Valorie T. (morbidromantic) -
Helpful Score: 26
This is a page turner. I just couldn't put this book down and loved the flashbacks to Deliverance's time the most. The late 1600s were hard for women, especially Puritan women who had to be steely and reserved at all times. I came to respect Deliverance for her steadfast nature and her want to help those very people who condemned her. It is certainly hard to be strong when faced with conflict, especially that of the life threatening brand. The mother-daughter dynamic is important in the book, and each mother and daughter carries on their family legacy of spells and healing while adapting to the times. Just as mothers and daughters tend to be, each daughter is both like and unlike her mother.
Sometimes it seems as though Howe, a historian herself, uses the plot and Connie as an excuse to let us know just how much she personally knows about history. While this isn't a bad thing, quite the opposite in the opinion of this historian, it does make the dialogue sound forced at times.
There was one thing I did take issue with, but not enough to put me off of the book. I was sort of disappointed that this book turned from historical fiction / thriller to thriller / fantasy. I would have liked it better had the author not chosen to make the 'magic' aspect of what Deliverance and her kin did actual reality. When the characters began to do real magic, I gave a sigh. Part of the appeal of the book was that it spoke to me as an historian and a realist. What I wanted to see and get from the book was the story of a woman, a natural woman capable of using the earth as anyone could, being marked as evil for her skill with healing. That hope was cut short when the characters began actually speaking spells and shooting light from the tips of their fingers.
To be honest, I could see the ending coming a mile away. It was quite obvious from the get-go who the bad guy is. I was surprised that it took super-intelligent Connie so long to figure it out for herself. Then again, maybe I just have a distrustful nature. My suspicion as to the end of the book didn't ruin the plot for me, though, and I absolutely devoured the book.
Sometimes it seems as though Howe, a historian herself, uses the plot and Connie as an excuse to let us know just how much she personally knows about history. While this isn't a bad thing, quite the opposite in the opinion of this historian, it does make the dialogue sound forced at times.
There was one thing I did take issue with, but not enough to put me off of the book. I was sort of disappointed that this book turned from historical fiction / thriller to thriller / fantasy. I would have liked it better had the author not chosen to make the 'magic' aspect of what Deliverance and her kin did actual reality. When the characters began to do real magic, I gave a sigh. Part of the appeal of the book was that it spoke to me as an historian and a realist. What I wanted to see and get from the book was the story of a woman, a natural woman capable of using the earth as anyone could, being marked as evil for her skill with healing. That hope was cut short when the characters began actually speaking spells and shooting light from the tips of their fingers.
To be honest, I could see the ending coming a mile away. It was quite obvious from the get-go who the bad guy is. I was surprised that it took super-intelligent Connie so long to figure it out for herself. Then again, maybe I just have a distrustful nature. My suspicion as to the end of the book didn't ruin the plot for me, though, and I absolutely devoured the book.
Helpful Score: 17
Let me start with OMG! I loved this book. It was well written, the characters were well developed, the plot was amazing. I have to thank the First Look group over at Barnes and Noble for letting me be a part of this one.
The book follows Connie, a student working on her dissertation for her PhD in American History. Her mother asks her to get granna's house, in Marblehead Ma. (near Salem), ready to sell. Connie begins to discover weird things about the house from the beginning, and when she discovers the name Deliverance Dane she starts hunting for more information. The book jumps between the 1990's and the late 1600's - early 1700's. These jumps allow us to follow the stories of Deliverance, her daughter Mercy, and Granddaughter Prudence. As Connie gets closer to finding what she's looking for, the story of these women in the past gets filled in more and more. What Connie eventually finds is more than unexpected.
I love stories about Salem and the With Trials, but sometimes I think it's been so overdone that it would be hard to find a new angle to write about. Well let me tell you Katherine Howe has hit the nail on the head with this one. The story is enthralling. I became attached to Connie almost immediately.
I think this book was great. It was suspenseful at times, emotionally pulling, and fast paced. Even when I wasn't reading this one I was thinking about what was going to happen next. I truly became engrossed in this book. I'm finding it hard to write this review because I can't seem to explain what exactly it was I liked so much about it, and to just say I loved everything about it isn't very descriptive, but that's just it, I LOVED everything about this book.
This one I'm sure I will pick up and read many times in the future.
Great Book!
Can't post my copy because it's an ARC but I would recommend it highly :-)
The book follows Connie, a student working on her dissertation for her PhD in American History. Her mother asks her to get granna's house, in Marblehead Ma. (near Salem), ready to sell. Connie begins to discover weird things about the house from the beginning, and when she discovers the name Deliverance Dane she starts hunting for more information. The book jumps between the 1990's and the late 1600's - early 1700's. These jumps allow us to follow the stories of Deliverance, her daughter Mercy, and Granddaughter Prudence. As Connie gets closer to finding what she's looking for, the story of these women in the past gets filled in more and more. What Connie eventually finds is more than unexpected.
