The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Based on the premise that at least one of the women accused at the Salem Witch Trials might really have been a witch, this story switches back and forth between Deliverance Dane (in 17th century Salem) and Connie Goodwin, a graduate student in the 1990's who is spending the summer before starting her doctoral classes cleaning up her Granna's old house. I liked the character development and the story lines. I did find Howe's use of dialect a little disconcerting. She used no dialect with her major characters, but tried to write the speech of many of the minor characters as it would be pronounced. It only succeeded in making some of those conversations very hard to read. There is a minor point in the story where dialect makes a difference, but once that point was made, Howe could have reverted to "normal" English.

Howe is descended from two women caught up in the Salem Witch Trials, an interesting tidbit that makes the story more fascinating. All in all, an enjoyable read.

Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane takes the Salem Witch trials of 1692 and asks the question: What if at least one of the accused really was a witch? With that intriguing question, she brings us into the academic world of Connie Goodwin, a grad student at Harvard in 1991, whose doctoral thesis takes a back seat when her mother persuades her to clean out and sell her grandmother's house in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Once she arrives at the abandoned house, Connie discovers an old key containing the name "Deliverance Dane" inside a family Bible, and with her curiosity piqued, she begins tracing an old "physick" book used by the accused witch. Along the way she encounters romance, an anxious and grumpy mentor, and a mystery that seems to grow the more she investigates.

Set mostly in 1991, Howe intersperses her story with chapters set in the past, giving illumination to what was going on before, during, and after the witch trials. Though the mystery is fairly easy to figure out, all of the characters are likeable and Connie's journey into the past is fascinating. I had an easy time imagining the settings, and the paranormal aspect comes out naturally through the course of Connie's work. There was a bit of a slow start, but once the story picked up, the pages flew by as I got caught up in the plot. Biggest complaint? Howe's need to have some of her characters speak phonetically to reinforce their New England accents, a totally unnecessary element that pulled me out of the story every single time it occurred. Still, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is a well-researched, well-written glimpse into a What If? scenario that I doubt many of us in modern times had thought to ponder. Excellent reading!

**SPOILER ALERT**

Wow, where do I begin?

This novel started out as a page turner, but towards the end I was really struggling to finish it. I found the whole concept interesting, but it left me feeling very flat and disappointed. I guessed every outcome of the novel right from the word go, but at the time I assumed I was wrong, because surely the author wouldn't make it that blatantly obvious? At the end I stared at the last page and thought "That's it"??

My least favourite aspect of the whole book was the fact that the protagonist spent the entire novel searching for Deliverance Dane's physick book, but the author didn't mention anything about her actually finding it! That was a huge mystery, something which kept me intrigued the whole time - when Connie was at the Harvard library searching through the special collections, I was so excited that maybe she was *just* about to find it (the whole novel is centred around this one goal after all!), but Howe never.revealed.when.it.happened. When Connie told her Mum that she had found it, I actually flicked back to see if I had accidentally skipped a few pages. Alas, this seemingly important moment was left out altogether...yet the author spent so much time describing absolutely everything else in minute detail? It was odd. I felt like I was offered a promise but it was not delivered.

I have to agree with several other members who have reviewed this novel - the characters were boring and underdeveloped, the ending was spelled out from the word go, the protagonist is painfully stupid for a PhD candidate, and the prose is too...academic. Really disappointing.

A great friend recommended this book to me, so I was eager to read it. It started off with a very interesting premise (doctoral candidate discovers a familial link to the Salem witch hunts), but I was very quickly disappointed by the flat characters in this book. I found that I didn't care what happened to Connie or her boyfriend particularly, although her mother was somewhat entertaining as a quirky hippy-psychic...I believe her dog actually had the most personality.

I finished it and was pleased to find closure, though it was predictable. The author can clearly write, but this novel just misses the mark.

This book kept me turning the pages, even if it had it's rocky spots. Nothing was truly surprising, except for maybe how easily Connie swallows the reality of magic and her abilities. My biggest complaint was that the author gets bogged down in excess descriptions and details that lend a little to context an atmosphere but do nothing to further the plot. I'm willing to read more by this author, but only from the public library until I read one that she knocks out of the park.

