Hour of the Witch

About the book

In this riveting and propulsive novel of historical suspense, a young Puritan woman, Mary Deerfield, plans her escape from a violent marriage. Despite being faithful and resourceful, Mary fears the demons that haunt her soul.

Mary, aged twenty-four, is described as having porcelain skin and delft blue eyes that would have attracted many suitors in England. However, her reality in 1662 Boston is being the second wife of the cruel and powerful Thomas Deerfield. After enduring Thomas's drunken rage, which leads to a fork being driven into her hand, Mary decides she must divorce him to preserve her life.

Living in a community where suspicion of the devil is rampant, Mary - a woman with hidden desires and intolerance for male hypocrisy - attracts rumors and distrust. Accusations arise when suspicious items are unearthed in Mary's garden, a boy she treated dies, and their servant girl flees in terror. Mary not only fights to escape her marriage but also the threat of the gallows.

Hour of the Witch, a tightly woven tale of historical suspense by a renowned storyteller, delves into the socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt. Stay tuned for Chris Bohjalian's upcoming novel, The Lioness!