I love stories about Salem and the With Trials, but sometimes I think it's been so overdone that it would be hard to find a new angle to write about. Well let me tell you Katherine Howe has hit the nail on the head with this one. The story is enthralling. I became attached to Connie almost immediately.
I think this book was great. It was suspenseful at times, emotionally pulling, and fast paced. Even when I wasn't reading this one I was thinking about what was going to happen next. I truly became engrossed in this book. I'm finding it hard to write this review because I can't seem to explain what exactly it was I liked so much about it, and to just say I loved everything about it isn't very descriptive, but that's just it, I LOVED everything about this book.
This one I'm sure I will pick up and read many times in the future.
Great Book!
Can't post my copy because it's an ARC but I would recommend it highly :-)
Helpful Score: 15
It was a good book, but not a "keeper." I was tired of it by the time I was halfway thru, and I agree that the ending was totally predictable. If you like this period of history, though, the author has done a tremendous job with the details and descriptions...although going overboard at times to the point of being somewhat tedious.
Don't buy the book..wait until you can order it thru PBS.
Don't buy the book..wait until you can order it thru PBS.
Helpful Score: 8
Reviewed by Angie Fisher for TeensReadToo.com
Connie Goodwin, like many young women, has issues with her mother. So when Grace asks her daughter to interrupt her doctoral research at Harvard to go to Marblehead for the summer and ready her grandmother's house to be sold, Connie wonders why she agreed.
And that was before she walked into the ancient cottage that has no electricity.
Connie's knowledge of Colonial history, her chosen field of study, comes in handy as she learns the secrets of the past occupants of the house, one of whom was tried in the Salem witch trials. As Connie digs deeper into the past, she finds herself being catapulted into a world of witchery and magic, the very things her own mother has made her run far and fast from.
THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE has it all: believable characters, a love story, friendship, and family connections as well as curses. It is a well-written first novel that weaves the author's personal ties with the era into an incredibly convincing story.
Connie Goodwin, like many young women, has issues with her mother. So when Grace asks her daughter to interrupt her doctoral research at Harvard to go to Marblehead for the summer and ready her grandmother's house to be sold, Connie wonders why she agreed.
And that was before she walked into the ancient cottage that has no electricity.
Connie's knowledge of Colonial history, her chosen field of study, comes in handy as she learns the secrets of the past occupants of the house, one of whom was tried in the Salem witch trials. As Connie digs deeper into the past, she finds herself being catapulted into a world of witchery and magic, the very things her own mother has made her run far and fast from.
THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE has it all: believable characters, a love story, friendship, and family connections as well as curses. It is a well-written first novel that weaves the author's personal ties with the era into an incredibly convincing story.
Helpful Score: 8
First Line: Peter Petford slipped a long wooden spoon into the simmering iron pot of lentils hanging over the fire and tried to push the worry from his stomach.
Connie Goodwin's plans for spending the summer doing research for her PhD. dissertation hit a snag when she receives a phone call from her mother in New Mexico. Grace wants Connie to clean out an old abandoned family home so that it can be sold. Little does Connie know that a clue to a totally new and original source will be found while the house is being cleaned-- an original source that leads directly to the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. It is no surprise whatsoever that now Connie has clue in hand, she has very little inclination toward housecleaning. She'd much rather spend all her time in research and investigation!
I enjoyed this début novel that borrows a thing or two from the author's own family history. (Two ancestors were accused witches in Salem.) The viewpoint is refreshing. Instead of the timeworn plot that works to prove the accused innocent, Howe makes us wonder what...just what if...some of those women were really guilty?
There are various flashbacks in the book to women with ties to Deliverance Dane, and although these scenes are grim and uncomfortable to read, they serve a valuable purpose. How many books using the witch trials as setting or background have made readers give any thought to what happened to the dead women's surviving families? How on earth did they cope? Howe's flashbacks provide us with the perspective of those left behind in unfriendly villages.
Although both the identity of the bad guy and the planting of clues about Connie were a bit too obvious for me, I enjoyed this book a great deal. Connie is such a winning character, and it was a treat watching her do research and track down Deliverance's book. I do wonder why Howe decided not to let us be a part of the book's discovery with Connie. Learning about it after the fact was a bit of a letdown. First-time weaknesses aside, I hope this is merely the first of many books written by Katherine Howe. I do like the way she spins a tale!
Connie Goodwin's plans for spending the summer doing research for her PhD. dissertation hit a snag when she receives a phone call from her mother in New Mexico. Grace wants Connie to clean out an old abandoned family home so that it can be sold. Little does Connie know that a clue to a totally new and original source will be found while the house is being cleaned-- an original source that leads directly to the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. It is no surprise whatsoever that now Connie has clue in hand, she has very little inclination toward housecleaning. She'd much rather spend all her time in research and investigation!