I hadn't heard of this book before I bought it a couple of days ago. I didn't have any expectations, but I thought that it sounded intriguing. It kept me up late and was finished within 36 hours (a real feat as I have a bunch of kids home on summer break and we still managed a couple of outings together). I found it well-written, fast paced and I enjoyed the blend of truth/imagination.

There were a few things that kept it from getting another star, however. The romantic relationship felt way too contrived. Sam jumps--literally--into the picture conveniently and immediately sweeps Connie off her feet. Also, Connie's mother was ridiculous. I couldn't believe that she didn't hop on a plane to help her daughter given what she knew (and "saw"). Finally, the villain was too obvious. I knew who it was and when they would show up before it happened--sorry for the poor grammar, trying to keep it vague so nothing is spoiled for those who can't guess it quickly.

So, while I enjoyed the book, I found parts of it...including the ending...to be a bit of a let-down. All in all, I'm glad that I read it though.

Although this novel is framed against the Salem witch trials of the 1690's, the a withering sense of fate seems to bind The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane where a supernatural mix stirs a frightening brew of superstition and fear, and where a doctoral student, a historian of American colonial life finds herself unwittingly plunged into a dangerous adventure. The young Connie Goodwin, is enthralled by the era of the witch trials where fear and superstition, and mistrust reigned and where individuals were held to be completely powerless in the face of God's omnipotence.

When her mother Grace calls, asking an important favor, telling her to go the Marblehead to arrange for the selling of Annie, her grandmother's estate, Connie jumps at the opportunity, relived to get a break from the intellectual rigor of her Harvard qualifying oral exams, where a successful performance could raise her profile significantly in departmental regard. A careful, precise young woman, Connie is not given to leave anything by chance and is immediately captivated by Annie's dusty, ramshackle and undistinguished cottage, with its dappled light and its overgrown garden and flagstone path.

The house is like something out of a fairy tale, with its riots of wild herbs and plants overrunning one another on an incoherent mass. And shelves upon shelves of glass bottles and jars ranging over the walls, all of them containing unidentifiable powders, leaves, and syrups. But it is a pulpy old Bible, vibrating with a hot, crawling and pricking sensation, and a three inch long key, with an ornate handle and a hollow shaft that jumpstarts Connie's investigation. Also included is a miniature parchment, and on it watery ink barely legible in the flickering light, the words "Deliverance Dane." It is this discovery puzzles Connie.

Unfurling her story against the adventures of past centuries, Howe juxtaposes Connie's desire to solve the riddle of Deliverance with that of the inhabitants of Salem where witchcraft is seen as a very real threat and where people, and especially women, were trying to take too much power into their own hands, power that the Puritan theologians thought should only belong to God. Amid card catalogues and ledgers, marriage and probate records, church records, a rock carving in the form of a tetragrammation, and an age-old receipt book, Connie and her new beau, Sam attempt to unlock all of the famine and ignorance that fueled the mass hysteria and accusations of witchcraft.

Although the contemporary sections where Connie pursues her research are an archivist's and librarian's delight - and are also meticulously researched - much of the drama comes from the portrayal Deliverance's suffering, her stoicism at the helplessness of her situation and of her daughter, and Mercy's anguish at losing a mother she so dearly loves. The relationships between a mother and daughter - Connie and Grace in the present, and Deliverance and Mercy and Mercy's, daughter Prudence temper much of the hysteria of the townsfolk of Salem who become empowered to root out those who would do the "devil's work." With her pages crammed with history and drama (and a fare bit of tragedy along the way) this rarified world of book academia is complemented by magical elements and the idioms, landscape and customs of Salem at the end of the 17th century. The truth indeed changes its contours under the shifting parameters of language, just all these women, locked in their moment of history, prove to be somehow a variation on Connie herself. Mike Leonard June 09.

I tend to love all things metaphysical and was expecting this to be a fun read. Unfortunately, the entertaining parts were few and far between. In my opinion, the characters weren't very well-developed and the villain really didn't have a viable motive. This writer is too descriptive for my taste and I found myself skimming over pages of text trying to get to the story. This was a very good idea that, unfortunately, wasn't developed very well.

