This was a very quick read for me, one which was incredibly well-written, rich in historical details, absorbing, imaginative, and interesting spin on a moral panic.

If you think you don’t like historical fiction, this might be a good book for you despite the fact that it’s exactly that. It doesn’t concern royalty, or feature steamy love affairs. Instead, it tells the story of how one acerbic old woman living in a small village in Germany comes to be accused of witchcraft, and how this effects not only her but her son, a court official. It’s funny and smart and loosely based on real-life events.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I loved this book I couldn't put it down until done.highly recommend

I will almost always read a book featuring some sort of witch trials, so of course I picked this one up. It was a little slow at times, but the story was there.

The cover art looks great. The title sounds great. The description sounds great--Johannes Kepler's mom is accused of being a witch! The book, however, missed the mark. I found it to be a bore. The witch trial had nothing compelling to it, relying on witch burning tropes. It felt like the author was grasping at straws to try and fill in the gaps and fictionalize this true story.

Plot: 3 stars
Character: 3.5 stars
Writing: 4 stars

I’m stuck between 3 and 4 stars but rounding up to 4 for now. The middle was weak- it was a good start and good ending. Would probably recommend if you like historical fiction and don’t mind a bit of a slow burn.

Dark yet funny, frightening and enteric. A timeless story that resonates still - sadly - in our time. Black humor at it's best. Vivid historical fiction.

5/5, I loved this! Galchen's fiction is just pure magic.

Thanks so much to the publisher for the e-galley.

As always with Rivka Galchen, I absolutely loved the voice here, and the subject was also extremely relevant to my interests. Although I think it has a less broad appeal overall than, say, Lauren Groff's MATRIX (one of my other favorites of last year) or Nicola Griffith's HILD, I have been recommending it to anyone looking for literary historical novels, especially ones by and about women.

Character driven novel that explores a witch trial. Why are we so quick to cast blame on the easiest target? Seems like we haven’t learned from history.

I’m judging the L.A. Times 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got me to read on even though it was among 296 other books I’m charged to read.

One snowy eve a goat had turned up at my door, a beggar like Christ, I thought, and so I let the goat in, and he was so frozen that when he knocked his head against the leg of my table, his chin-hairs broke off like sugar plate. I met a shepherd from outside Rutesheim whose nose fell off when he wiped it . It was an ominous season.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I wanted to like this book so much, but it felt so long for such a short book. I ended up stopping about halfway, which was very sad.

It's officially spooky season, and I, for one, am excited to celebrate the array of witchy books available. For nonfiction history buffs, look no further than Stacy Schiff's The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem (Back Bay Books, $19.99), which offers a comprehensive account of the Salem Witch Trials, starting with the convulsions of one young woman and resulting in the execution of more than a dozen men and women.

Alice Hoffman's Magic Lessons (Simon & Schuster, $17) also transports readers back to 17th-century Salem, offering an expanded history of the Owens family that stars in her popular novel Practical Magic (Berkley, $17) and its more modern-day prequel, The Rules of Magic (Simon & Schuster, $16.99).

Nearby Lowell, Mass., provides the setting for C.S. Malerich's The Factory Witches of Lowell (Tordotcom, $14.99), which imbues women on strike in the small mill town with a bit of strength in witchcraft. Danvers, Mass.--where the accusations originated that kicked off the Salem Witch Trials--also serves as the setting for Quan Barry's excellent We Ride Upon Sticks (Vintage, $16.95), as the 1989 Danvers High School field hockey team taps into darker powers to secure a state championship.

That's not to say New England has the corner on witch trial histories: Rivka Galchen draws on historical accounts from Württemberg, Germany, in Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $27), which our reviewer called "a vibrant, provocative story" with a "decidedly modern tone."

Never one to miss a good contemporary romance (or a punny title), I gobbled up Lana Harper's Payback's a Witch (Berkley, $16), a queer revenge-gone-magic tale of a handful of witches out to take down the magical bro who's hurt them each in turn. Here's to the magic of the season!

What a great book, with a lively voice, wonderful and funny characters, a riveting plot, and a great setting and atmosphere for a historical novel that really goes above and beyond. I'd recommend this to anyone who needs a truly great read, especially someone interested in history, in comedy, and in so much else I don't have time to go into. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for what's next from Galchen.

I adore this book. It is unlike most other witch trial books: it isn't tense or overly dramatic and avoids the typical clichés of historical fiction. It doesn't read that historical at all, apart from keeping the circumstances and values of the people of that time, it is written pretty modern and relatable. And that fits so well, showing that we aren't that far away from this behaviour, that I didn't mind not being able the immerse myself into the time period. It's also funny without drifting into a comedy, the feelings and motives of the characters are still front and center, and the characters became very dear to me. I also love how scenes from the trial are sprinkled throughout the book instead of putting it at the end, I think it puts things into perspective while reading.

A book about an accused witch in Germany in the 1500s. It's surprisingly funny and the themes are relevant in the 21st century.

Incredible novel! I will devour anything on witches and it's a wonderful blend of the comic, magical, and sharp. Galchen continues to amaze!

This book was interesting, but did not really hold for me. Written in interviews, and narratives, helped. But overall the story felt rushed and somewhat incomplete.

I absolutely loved this book. I approach historical fiction with hesitancy, but this book feels timely and modern despite it being about a woman on trial for allegedly being a witch in 1600s Germany. The societal unrest that is present in this book feels perfectly attuned to our present moment, and through the testimonials of the people in this town, Galchen works in dark humor that worked so well for me. Katharina Kepler is one of the best characters I’ve read this year, and the unique structure of Kepler telling her story to her neighbor was brilliant in execution. Highly recommended.