I enjoyed this début novel that borrows a thing or two from the author's own family history. (Two ancestors were accused witches in Salem.) The viewpoint is refreshing. Instead of the timeworn plot that works to prove the accused innocent, Howe makes us wonder what...just what if...some of those women were really guilty?
There are various flashbacks in the book to women with ties to Deliverance Dane, and although these scenes are grim and uncomfortable to read, they serve a valuable purpose. How many books using the witch trials as setting or background have made readers give any thought to what happened to the dead women's surviving families? How on earth did they cope? Howe's flashbacks provide us with the perspective of those left behind in unfriendly villages.
Although both the identity of the bad guy and the planting of clues about Connie were a bit too obvious for me, I enjoyed this book a great deal. Connie is such a winning character, and it was a treat watching her do research and track down Deliverance's book. I do wonder why Howe decided not to let us be a part of the book's discovery with Connie. Learning about it after the fact was a bit of a letdown. First-time weaknesses aside, I hope this is merely the first of many books written by Katherine Howe. I do like the way she spins a tale!
Helpful Score: 5
I put off buying this book because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the reviews and advertisements. It did live up to them. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Just enough history to make you think, action to keep things moving, and emotion to keep you involved. I agree with one reviewer who compared it to the Da Vinci Code. The theme brought together how a population was treated in our history and presented the same situations and people in a new light. Good book!
Helpful Score: 5
After Connie Goodwin is advanced to candidacy for her PhD in American Colonial history at Harvard, she must now come up with original source material to base her thesis on. Harvard professors dont make this task easy but on top of the usual pressures, Connie is called on my her slightly left of center mother who need her to clean out her grandmothers house in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Now of course there has to be a mystery with an old abandoned house with no electricity, no telephone and mushrooms coming out of the floorboards. While cleaning out the bookshelves, Connie comes across an old Bible with an old key inside . Another discovery leads to the name Deliverance Dane, and the mystery is afoot as to who this person was and why mysterious things are happening to and around Connie.
Bouncing back and forth between modern day and the Salem Witch Trials you see history from a new vantage point. What if, the Witch Trials really did round up a witch, what if the legacy and recipe book were hidden for just the right person to find it.
This is quite an entertaining read. Whether the modern day story of tracking down an unknown piece of history or the diabolical undertones of the Witch Trials, the two stories meld together in quite a fascinating way.
Now of course there has to be a mystery with an old abandoned house with no electricity, no telephone and mushrooms coming out of the floorboards. While cleaning out the bookshelves, Connie comes across an old Bible with an old key inside . Another discovery leads to the name Deliverance Dane, and the mystery is afoot as to who this person was and why mysterious things are happening to and around Connie.
Bouncing back and forth between modern day and the Salem Witch Trials you see history from a new vantage point. What if, the Witch Trials really did round up a witch, what if the legacy and recipe book were hidden for just the right person to find it.
This is quite an entertaining read. Whether the modern day story of tracking down an unknown piece of history or the diabolical undertones of the Witch Trials, the two stories meld together in quite a fascinating way.
Helpful Score: 3
A good read. I agree with another reviewer, this author is very much like Alice Hoffman. I enjoyed the detail of characters and the invested time put into the historic research (well thought through and acurate for intrigue in this story).
Connie is a gradstudent historian who uncovers a mystery in her own family too important not to ignore. The book flips back and forth between history and present. Beware to the reader that hates this type of writing. I was ok with it. Normally I am annoyed, but this was written well.
The bad guy was predictable, but I was ok with that. I was more interested to see how he'd end up in the end. I would read this again.
Connie is a gradstudent historian who uncovers a mystery in her own family too important not to ignore. The book flips back and forth between history and present. Beware to the reader that hates this type of writing. I was ok with it. Normally I am annoyed, but this was written well.
The bad guy was predictable, but I was ok with that. I was more interested to see how he'd end up in the end. I would read this again.
SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
Helpful Score: 3
This book drags along in places, a bit slow moving. It is an interesting enough story, going back and forth from the Salem witch trials in 1692 to a Harvard grad student in 1991. It gives some good insight into the human experience of the Puritan world, but it lacks substance overall.
Helpful Score: 3
This book was good in theory, and the plot was fresh and new, however, it didn't really suck me in until the very end, then it seemed to skip over lots of parts I was interested in learning more about.
Helpful Score: 2
Connie Goodwin, a Harvard graduate who studied Colonial history and is working on her doctoral research, gets more than she ever bargained for when she finds that her ancestry includes a woman who was tried in the Salem Witch Trials. What she finds out in her research is incredibly believable - actually the hysteria surrounding the Salem Witch Trials is commonly known now, but (without giving anything away) Connie discovers much more. Some areas of the book are quite predictable, but in my opinion, that doesn't take away from the story. I found this book very interesting and highly entertaining.
