I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own."

I'll be honest, I did not think I would like The Devil's Glove due to it's descriptive nature. However the descriptions were almost poetic in language and I felt I should keep reading.

I'm glad I did. Although I really do not like descriptive books the story made me keep reading.
It did however take a longer then usual to read, but I feel like it was a book to set up for book 2

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lucretia Grindle for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Devil’s Glove coming out May 1, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In the year 1688, in Northern New England, Salem is forming into the place it will become during the infamous witch trials. But that won’t be for a few years. In the meantime, Resolve Hammond and her mother, Deliverance, struggle to survive in their isolated village. They're known as healers taught by the local tribes - and suspected of witchcraft by the locals.

Their existence becomes even more chaotic when they’re called to tend to a poisoned woman. As they reveal dark secrets through their healing, rumors of war form in the village, forcing the Hammonds to choose between loyalty to their native friends or the settler community.

As Resolve is disturbed by unusual dreams, she questions everything about her family, her closest friend, and herself. Things are changing. If the truth comes to the surface, the repercussions will be felt far beyond this small settlement.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I’m obsessed with stories about Salem witches, so I was interested in checking this out. I thought the writing was lovely and poetic. The characters were interesting and I thought the historical background of the book felt accurate. Judging by the title, I thought it would be slightly more horror driven. It didn’t really have the horror element I thought it would. There were parts that didn’t quite capture my attention. But overall, I really enjoyed the story. I thought it was a great prequel to the Salem story that is usually told.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys books about witches!

First of all, thank you NetGalley and to Lucretia Grindle for the opportunity to read and review this book. While I find the writing itself to be quite beautiful, the character development is precise and detailed, the plot is lacking. I have never tried so hard to like a book. I picked it up, put it down with a sigh. I kept trying to just enjoy the writing, and so what if the storyline is lacking. Ultimately, I just couldn’t waste anymore time on this book as the story was not compelling enough to hold my interest. The plot was so slow to develop and quite incomplete.

I will try and read another of this authors books only because she does not lack talent.

I have already shared my review on Goodreads and in three of my online book clubs.

The characters in this one practically leap off the page. This is a long story based in a settlement in New England and life between the new settlers and the natives. There’s a touch of natural magic and a smidge of witchery but, while it does give you some clues as to the origin, it does not really explain the hows and whys. There’s a lot left up in the air. Some of the explanations of the Hammonds’ powers are confusing, like the description of the little amulet and what and why. And these ethereal trips? Did not understand those.
I do want to know more about the characters after the book ended, though. I enjoyed the history and her writing style is lovely if a bit wordy.

I received a prepub copy of this book for my honest review.

A historical read that I found rather chilling. I was pleasantly surprised to read this, it is not my usual choice of literature. However, I am whistling a different tune now and will be sharing this book with everyone I can!

Unfortunately this book was unduly descriptive without relaying the story. It took so very long to get to some happening that I felt I was reading a book about history and not a story that was told in a succulent and interesting manner.

This was a book I should have enjoyed since the time of its happening is one that is fascinating to this reader. I am sure the author did her research, but sadly this book could not hold my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for forwarding this story to me in exchange for an honest review!

Resolve and Deliverance are an unusual mother-daughter pair; the two are healers in their village during the days when natives are to be feared, swimming makes you a witch, God-fearing people induce more panic than devotion, and men regularly disappear for months/years at a time.

The two women operate simultaneously as outcasts from the village, yet essential to the survival of its population. However, they accept this. It's understandable that Resolve yearns for friends and catches herself mid-emotions regularly, but the story is swept along more so by the constant changes in circumstances with other characters than the inner dialogue on a teenager.

