The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano is a thrilling historical fantasy that follows a young woman accused of witchcraft in colonial Boston. Filled with suspense, danger, and supernatural intrigue, the story blends historical detail with dark, magical twists. It’s perfect for fans of atmospheric, tense, and character-driven fantasy.

I loved the religious hysteria within this book as someone who has experienced it myself it gave me an incredible uneasy feeling this entire book.
I enjoy'd the story that was being told but wished there was more witchery.
I wasn't expecting so much pregnancy and the loss of children. I get for the time period, and it makes sense, but there was no warning. If I had known, I wouldn't have picked it up.

The first witch of Boston is inspired by a true story, the life of Margaret ‘Maggie’ Jones, who was the first woman found guilty of being a witch in Boston, 1648.
The story is beautifully told & kept me interested. I enjoyed the way extracts from real documents were used during the novel.
I feel in love with strong willed Maggie & her husband Thomas. The love between these two is powerful.
Although we know the outcome of Maggies story is so cleverly woven together and I loved the ending, if slightly unbelievable, it was one of hope.
I will definitely keep an eye out for future books from Andrea Catalano.
And will be recommending this to friends.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing & NetGallery for the eARC. Available now, published 1st September 2025.

I really enjoyed the authors debut. Although It's based on the real Margaret Jones and uses researched documents from the time, the author does a fantastic job of bringing her and the rest of the characters from 1646 Massachusetts alive in a fictionalized account. The writing has a nice, heartfelt realness that makes the love between Tom and Maggie ooze from the pages and the courtroom chapters foreboding and anger inducing. While the outcome is predestined and sad, the conclusion is anything but. After having lived in MA and visiting the better known 'Witch' local of Salem, (very fun at Halloween!) I had a good prior understanding of the puritanical and godly (ungodly?) societal Mores of the time. This story does an excellent job of bringing it all to life in an easily digestible and entertaining way.

The First Witch of Boston by new to me author Andrea Catalano, published by Lake Union Publishing is a colorful Siottengemälde, a mirror of history, place and time.
Set in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1646 the story tells about a woman way ahead of her time, suspenseful, unputdownable, a story that'll stay with the reader.
I recommend the book, 4,5 stars.

Thomas and Margret Jones move to Massachusetts in 1646 for a new life. Margaret’s sharp tongue and knowledge of herbal remedies does not help her settle into the puritan community.

An entertaining and vividly done story of a woman who doesn’t play by the pious rules of her New England Puritan community in 1646. We all know what happened to women like Goody Jones at that time and place. I loved how it is based on a true story and includes diary excerpts and court records. I couldn’t put this one down. It is not only entertaining but tears at the heart strings. I loved the courtroom scenes and how the author even managed some humorous laugh out loud moments.

“I am too much for this world of yours, this Jerusalem on a hill. I am a force that makes you quake.”

The First Witch of Boston comes out 9/1.

For everyone who loves a good historical fiction novel, this is a must read!

Set in 1646 Boston, and based on the real Margaret Jones, this is a tale of the first women hanged in Massachusetts for witchcraft, told from the husband’s point of view. It navigates through love, loss, miscarriages, childbirth, and social status.

Margaret Jones was a healer, apothecary, and midwife ahead of her time. She was outspoken and fierce and wasn’t afraid to tell it like it was. Living in a Puritan society, her character and wealth of knowledge was perceived as witchcraft.

Even though you know how the book ends, the way it is written makes it for a very captivating read still. I also really liked how the language used reflected how they would’ve spoken at the time.

I received the advance copy of The First Witch of Boston and read it in a single, breathless day—drawn in by its lyrical prose, its aching intimacy, and the quiet fury that pulses beneath every page.

Andrea Catalano conjures seventeenth-century Massachusetts with astonishing clarity, but it’s Margaret Jones who truly haunts the narrative. A healer, a wife, a woman too bold for her time, Margaret is rendered with such tenderness and fire that her fate feels both inevitable and deeply unjust. The love between Margaret and Thomas—tested by suspicion, grief, and the creeping dread of religious hysteria—is the novel’s beating heart. Their devotion is portrayed not as perfect, but as enduring, and that nuance makes it all the more powerful.

Catalano’s historical research is impeccable, yet never heavy-handed. The details shimmer rather than weigh, allowing the emotional truth of the story to take centre stage. The courtroom scenes are harrowing, the atmosphere thick with dread, and yet there’s a strange beauty in Margaret’s defiance—a woman refusing to be silenced, even as the world turns against her.

This is not just a tale of witchcraft—it’s a love story, a lament, and a quiet act of resistance. I closed the final page with a sense of reverence, as if I’d borne witness to something sacred and sorrowful.

A stunning debut. One that lingers.

My thanks to Andrea Catalano, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a great read! I was hooked from the start

I’ve always found witches interesting especially how seriously it was taken back then, and it was cool to see this perspective

I’m surprised to find out that it’s a debut novel! It was very well written, emotional and gripping

I can’t wait to read more from this author! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

This is one of those stories that, after just a few pages, you know you won’t be able to stop reading.

First of all, this is a debut, and an impressive one. Based on a real person and inspired by diary entries and court records, the author did an amazing job bringing Margaret’s character to life.

Powerful, gripping, and full of emotion, this is a story about love, loss, and injustice that stays with you long after the final page.

Gorgeously written and deeply researched, THE FIRST WITCH OF BOSTON is a compelling, intimate portrait of a marriage—and of an independent woman dangerously ahead of her time. The tragedy Catalano unfolds in this exceptional debut novel will break your heart, and remains all too relevant in a world where <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em> has become uncomfortably predictive.