Helpful Score: 2
I really love this book. It is a nice twist on the Salem Witch type stories, I loved the main characters and the settings. As soon as I finished it I looked to see what else Katherine Howe had written!
Helpful Score: 2
This was a really good book, and different than some of the more recent books I have read on the Salem witch trials. It did a good job blending history with the supernatural.
Connie Goodwin is a grad student who needs to come up with something groundbreaking for her dissertation. Coincidentally, her mother sends her to settle up her grandmother's estate. The estate has been sitting empty for 20 years, and it is in real disarray. Connie remembers her grandmother as being somewhat eccentric, but what she finds puts things in a new perspective. When Connie stumbles across some information that relates to the Salem witch trials and a Deliverance Dane, she is excited and realizes she has found her dissertation topic. The question at hand is, what if there were people practicing witchcraft, truly powerful witchcraft, during that time? How would that change history and what we know about the world?
When someone she cares about gets hurt, Connie discovers that witchcraft and it's power and influence are not just limited to the past.
While at times the writing was a little dry, the story was solid.
Connie Goodwin is a grad student who needs to come up with something groundbreaking for her dissertation. Coincidentally, her mother sends her to settle up her grandmother's estate. The estate has been sitting empty for 20 years, and it is in real disarray. Connie remembers her grandmother as being somewhat eccentric, but what she finds puts things in a new perspective. When Connie stumbles across some information that relates to the Salem witch trials and a Deliverance Dane, she is excited and realizes she has found her dissertation topic. The question at hand is, what if there were people practicing witchcraft, truly powerful witchcraft, during that time? How would that change history and what we know about the world?
When someone she cares about gets hurt, Connie discovers that witchcraft and it's power and influence are not just limited to the past.
While at times the writing was a little dry, the story was solid.
Helpful Score: 1
Enjoyed this book alot!
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book. I hope there's a sequel.
Helpful Score: 1
Well written, interesting. I did not find this book "Spooky" as People magazine did or "Bedeviling" as the New York Daily News. I found it a book that is an easy read, interesting, but predictable at a point much to early in the story. As for scary, there are a few of the Harry Potter and Frank Peretti books which I found MUCH more intense and scary.
This book DID have some moments which were intense, but the modern protagonist was just too plain obtuse for my taste........
Did not hate it, I read till the end, but predictable
This book DID have some moments which were intense, but the modern protagonist was just too plain obtuse for my taste........
Did not hate it, I read till the end, but predictable
Helpful Score: 1
Predictable plot and, in more than a few places, comically melodramatic ("flopping ankles," anyone?). I figured out the plot when Connie met Chilton at the Harvard Faculty Club. When Howe writes about history, it's very interesting, thus the one and a half stars. Unfortunately when she tries to tell a story, it's weak. Her sentences are not tight (and in some cases not structurally sound), which creates confusing meanings, her characters are two-dimensional or outright stock characters, and she has too many cliches, particularly with regards to character development. Also, her take on the Massachusetts accent quickly becomes annoying. I finished the book only for the bits of Salem witch history Howe offer.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book very much. I like a bit of supernatural every once in a while; and since I've been to Salem and learned about the witch trials, this story line appealed to me. I could picture the places written about in this book, and that helped me to "escape" into the story.
Helpful Score: 1
Loved it! Interesting read! Gives a good mix of historical background on the Salem Witch Trials, and a modern mystery.
Helpful Score: 1
Wonderful book, full of things I love to read about. A historical mystery, New England, genealogy, old books, and a smidgen of romance with crazy professors also thrown in. And this was a first novel. I can hardly wait for more from this author.
Helpful Score: 1
Although this book started out as a wonderful story about researching a historical mystery and became more of a supernatural thriller in the end, I really enjoyed it. Despite, it's minor identity problems, it was still fascinating and entertaining.
Helpful Score: 1
While clearing out her grandmother's cottage for sale, Connie Goodwin finds a hidden parchment inscribed with the name Deliverance Dane. And so begins the hunt to uncover the woman behind the name, a hunt that takes her back to Salem in 1692 ...and the infamous witchcraft trials. But nothing is entirely as it seems and when Connie unearths the existence of Deliverance's spell book, the Physick Book, the situation takes on a menacing edge as interested parties reveal their desperation to find this precious artefact at any cost. What secrets does the Physick Book contain? What magic is scrawled across its parchment pages? Connie must race to answer these questions - and reveal the truth about Salem's women - before an ancient family curse once more fulfils its dark and devastating prophecy ...This title is previously published in the UK as "The Lost Book of Salem".
Helpful Score: 1
This was an interesting book. It had facts from the Salem witch trials entwined with a story from our time.