Connie Goodwin is a PhD candidate at Harvard in 1991, seeking to move along in her field of American Colonial studies. When Connie's mother, Grace, calls from New Mexico and tells Connie she needs her to clean out her grandmother's house in Marblehead Connie is taken aback because she never knew of this home. While cleaning things out Connie comes across an old fashioned key; a scrap of paper with the name Deliverance Dane written upon it is attached. Intrigued Connie sets out to learn Deliverance's story; in so doing she learns some truths about herself, her family and her mentor at the University.

The premise for this book is intriguing in that explores the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. It actually poses the question "What if the claims of witchcraft were true"? The book is set in 1991, but Deliverance's story is told in several flashback chapters. As often happens with these types of books I often find the `older' story more interesting than the modern one. I really got caught up in Deliverance and Mercy's story, it was quite fascinating.

It is very clear that a lot of research went into the book and the depiction of early colonial life and the trials themselves were very detailed. I was curious as to the placement of the book in 1991 instead of today, but I read that the point was it was before many of the universities had transferred their catalogs online so that allowed for some old fashioned detective work, digging through the stacks.

I have a few quibbles;, at times for a smart woman Connie could seem a little slow on the uptake, but I've known book smart people who were not at all street smart, so that was somewhat believable. Connie could also seem a little boring but the romance with Sam, the steeplechaser, helped make her far more human so that was a good touch. The Boston accents, especially Chilton's, Connie's adviser, were a little annoying after a while and some of the storyline involving Chilton seemed a little over the top. The ending felt very rushed and a bit confusing. I did however really like the epilogue where Ms. Howe went into a lot of the background for the story.

Overall a good book that could have been better, but I would recommend it if you like books on Salem and the witch trials.

The book was slow getting started but picked up speed eventually. It's not major literally work, but as the author's first book I think it could have been much worse. I rather enjoyed the historical details (though I'm not a historian so I cannot speak to their accuracy), and the parts of the story that happened in the 1675-1715. There were a few things that were distracting. I thought that the main character was sort of autobiographical of the author, in her interests and even looks (based on jacket cover picture). I suspect that her husband is a long haired septum ring wearing fella just like the romantic interest in the book. Also I was unsure of the ending and how it sat with me, and the rather stereotypical characters of Grace (Connie's mom) and the bad guy. Still, it was a moderately engaging light read that filled my head with thoughts of herbs and old buildings and libraries.

This enchanting book is like 2 books in one - it is the story of a New England grad-student in 1991 and it is also a story of the Salem witch trials in 1692. In 1991, Connie Goodwin is an American Colonial History graduate student at Harvard. She has just passed her oral examination for her doctorate degree and now she begins the search for a suitable dissertation topic.

Because it is summer break, Connie's mother, Grace, sets Connie to the task of clearing out her grandmother's house in the town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. The house turns out to be off the beaten path and totally overrun with shrubbery - it also has no electricity or telephone. There is an overgrown garden with old herbs and roots.

During the initial cleaning of the house, Connie comes upon a Bible that has a key hidden in its pates. The key holds a secret scrap of paper rolled up inside of it with the name, DELIVERANCE DANE written in tiny script. Connie eventually figures out Deliverance Dane is the name of a woman who lived in the late 1600s, and she concludes Dane must have been a witch. Eager to find Dane's "book of shadows" - or book of spells - Connie is sure this book with be just the primary source she need to complete her dissertation.

While on the search for this elusive book, Connie meets Sam, a young "steeplejack" from the town of Salem and the become friends. Things take a turn for the worse when Connie's academic advisor, Prof. Chilton, becomes obsessed with Connie finding the book of shadows - suddenly, Sam has a freak accident and then comes down with a mystifying illness.

It is obvious that Howe has done her research - the characters are well developed and the historical facts are accurate. According to her bio, she is supposedly a descendant of two women who endured the Salem panic of 1692, one of whom survived, one who didn't.

I enjoyed this book very much - I have always had a curiosity about witches and the Salem Witch trials. I enjoyed the way the book skipped back and forth between generation - it was fun to see Deliverance and her daughter Mercy, and it was helpful to know what was going on in Connie's life. There have been many mixed reviews on this book, but I am firmly in the category of liking this book and I look forward to more of Howe's work.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe was a phenomenal read. I relished every moment of the story. The historical research that the author conducted is evidant and was interwoven throughout the pages making it a part of the story and never coming across as a educational lecture or rant. The writing immersed you into the world of the characters. As the mystery began to unfold I had a good time trying to figure out the outcome and all the little niches that added up to the ending. I loved this book and it will remain a staple in my collection.