Solid read for pre-Salem Witch Trial fans.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: sex, language, physical violence, LGBTQIA+, parental death, blood/gore, trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Whisperer for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

The writing is a descriptive delight, weaving in a beauty which draws in and lets every moment sit. This creates a rich world building and brings the historic setting to vivid life. It's easy to picture how the characters live, their fears, circumstances, and hopes. The emotions are palpable as individuals deal with the growing tensions, and especially Resolve (the main character and daughter of the town's healer) battles against the increasing problems surrounding her. For anyone wanting to immerse themselves in the everyday life and situations leading up to the witch trials, they'll enjoy the artistic finesse. However, I was hoping for more plot and drive beyond 'just' this. And for this reason, I gave up reading this about halfway through.
Seeing everything mostly through the narrow lens of Resolve's head made the surroundings feel distant...as if watching but never really getting involved. The pacing was slow, each scene well-described but the nothing truly happening much on the plot end. So, this isn't for strong plot fans, but rather, dives deep into feelings, decisions, and behaviors, which will be great for some readers. Just not me.

In The Devil’s Glove, Lucretia Grindle explores the lives of women in the late seventeenth century in the early American colonies through a fictional perspective. Told from Resolve’s perspective, Grindle brings the fears of Indigenous raids and the discoveries of witches in their small community to life. Resolve’s point of view allows Grindle to bring her fears, emotions, and lack of knowledge into the reader’s perspective of the text. Grindle’s prose brings the various uncertainties, fears, and situations to life, and her masterful, nuanced characters draw the reader into the story and the setting. The first-person point of view allows the reader to experience the story’s events immediately through Resolve’s perspective. Grindle gives various clues as to the setting and timing of the text through Resolve’s memories of her childhood, what her mother Deliverance has told her, and the various names and dates Grindle tosses into the story. The story is driven by the characters, but the setting and prose are also excellently written and only add to the story. Grindle’s ability to take an established, infamous time period and transform it into an immersive first-person narrative is astounding, and the atmosphere and language of the book evoke the chills and terrors of the witch trial period.

It takes a little while to get used to the writing style, emulating I imagine the speech patterns of the late seventeenth century. It’s stilted and somewhat hard to read, digest, interpret. Even so, the narrative is heavy in prose.

It’s the story of Resolve Hammond and her mother, Deliverance, who are trying to assimilate into the village of Falmouth. Deliverance, most especially, has become somewhat of a personality known for her cures and limited medical expertise, which has resulted in both a positive and negative in the villagers' suspicion. It is generally felt she gained much of her knowledge from the local natives who are viewed with fear.

There is a lot of mistrust regarding the local tribe having a recent history of conflict still strong in the minds of the villagers. Events are beginning to push war to a reality when an orchestrated, peaceful solution is badly mishandled. In the meantime, Resolve is betrayed by her friend, the one person she thought could be trusted.

Heavy with description, exceptional details, and weighed down somewhat by unnecessary backstory, the main storyline tends to wallow at times.

A historical fiction novel obviously the benefit of research but not quite the pace or plot expected. I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

This was lovely.
I really felt the atmosphere. I would love to listen to this one.
Great character development as well.
.I love the way this novel focuses on women and women's experiences.

Let's start off by saying that I love anything about the Salem Witch trials.
This story was awesome! I was lost from beginning to end. I wasn't disappointed at all.
The author did a fantastic job of writing this book.
I find the Puritans a fascinating people.
I couldn't put it down until it was finished. I wanted to find out if Resolve was able to help solve the mystery.
Can she before it's too late?
I love the name Resolve. It's authentic and suits the character very well.
I loved visiting New England without leaving the comfort of my home.
Now, some of this story kinda gave me the creeps. I won't say who or how because I don't want to give it away.
Fear is the culprit and backbone of the story. All it takes is a few to get it going, which is terribly sad but true.
I will admit that the title is mostly what caught my eye.
5 stars for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a book set in the 17th century at a time when just knowing how to swim could help folks accuse you of being a witch. It’s about Deliverance and her daughter Resolve they live in Massachusetts and the militia is in town and one of the soldiers goes to visit the mom and her daughter because they attended his mother recently when she was poisoned. When Deliverance tells Yhung Theo Dodd that she believes his eight-year-old sister Annabelle had a hand and his mom and her unborn babies death he grimly agrees and says he tried to warn his poor mother. The militia is in town because the settlement had been attacked and they were there to round up all the indigenous people they could catch deliverance and her her daughter quickly let out in their boat to warn their friends. It’s a tribe of indigenous people that her dad left them with when he went to fight with the militia years before it is also the people who taught Deliverance everything she knows about healing. It mainly focuses on her daughter and her daughter‘s best friend Jada once the militia starts bringing in indigenous people however Resolve starts to feel a wedge between her and Jayda after hearing the unkind remarks her best friend says about the captives. Although this isn’t the best summary because there is way more to this book there’s super natural happenings A menacing eight-year-old and not to mention the great detail of life at the time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it if you love historical fiction then you definitely should read The Devils Glove Buy Lacretia Grendel I totally and thoroughly enjoyed this book. I received it from NetGalley and the book whisperer but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I hope for horror story, witches and the other spoky things. Didnt find it here, the book about citizen who scare easely because of someone different.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheDevilsGlove #TheBookWhisperer #CasaCrocePress #LurcretiaGrindle #NetGalley #ARC