Helpful Score: 1
I'm probably in the minority, but I wasn't keen on this one. I found it a bit boring, and I didn't like the way it switched back and forth between the present day main character and the main characters of the past. I typically don't like that in a book, so that's what was most likely the deal breaker for me. I would've preferred that the story just stayed in the past. I think that would've had more potential - to follow the line of these women for a couple of hundred years and stopped around 1800. Guess that's why I primarily read historical fiction! I also didn't like the "fantastical" element at the end. It's not a horrible book. It just wasn't really for me. I was just "eh" on it.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book, it was entertaining and I learned a few tidbits about the salem witch trials. However, I know I would have loved it more when I was a teen. The writing was good but it was just a little too predictable. I highly recommend this to any young girl who wants a fun, historically based book.
Helpful Score: 1
Fun. Writing style is easy to read, the story moves along well. Flashbacks are dated, so obvious, and not at all confusing. I liked the author's research to use actual facts about the Salem Witch Trials, and the bit of witchcraft at the end.
Helpful Score: 1
It took me a bit longer than usual to "fall in love with this book". I stuck with it and I'm glad I did; it's very compelling reading. The plot is about Connie, a graduate student who is about to start working on her dissertation when her new-age mother asks her to handle her grandmother's estate, in Salem, Massachusetts. Connie finds a key which leads her on a serendipitous journey into colonial history, specifically the infamous Salem Witch trials. Some parts are predictable, but what's left makes for a great read!
Helpful Score: 1
The historical background of this book is really fascinating. The book travels between current day and the past tying them together. I would have given it five stars except that it got a little unrealistic towards the end.
enjoyable historical fiction type writing - though not exactly. Good guy versus bad guy. Some interesting comments on the PhD process - a process I will never do but imagine it was accurate. Nice mother-daughter pieces - but not overly much. Enjoyable light reading.
I really enjoyed this book a lot. It was an interesting blend of modern day, historical fiction, and magical realism. I liked the writing style and found the mystery to be very engaging.
This book jumps between Salem in 1681 and Marblehead, MA in 1991. Connie is trying to pick her thesis topic when her mom asks her to refurbish her grandmother's house. In her grandmother's house Connie finds a mysterious piece of paper with the name of âDeliverance Daneâ on it. As she does some research into the past of Deliverance Dane she discovers some very interesting things.
Meanwhile in 1681 Deliverance Dane is a cunning woman who is trying to raise her family, help the folks of the village, and dodge being accused of witchcraft. As things get more and more panicked in Salem, Deliverance finds herself hunted and accused.
The two different plotlines are masterfully woven together. I enjoyed all the history and research that Connie does and loved Connie as the protagonist. The book was beautifully written and I enjoyed how the mystery was revealed. I also enjoyed the small magic elements throughout the story.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to those who are interested in witchcraft and the history of early Colonial America. This is an engaging mystery and a beautifully written book that was a joy to read!
This book jumps between Salem in 1681 and Marblehead, MA in 1991. Connie is trying to pick her thesis topic when her mom asks her to refurbish her grandmother's house. In her grandmother's house Connie finds a mysterious piece of paper with the name of âDeliverance Daneâ on it. As she does some research into the past of Deliverance Dane she discovers some very interesting things.
Meanwhile in 1681 Deliverance Dane is a cunning woman who is trying to raise her family, help the folks of the village, and dodge being accused of witchcraft. As things get more and more panicked in Salem, Deliverance finds herself hunted and accused.
The two different plotlines are masterfully woven together. I enjoyed all the history and research that Connie does and loved Connie as the protagonist. The book was beautifully written and I enjoyed how the mystery was revealed. I also enjoyed the small magic elements throughout the story.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to those who are interested in witchcraft and the history of early Colonial America. This is an engaging mystery and a beautifully written book that was a joy to read!
I really wanted to read this book - it sounded absolutely fascinating. Then I read it - or at least tried to. I was so disappointed in how slow moving the plot was, how unattached to the characters I was, and how unrealistic the entire storyline became. I was completely uninterested in Connie and what she was doing in 1991, but really enjoyed reading about the witches from the 1600's - there was not enough story about the Salem Witch Trials like I expected there to be. I'm sorry to say, I could not finish this one (made it about 1/2 way) - and it takes a lot for me to quit a book.
Thoroughly enjoyable book that I couldn't wait to finish!
A wonderful mixture of old history and new fiction.
Get it! You won't be sorry!
A wonderful mixture of old history and new fiction.
Get it! You won't be sorry!
Thoroughly enjoyed this supernatural-historical fiction-mystery!! Going on my list of favorites, though I did get a little frustrated why the heroine could not figure out who the bad guy was. It was too obvious, or is it just me? Makes me want to read more on the subject(s) & go back to grad school, lol!
I feel in love with this book! It is book that has it all--interesting characters and a engrossing story line! I couldn't put it down! I hope this author writes more books.