Connie Goodwin has just spent the last three years in the PhD program at Harvard Grad School. She is now preparing to start the research on her doctorial dissertation in her chosen field, the history of Colonial Life. Her advisor, the esteemed professor Dr. Manning Chilton urges her to look vigorously for new sources telling her an uncovered primary source could really make her in this field.

Meanwhile, Connie's mother, Grace, a free spirit and a healer living in Santa Fe has asked her to get her grandmother's home in Marblehead ready for sale. The house, uninhabited for a couple of decades, lies in near ruin. Connie moves into the house, devoid of any modern conveniences and really knowing she has her job cut out for her. As she picks up a dusty Bible, an old key falls out, attached to the key is a small piece of paper with the words, `Deliverance Dane" which Dr. Chilton tells her could be a name.

As the story evolves, Howe gives readers the story of what's happening to the actual Deliverance Dane in the 17th Century when witch hunts were at their peak, as well as the story of Connie in 1991 Massachusetts. Each of the stories are equally compelling with the reader nearly cursing the writer as she is pulled from one story into another just as the story is getting good. But it speaks to Howe's skill as an author when the reader gets pulled back a forth 300 years and immediately gets into the story again.

The reader will certainly be totally enthralled with the story of Deliverance Dane, a 17th Century healer accused of causing the death of a young child. Just as compelling is the story of Connie in 1991, her friend Liz, a new man in her life, steeplejack, Sam, and the person who is not the friend Connie has thought but instead a person who is out for his own gain, with near tragic consequences.

Howe is a credible writer, a historian of American and New England history herself whose ancestors were accused witches in Salem. It also has another interesting twist, one which is best left up to the reader to discover. This read is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. It has become quite the popular novel of the summer mainly by word of mouth - my favorite way of discovering a new book/author. It is has been my pleasure to pass the word as well.

This is a great read for anyone who loves the underside of American history. The main story revolves around a Harvard graduate student searching for an interesting thesis topic in New England history. Her mother guilts her into going to clear out and sell her grandmother's ancestral home in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a neighboring town of Salem. Her mother, is a "New-Age hippy who fancies herself a modern day witch. She lives in Arizona and reads peoples auras.
On Connie's first night there she stumbles across an old skelaton key with a scrap of 200 year old paper inserted into the hollow end reading simply "Deliverance Dane."

The rest of the book delivers the heart of the story: a 16th centery hand written Book of Shadows and the account of Connie's quest to find it and use it as the main source of her doctoral dissertation. In the quest she finds out so much more: Love, horror, betrayal, tolerance and respect for her mother, and yes, Magic.
Ms. Howe sets the perfect atmosphere for this quest for truth. The reason for 4 stars and not 5 is that half way through I had already figured out the rest of the story. No matter though, it is a wonderful book full of poignancy for the tragedies of the Salem witch trials and all that came about because of them. This is an author to keep on your list!

Okay, this book was not a brilliant stroke of genius but it was well written and very entertaining. I found the idea pretty darn interesting. I've read quite a few books on the Salem Witch Trials, some fiction, some non-fiction, but I've never read one like this. The idea that some of the accused women were actually witches and did, in fact, have the ability to perform magic is a new and entertaining perspective!
Good writing, good plot, interesting characters, and fun, fun, fun!

Caution, as others have mentioned, this book is rather simplistic and can be pieced together immeditely. As long as you begin reading it with the understanding that it will not require extra neurons in order to follow its content, you should enjoy it.

Hell, if the Twilight series can sell millions, despite its complete lack of stimulating material, this book should be given a try.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is a very good and enjoyable read, but I must admit it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Perhaps I was a bit too intrigued by the premise. I'll read anything connected to the Salem Witch Trials, and here we have a novel - written by an historian - promising to offer a different take on the controversial subject, one that not only proffers the idea that there could be an element of truth to the colonial witchcraft charges but also offers up the prospect of an actual witch's spellbook lying in wait in some forgotten repository. And get this - first-time novelist Katherine Howe is actually related to two of the Salem women accused of witchcraft, Elizabeth Howe and Elizabeth Proctor. Having done postgraduate work in history myself, I know the exhilaration of pouring through rare primary documents in search of heretofore unknown facts or discoveries, and I was thoroughly prepared to revel in the protagonist's search for any and all of Deliverance Dane's centuries-old writings. Unfortunately, the novel never developed into a true page-turner for me.

