with extreme suspicion and accused of being a witch. Several other unfortunate incidents occur leading to Mary's fight against her neighbors' hysteria. The story is very well-written and it evokes emotion out of the reader. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a page-turning historical thriller set in Puritan times!

I enjoyed this historical fiction novel. I just think this period of history (around the time of the Salem witch trials) is absolutely fascinating. It's hard to wrap my head around some of the crazy things people believed then, and it makes for very interesting reading!

This story is about Mary Deerfield and is set in the 1600s in Massachusetts. Mary's husband is a drunk and when he becomes abusive, she decides to leave him and file for a divorce. But she must first appear before the court, as only they have the authority to grant a divorce. But her trial leads to speculation about Mary's dealings with the devil, and soon she is trying to not only find a way out of her marriage but also to find a way to avoid being hanged for witchcraft.

This book is split into two parts-- the first part includes the events leading up to and during Mary's trial. The second part is what happens after the trial. It's a long book, and at times I felt it was too long. Everyone speaks in Old English, and all of the thees and thous grew tiresome to read after a while.

However, it really was a fascinating story set during a very interesting time period and despite the length, I found myself pulled into the story from beginning to end.

As someone who has a special interest in the history of 17th century Salem witch trials, I was very much looking forward to reading this book. This story actually takes place in Boston during the 1660s. A young Puritan woman, Mary, can longer endure the physical and emotional abuse of her older husband. She files for divorce which of course, is almost unheard of, and extremely difficult to prove that she's in the right. The trials and tribulations the intelligent and brave Mary must endure are the focus of this historical novel.

Bohjalian captures Puritan life in New England to a tee. I truly felt like I was there with these characters in 17th century Boston. It's hard to believe that something as innocent as a fork could be seen as a tool of the devil (Mary's husband is the real devil using the fork as a instrument of harm). As a woman of the modern world, it is challenging to comprehend the superstitions these people believed in. It was also frustrating to see how women of that era were treated so poorly in the courts.

I truly enjoyed this book but I did have difficulty reading the passages involving the abuse Mary suffered at the hands of her husband, Thomas. The descriptions on how Thomas physically abused Mary, along with other atrocities, was painful reading. Aside from this, I found this book very worthwhile and it kept my interest up through to the very end. It was extremely suspenseful and kept me guessing on Mary's fate (I was actually guessed wrong on how it would end).

While it took me a moment to get into this book, once I finished the first quarter, I was hooked. Part thriller and part historical fiction, The Hour of the Witch is set in Boston in the 1600s. Mary Deerfield is married to a man old enough to be her father but he is cruel and abusive. Mary has yet to have a child which weighs heavily on her. Mary decides to petition for a divorce after a particularly violent night. This begins the rumors of witchcraft. The plot is a race of Mary trying to find out who is planting these suspicious objects while trying to keep herself safe from her husband as well as the Puritanical laws which threaten to hang her.

Courtesy of Netgalley I received the ARC of Hour of the Witch by Chris Bojhalian. This powerful historical novel, set in Puritan Boston in the 1660's, relates the well- researched heartbreaking status and treatment of women, as told through the eyes of fictional Mary Deerfield. Topics of domestic abuse, misogyny, and witchcraft are mingled with family and female relationships. The tense courtroom dramas and imprisonment were compelling, suspenseful and captivating!

Interesting. Scrolling through other reviews here on NetGalley, I am absolutely the outlier on this one. I say "interesting" because I've always been interested in reading Bohjalian and, although I'm leaving this review to say that I am DNF-ing this one and that I won't be posting a public review because I didn't read enough to justify one, I actually enjoyed the writing itself and will still attempt to read more Bohjalian!

This one just isn't working for me, which is a surprise because I very excited about the concept and thought it would be the perfect book to finally get into the author. Unfortunately, I could not become engaged with the overall courtroom drama/proceedings/transcripts settings. While I was reading, I enjoyed his writing and characterization, but when my attention was taken by ANY other book at all, this easily fell off my radar.

I may try again later, but given that it's been over a month since publication and I'm still struggling, I will will unfortunately be leaving this one for now.

Chris Bohjalian has been one of my favorite authors for almost 20 years at this point and each book seems to be getting better.

This book is ambitious but manages to be an excellent courtroom drama and also a bit of a thriller (will Mary be able to escape her husband without being hanged for a witch? And who is making her seem like she’s possessed by the devil?).

Every time I thought I knew what was coming, I was wrong. And not even wrong, but the most wrong. This is a great book and one that I just wanted to keep reading instead of working, sleeping or anything else. Highly recommended.

Another great book from a great author! I have to admit when I first read the synopsis I didn't think I was going to like this as much as some of his others, but the writing is so gorgeous that I found myself drawn in even when I was convinced I wouldn't love it. The story is told from the perspective of a young wife living in 17th century Boston. This young woman is married to an abusive older man, and takes the bold move to seek a divorce from him after she becomes frightened for her life.
Her viewpoint lets us see just how difficult life was for women during those harsh times and how the label "witch" was often pinned on any female that dared to show her strength, wits and independence.
Excellent.

A historical novel at its best. An interesting premise of a woman in puritan Boston who seeks a divorce. Witch hunts are going on in Salem and there is pressure on the Boston Magistrate. The characters and setting are believable and we'll formed. The dialogue is suited to the period and flows well with the narrative. Court room scenes and legal drama drew me in. I am a fan of the author's previous novels and here Bohjalian is at his best.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I absolutely adore Chris Bohjalian's writing and have devoured all of his books. This was a fantastic read, as I finished it in one weekend. Bohjalian does it again with another great historical fiction book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.