I received this book as an ARC, and quite honestly, I knew nothing about it at first. However, after reading the description of it, I knew right away this is exactly the kind of book that appeals to me. A story woven between the (sort of) present and the past, this book has mystery, suspense, and the plights of women all rolled into one. Who could resist!
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=1148
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=1148
The story as told by Katherine Howe is delightful. Connie, a bright young graduate student, has just passed her orals in Colonial history at Harvard. However, before she can begin her research her mother asks her to dispose of her grandmother's home. As she explores the house she finds references to Deliverance Dane, specifically on a paper scrap inside a key in an old Bible. Intrigued she becomes fascinated with this woman but information about her is scant. Who was she? When did she live?
The references Connie finds leads her through the family - Mercy, Prudence and Patience for the book called an Almanac, a book of receipts, and a shadow book among other terms. As the story unravels Connie discovers that her adviser is not the man she thought him to be and she falls in love with a steeplejack named Sam. Her perceptive mother who supports new age philosophy knows more and understands more than she should through the sketchy information Connie feeds her. When a strange symbol appears on the door of the house she becomes frightened. What does it all mean? Is there something to this witch stuff after all? Connie's rational mind rejects that thought but strange things begin to happen. Going through recipe cards, she finds one that when read aloud causes a dandelion to sprout, grow, flower and die. Frightened, she goes home and tries it on a dead spider plant and it, too, grows. Real? Imagination? What is it?
The references Connie finds leads her through the family - Mercy, Prudence and Patience for the book called an Almanac, a book of receipts, and a shadow book among other terms. As the story unravels Connie discovers that her adviser is not the man she thought him to be and she falls in love with a steeplejack named Sam. Her perceptive mother who supports new age philosophy knows more and understands more than she should through the sketchy information Connie feeds her. When a strange symbol appears on the door of the house she becomes frightened. What does it all mean? Is there something to this witch stuff after all? Connie's rational mind rejects that thought but strange things begin to happen. Going through recipe cards, she finds one that when read aloud causes a dandelion to sprout, grow, flower and die. Frightened, she goes home and tries it on a dead spider plant and it, too, grows. Real? Imagination? What is it?
I savored this book like a box of chocolates. I have always enjoyed learning about the Salem Witch Trials which is the central issue in this book. Look forward to more books from Katherine Howe.
This book was great-- a new take on the Salem witch trials and a very interesting premise. It was well written. There may be Witches but that doesn't need to be a bad thing.
This was an entertaining book - maybe not with the depth of some books re the witch trials - but it held my interest. An interesting tidbit is that the author is a descendant of two women who were accused of withcraft.
Loved this book! Ms. Howe took a well written about part of history and gave us a great story from the Mother/Daughter point of view. Taking us down the generations of these Mother's & daughters. Showing us the bonds of love, trust, friendship and understanding of each other, even in the midst of their own mother/daughter differences. I felt the story flowed smoothly as it went back and forth through the past and present. Highly recommend this book!
When I first started this book, I didn't think I would like it. It took me until about the 3rd chapter to really start getting into it. After that, I couldn't put it down!
I bought this book but at times it became laggy and I decided to circulate it since so few copies were around at that time. It seemed to haunt me the little I gleaned from skimming chapters. I liked the layout of the book but the conversation or wording at times seemed stilted.I know that it did go into the magical which I did like it shows a side of the times then when healing that way was a true way of healing. I loved the fact of the mother daughter bond and the name keeping the chain of string women intact over the centuries.
I'm looking forward to reading and keeping my second copy I ordered new. What I did read I did love but I am impatient and the thought of "I wonder what's going on with the energy in her hands" made me skip ahead. I loved the exploring of the old house how it came to be. Her little dog and her romance's. Her being used by her professor. I keep wanting to write about significant point's that were so wonderful to me but I truly do not want to ruin the whole experience for you. I do hope that others will be open minded of the book and recognize that magic or as they put it a cunning woman was pretty much their only resort for illness in those days and more likely than not they did help the individual. It was peoples fear's and phobia's back then that lead to the death of many of pure heart who did not want to sully their names for most times it was all they had. So begin your travel with this book with an open mind. Realize that its all herbal healing for the most part. But as in life some are more gifted to others.
I'm looking forward to reading and keeping my second copy I ordered new. What I did read I did love but I am impatient and the thought of "I wonder what's going on with the energy in her hands" made me skip ahead. I loved the exploring of the old house how it came to be. Her little dog and her romance's. Her being used by her professor. I keep wanting to write about significant point's that were so wonderful to me but I truly do not want to ruin the whole experience for you. I do hope that others will be open minded of the book and recognize that magic or as they put it a cunning woman was pretty much their only resort for illness in those days and more likely than not they did help the individual. It was peoples fear's and phobia's back then that lead to the death of many of pure heart who did not want to sully their names for most times it was all they had. So begin your travel with this book with an open mind. Realize that its all herbal healing for the most part. But as in life some are more gifted to others.