Doctoral candidate in history Connie Goodwin finds herself charged with spending a summer in Marblehead, Massachusetts, readying her grandmother's house for sale. The old, abandoned place is a mess, but the discovery of a mysterious key with an unfamiliar name stashed inside it in an old Bible sets Connie on a path of discovery and potential scholarship. Her advisor and mentor back at Harvard is exceedingly excited about the prospect of what she might find, but the road to discovery increasingly becomes more personal to Connie as she proceeds with her search. Plenty of evidence of ties to the unknown Deliverance Dane goes unnoticed by Connie, and the reader learns Deliverance's story long before the protagonist does - both of which tend to undermine the reader's fascination with Connie's search for truth.

The story just seems to lack a strong sense of passion or intensity underneath the surface, and it does tend to wander at times away from its foundation. I don't have a problem with the budding romance that develops in these pages, but some may feel that it sometimes wanders somewhat astray from the book's central subject matter. What I expected to be one of the novel's most significant chapters wasn't even included, as we're only informed of a crucial event after the fact. Then there is the prime conflict in the story, which I felt required much more explanation regarding its origins.

One relative strength of the novel is the author's attempt to portray life in colonial Salem as it really was, which is a clear byproduct of the author's dedication to history. Some of the details may get a tad tedious to some readers, but I actually felt that Deliverance Dane was a more complete and real character than Connie turned out to be, and that's a bit of a problem because Connie is the main character. Still, it's an interesting read and an impressive debut novel, and it does offer a refreshingly different viewpoint on the lives of some of the "cunning" women caught up in the madness of the Salem Witch Trials.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It took me awhile to get into it because description of surroundings was a bit over the top. While description is helpful in setting a scene, seeing the characters, I got lost in the description and found myself being frustrated because it did not add to the overal flow of the book. After a few pages I would put it down and come back to it later. I kept trying to figure out how much it all added to the story other than number of words, how did it lead the reader into the story. Overall, it didn't. On the other hand, I could tell the author truly crafted each sentence, choosing her words carefully, trying to eliminate any cliche's. I found that admirable.

I loved the scenes with the various Dane descendants. Would have loved to have more of their stories told. Perhaps the best one was of Deliverance and her daughter Mercy in the prison talking and Mercy's actions at Gallows Hill. I actully felt her pain and appreciated the character of her mother, D.D. I agree with other reviewers who found the "old English" tedious and irritating. I, too, had to re-read sentences to understand the context of what was said. On the other hand, I began to realize how we have come to use words that we may consider slang, when I believe from the pronunciations of those of that time, present themselves in today's world, e.g., "gal" as pronounced by those from Massachusetts, "gahl."

The end was in sight long before I got there. Just had to go through the motions to see how the author would complete it. I did like the premise, though, of asking what if witchcraft truly existed and how it continues through the generations.

I'd give it a "B" for plot presentation. Would have liked to have more dialogue overall. I still recommend it.

In The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, Katherine Howe creates an interesting story about an always intriguing subject--the Salem witch trials. Flowing between "present" day (1991) and the 17th century, Howe develops an incredible story about Deliverance Dane, a woman accused of witchcraft, and Connie, a grad student who becomes swept into her story after finding a piece of paper with Deliverance Dane written on it. Connie comes across the paper at her Grandmother's house--which she is spending the summer cleaning--and it sparks an interest to know more.

Although the book was a bit predictable at parts, I was completely enthralled from cover to cover. Howe's writing is beautiful. I love the way Connie views her mind as a library, picking a file to look under when she needs to remember something. She also visualizes things in such a fascinating way, which really helped the story coming to life.

It was strange for me to get used to the fact that Connie didn't have a cell phone--which would have been an easy fix to her having to use a payphone because the house was not wired for a phone...or electricity. I couldn't help but laugh when, on page 169, I read:

"One of them had his gigantic cellular phone that he kept on his desk! What kind of high schooler has a cellular phone anyway? Aren't those just for bankers?"