I’ve always been fascinated by the Salem witch trials and was lucky enough to visit the area a while back. If I’d seen this book in the museum gift shop, I’d certainly have picked it up. The story is set in New England, mid 17th century, in the time before the trials. The area has been settled by white colonists and they are suspicious of the indigenous people. Deliverance and her daughter are keen to learn from the native Americans, but in doing so they are open to suspicion and some fear from their own people. When they’re asked to help with herbal remedies and things go wrong, they’re accused of witchcraft..

This is a really interesting exploration of attitudes, cultures and colonialism at a time when settlers arrived with a grandiose sense of entitlement and had little or no respect for anyone else. The culture of witchcraft was very easy to cultivate and ignite and I thought this story added a fresh angle to the better known Salem trials story. I understand the author has undertaken meticulous research and this is apparent in the richness of period detail in every way. The characters are well developed and I felt at times that I’d been transported to that quiet little backwater that was to go down in history, for all the wrong reasons. Very well written and it held my attention throughout.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

If you love all things witchy fantasy and all things murder mystery this book is for you. Historically set, this book will keep you on your toes. Tension begins between the puritans and the Native Americans. This will take you past your history book days and twist your stomach!

The Salem Witch Trial period has always fascinated me, so I was excited to be offered an advance reader copy of The Devil's Glove, which is a story set in the pre-Salem Witch Trial period. It took me awhile to get into this book, but then I was really glad I stayed with it. The two main characters in this story are a mother-daughter team from the Island of Jersey, who emigrated to the New World for a fresh start. Prior to the book, we are told that they sheltered for several years with a local tribe to avoid the war between the English and French. Now, having taken on Puritan names to blend in, they secretly bridge communities between the Puritan settlers in Falmouth, MA and the local tribes. The Puritan settlers assume the tribes are being goaded by the French to start fighting (again) for control of the territory, and jump out to strike first by capturing a fishing party of women, children and old men. A war party of Indians respond by capturing a like number of settlers to hold hostage in exchange for their people.

As tensions escalate, the Puritans interpret any behavior that is not understood as witchcraft. Working as healers, the women used native plants and natural remedies learned from the tribes, only to be accused of using witchcraft regardless of the outcome. Soon secrets don't stay secret,

Excellent character development, as well as insight into the political and emotional situation of the times, Ms. Grindle also infused the book with tastes, smells and emotions. The characters were believable and plot twists exciting. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the time period.

i don't know if i just wasn't in the right mindset, but i really couldn't get into the story. not much happens that really gripped me in the plot, and the mystery regarding abigail hobbs in the first third of the novel didn't give me the creeps like i think i was supposed to have.

the prose is beautiful. very poetic and well-thought out. however, there were moments where i ended up skimming and didn't feel like i missed anything crucial to the story.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

It was the title and cover design that sparked my interest.

This was a nicely written historical mystery. I was interested in what the narrator had to tell the reader, and I felt the characters were brought to life in the setting, with some nice imagery.

I often find that historical fiction feels like an escape, as though for a while, you are living the life of another person, in another time. That was true in this case too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.