Really enjoyed this book! Many twists and turns. Jumps from the present to the past while still fluently keeping the story together. I was reading and kept thinking "Oh I know what they're trying to find and where it is..." and ended up being wrong lol. Must read for anyone interested in the craft or Salem Witch Trials. This author absolutely did her research and wove it in very nicely.
I love the twist on the witch trials, and find it so interesting that the author is a direct descendant of a woman from the Salem Witch Trials. However, the writing was downright irritating; characters movements and actions were disjointed, meaningless details were highlighted then never revisited or explained... inane details ended up being a distraction and minimizing from what the story could have been. Not a book I'd recommend without warning friends to be patient with the writing.
I loved this book. A bit of sorcery in modern times. Couldn't put it down. Wish the author would write another book.
This is my new "favorite" book. It ties in many things I love herbs, Salem witch trials, research and history. And a good story filled with twists and turns to keep you reading. A quick read and one I know I'll read again.
This was a little hard to get into as the main character is a grad student during the 90's who goes to get her grandmother's house ready to sell and becomes interested in people who are her ancestors.
The book goes from the 1682 setting to the '91 setting and it sometimes gets q little confusing.
After the first few chapters, it hold your interest and clarifies much of what went on during the early period in Mass.
Holds your interest to the very end.
The book goes from the 1682 setting to the '91 setting and it sometimes gets q little confusing.
After the first few chapters, it hold your interest and clarifies much of what went on during the early period in Mass.
Holds your interest to the very end.
I felt like a had read this book - over and over, in fact - that's how unoriginal it is. The writing is unimaginative and shallow, the characters do not develop, the prose is repetitive.
This book is mostly good. I found out that its this authors first work and there were parts that were a little too obviously written by a newbie. Still, the plot was very good even if the style couldve been tightened up a little.
A historian, especially a research historian, would love the detail she gets into about researching a thesis. Its pretty interesting.
The main character in it stumbles upon a book, a bible, with an old key in it in her grandmothers house outside Salem, Massachusetts. Inside the key is a name: Deliveranse Dane. This is what sets her off to find a source and learn about this woman and her family.
Meanwhile, the book goes back and forth between the modern researcher and Deliveranse and her progenys lives in the past.
Like I said: its okay. I read it slower than I wouldve read something I really loved, but I finished it, because the plot was interesting.
Even if I did guess one of the supposed plot twists somewhere near the middle.
A historian, especially a research historian, would love the detail she gets into about researching a thesis. Its pretty interesting.
The main character in it stumbles upon a book, a bible, with an old key in it in her grandmothers house outside Salem, Massachusetts. Inside the key is a name: Deliveranse Dane. This is what sets her off to find a source and learn about this woman and her family.
Meanwhile, the book goes back and forth between the modern researcher and Deliveranse and her progenys lives in the past.
Like I said: its okay. I read it slower than I wouldve read something I really loved, but I finished it, because the plot was interesting.
Even if I did guess one of the supposed plot twists somewhere near the middle.
Here is a review from Amazon that hits the nail on the head!:
As several other reviewers have pointed out, the heroine doesn't seem to possess enough brain matter to complete a simple crossword puzzle, never mind work on her PhD while simultaneously solving a Big Mystery. Plus, there is the house that doesn't decay through time and neglect, although I guess we could believe it has a handy magic spell protecting it from wood-rot, mice, and holes in the roof. And seriously, if you are on the hunt for a missing book, maybe you could explore the actual house where you found the big clue.
The average reader picks up the clues entire chapters before our Hapless Connie figures them out, and often has to stop reading long enough for her to catch up. And when Connie had the big revelation that her real name was Constance???? Did she really forget her own name? Considering that the main characters are called Deliverance, Mercy, Prudence and Grace, is it too much to ask that Connie picks up on the fact that her own biblically inspired moniker might be relevant?
Plus, the author clearly has an issue with shop clerks and library staff; almost every single one is rude and unhelpful and makes Poor Connie do all the nasty grunt work herself.
I think this book was set in 1991 so that Connie would not have access to the Internet. A few hours on Google or Wikipedia might have solved the mystery in an afternoon.
And if you want to write a story set in another era, feel free to sprinkle the dialogue with "thou" and "thee", but please refrain from using phonetic spellings of the local dialect.
Thas booke maihde my heade hurte.
As several other reviewers have pointed out, the heroine doesn't seem to possess enough brain matter to complete a simple crossword puzzle, never mind work on her PhD while simultaneously solving a Big Mystery. Plus, there is the house that doesn't decay through time and neglect, although I guess we could believe it has a handy magic spell protecting it from wood-rot, mice, and holes in the roof. And seriously, if you are on the hunt for a missing book, maybe you could explore the actual house where you found the big clue.