I just had to remind myself it was 1991 and even though it seemed like she was living in my time right now, a lot has changed since then.

The entire story was so interesting. I love Howe's writing style and I look forward to reading more from her.

This was my summer of gardens and magic. While I installed a new vegetable garden in the front yard and cultivated the one in back, I read three novels: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, The Forgotten Garden and Garden Spells. Although Katherine Howe's book wasn't my favorite of the three, I enjoyed it for what it was: a pleasant summer read. I was in the mood for something spooky, set in the garden, and The Physick Book delivered. I particularly enjoyed the recipes.

The plot was fun, if a little predictable, and the characters, although oddly developed, were compelling enough to hold my interest. The quality of the writing was consistent with the author's lack of experience, but not terrible by any means. I expect she'll improve with time. My gut tells me her metier is suspense, not mainstream fiction. It will be interesting to see how she develops as an author.

Connie Godwin, a history graduate candidate concerned about getting her dissertation on the Salem witch trials, finds that the trials are not just something interesting in history, she soon discovers that her own family history is tied up in her work!

Connie receives a call from her mother that leads her to helping her mother prepare her grandmother's home for sale, only to find a key in a bookshelf that contains a slip of paper that says something odd on it, "Deliverance Dane". Connie's wonders who is this "Deliverance Dane" and why was this in her grandmother's house?

She discovers her research into the Salem witch trials and her find cross over, and is lead on an incredible journey, starts seeing visions, meets a man whom she likely would not have otherwise paid any mind to, and her obsession with Deliverance Dane takes her to places in life than she would have ever imagined.

The reading style is easy to read, very conversational, and it is simply a book with twists and turns that will not allow you to put it down.

A really great read!

I really enjoyed this book!! I enjoyed the present day search for a piece of history and the flashbacks added nicely to the story. It made me want to be an historian. I am not giving the book 5 stars because I thought the ending was not that great. I feel that ending was rushed, like Ms. Howe was told she needed to finish the book so she tried to wrap everything up in a chapter or two.
With that said it is a great story especially for people interested in Colonial America, the Salem witch trials, or researching family history. The story has action, suspense, and humor. I would also like to say, if you think this book would interest you take a look at The Devlin Diary By: Christi Phillips.

Great story mixing history and fiction. I found it this book exciting and educational. After finishing the book, I found myself surfing the internet to learn more about the women involved in the witch trials. Howe's personal family history in the witch trials also interested me to see how she portrayed the women of Salem in 1692. I wish she had added one or two more chapters at the end to pull a few more details together, but I must say, it was a good read that called my name until I reached the final sentence.

I picked up this book because it was prominently featured at my local bookstore. The premise peaked my interest. However, it was with pure persistence that I was able to finish reading this book. The framework of the story is fascinating and is fodder for a great book. Sadly, the story is the afterthought of a mixture of history, religion, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" magic, and ten dollar words that necessitate Webster as a reading companion. I never connected with any of the characters or their story lines. There is plenty promised-a conflicted mother/daughter relationship, an ambitious grad student reaching for the brass ring, an academic advisor with an agenda all his own, a budding romance, a mysterious locale, and a connection to a dubious family history. Sounds like a great read! The scenarios are never developed, but only loosely weave throughout 362 pages. This was a tedious read and fell short of its potential.

I liked this book very much. However the book's ISBN # is 978-1-4013-4090-2 & when entering that on the store you are taken to the Kindle edition ONLY. The hardcover book was listed as a different #. Now I realize that the number was only one digit off; the store lists the book as ending in 3 and my copy of the book ends in 2 just as the store lists the Kindle, and without explaining that the hardcover book has the same number. I could have been led to believe that the Kindle was the ONLY edition available. Of course this would only happen if you are searching by ISBN number. I'm assuming that when searching by title you would arrive at the various editions.

Back to my review. The book mixes history with myth and makes it work. I was unable to put the book down until I finished.