The average reader picks up the clues entire chapters before our Hapless Connie figures them out, and often has to stop reading long enough for her to catch up. And when Connie had the big revelation that her real name was Constance???? Did she really forget her own name? Considering that the main characters are called Deliverance, Mercy, Prudence and Grace, is it too much to ask that Connie picks up on the fact that her own biblically inspired moniker might be relevant?
Plus, the author clearly has an issue with shop clerks and library staff; almost every single one is rude and unhelpful and makes Poor Connie do all the nasty grunt work herself.
I think this book was set in 1991 so that Connie would not have access to the Internet. A few hours on Google or Wikipedia might have solved the mystery in an afternoon.
And if you want to write a story set in another era, feel free to sprinkle the dialogue with "thou" and "thee", but please refrain from using phonetic spellings of the local dialect.
Thas booke maihde my heade hurte.
I completely enjoyed this book. Of course I could be biased as I do enjoy witchcraft books. I read it for one book club and will be recommending it for my other book club. I went into the story thinking I would find many inaccuracies regarding witchcraft either modern or historical. I was pleasantly surprised. There was only one issue I had that happened in the kitchen and with the plant, read it for yourself, I don't want to spoil it for you. I am thinking Katherine Howe may have added this in case it is made into a movie for the special effects. My favorite parts were the historical references to Deliverance and her descendants. I enjoyed the interaction between the mothers and daughters, how societies attitudes effected the relationships and each generations regard for the physic book. The modern day story of Connie was acceptable and I think the end was a bit rushed. I wish they would have take a little more time with the finding of the book. Everybody in my book club was a bit confused on how the book was appropriated. All in all a really good read
Lisa B. (momof3boysandagirl) reviewed The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane on + 58 more book reviews
I tried desperately to enjoy this book. I started reading it and put it down only to start over again the next week in hopes of it grabbing my attention. I just couldnt get in to the characters. I found them shallow and unlikable. The descriptions seemed longwinded and unappealing. I kept finding myself thinking "blah blah blah please get on with the pretentious monologue please".
Absolutely loved this book! Katherine Howe did a remakable job on her debut novel. While there are predictable moments in the novel, I like how Howe get the reader there & then reveals the moment.
Howe is a decendent of a couple of ladies caught up in the Salem Witch Trials & she sure did her historical homework. Loved the chapters set in Deliverance Dane's era.
I recommend this one for anyone mid teens & older. Can't wait to read the next Katherine Howe novel!!
Howe is a decendent of a couple of ladies caught up in the Salem Witch Trials & she sure did her historical homework. Loved the chapters set in Deliverance Dane's era.
I recommend this one for anyone mid teens & older. Can't wait to read the next Katherine Howe novel!!
Shannon M. (confuzzledbooks) reviewed The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane on + 487 more book reviews
The main character, Connie Goodwin, is working to get her doctorate at Harvard. As she looks for a topic on for her dissertation her mother asks her to clean out her grandmother's old home. She finds strange jars full of things, an old bible with a key and the name Deliverance Dane. Her curiosity to find out more about Deliverance Dane leads her to a recipe book and Deliverance's connection to the Salem witch trials.
It took me a little bit to fall into this book because of the times it switched back to characters that spoke with boston accents or flashing back to puritan times accents. I could not make out what they were exactly saying sometimes. Once I did connect with the book I begin to love the characters and eventually the magic that joined them all together.
My main dislike is it was to easy to see where the story was going, and who the bad guy was. There was also some dumb plots points where I felt smarter than Connie. For one she is in search of Deliverance's book and does not realize that the different names the book may have as she searches for it. I was practically screaming at Connie, âShe is calling the book an almanac now! Look for almanac now!â There were so many chapters until she realized just that..
I really did like the characters in the book and way magic is described. I read recently that the author Katherine Howe is writing a sequel. I am excited for it because even with the downfalls of the book I still enjoyed it very much.
It took me a little bit to fall into this book because of the times it switched back to characters that spoke with boston accents or flashing back to puritan times accents. I could not make out what they were exactly saying sometimes. Once I did connect with the book I begin to love the characters and eventually the magic that joined them all together.
My main dislike is it was to easy to see where the story was going, and who the bad guy was. There was also some dumb plots points where I felt smarter than Connie. For one she is in search of Deliverance's book and does not realize that the different names the book may have as she searches for it. I was practically screaming at Connie, âShe is calling the book an almanac now! Look for almanac now!â There were so many chapters until she realized just that..
I really did like the characters in the book and way magic is described. I read recently that the author Katherine Howe is writing a sequel. I am excited for it because even with the downfalls of the book I still enjoyed it very much.
I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book! I hope that you like it as much as I did.
Better than average story of a history student specializing in early Colonial U.S. period, and related New England witch trials.
Absolutely a great read. A lot of interesting stories about the Salem witch trials. But not overly paranormal book.