This was a surprise-filled, entertaining read that kept me glued to the page! The reader will enjoy all of the twist and turns that the author cleverly incorporates throughout the story. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane draws the reader into the world of an Ivy League academic who finds herself stumbling upon a very unusual but personal topic for her PhD dissertation. As Connie is charged to clean out her deceased grandmother's home, she discovers the house holds several secrets that not only can provide subject matter for her dissertation, but an insight to herself as well. With just a "touch" of the supernatural, this book provides entertainment to the most rational mind or the fantasy driven alike.

This book was just ok. I thought it was an interesting read, but too much build up to a very obvious ending. The villain is staring the protagonist in the face, and it was frustrating for the reader to see the protagonist (who is supposed to be a highly intelligent PhD. student) have NO idea what was going on. Give the reader more credit. Also, the flashback portions were difficult to read.

I'm not going to rehash the story line about the Harvard PhD student looking for an new, original source relating to the Salem witch trials as a basis for her dissertation - and finding love and her "gift" along the way.

Other reviewers pointed out a few issues: yes, the house did seem to be in remarkably (OK, unbelievably) good condition for having been left unattended for so many years; yes, Connie does occasionally go off into lecture mode, but, speaking as a PhD myself, I can confirm that this is what PhD students actually do; etc., etc.

The important thing is that I stayed up to 3 (or was it 4?) in the morning to finish the book because I just couldn't put it down. I found the book a wonderful blend of history, detective work, the supernatural, and romance swirled together to create an enjoyable read that ended far too quickly. The book was well-written and the writing was appropriate and well-suited for this type of novel. I heartily recommend it.

This novel was absolutely wonderful- I read it in two days because I just couldn't put it down when I was home. The stories of a modern-day PhD candidate and the 17th century cunning woman she is researching are blended seamlessly in this excellent first novel. I've read many books (both fiction and nonfiction) about the Salem witch trials, but haven't enjoyed once so much since I read The Witch of Blackbird Pond some 25 years ago.

This novel is well-written and well-crafted- a real delight to read. The relationships between the various women in the book speaks to the universality of mother-daughter bonds, and the struggle many women face (both in the past and in the present) to shape and adapt to the world in which we live.

I highly recommend this stellar effort, and hope that Katherine Howe continues writing; I'll be on the lookout for future works by this excellent writer.

Connie Goodwin, a student trying to earn her doctorate, is called one night from her eccentric, nature-loving mother, Grace. Grace wants Connie to go to her grandmother's home and get the house ready for sale thus begins, the adventure.

Connie while looking in her grandmother's bookcase finds an old bible. Inside the bible is a key and on a small piece of parchment, the words Deliverance Dane. Now, Connie is off trying to figure out who is Deliverance Dane and why does this name appear in her grandmother's bible. Along the way, she meets Sam, a steeplejack. Sam is a student of history, but in a different way, and he and Connie click. While there is romance, it is a minor part of the story.

Katherine Howe creates beautiful transitions between the period of the 1600s and the twentieth century. Katherine Howe fills the pages of the 1600s with fact which further enhance the flow of the story. After a while, it is hard to believe that Deliverance is a fictional character. We also learn that Deliverance Dane has a direct connection with Connie's family.

However, I did find the first chapter in which we are introduced to Connie boring. It was too descriptive. I also found that Katherine Howe went into too much detail at times which took away from the flow of the story. In the first chapter, you realize that Katherine Howe has so much knowledge and experience regarding the Salem Witch Trials. It did not necessarily work in her favor because I felt that the first chapter was almost like her own Curriculum Vitae. I did not need all this background make the story credible.

I do wish that there was more romance but I can understand that it would detract from the plot. I just wish in the story that Connie would scream at her mother for being so insensitive and selfish. She always bit her tongue and never expressed her feelings to her mother. I have to ask why?

It is a really good read and you will enjoy the book. It is different than most of the books that you read. It definitely depicts the importance of religion and the lack of power that women had in the 1600s. Enjoy!

Connie, a Harvard Graduate student working on her doctoral dissertation is sent by her hippie mother to clean out her deceased Grandmother's house. While there she discovers an old bible, where she finds a key and a scrap of paper with the name Deliverance Dane. These two items send her off an a journey to find Deliverance's book.

This was a wonderfully written tale, that moves smoothly back and forth between 1991 and the 17th Century. I have read a few different Historical Fictions concerning the Salem Witch Trials and have to say this has been one of my favorites. Ms. Howe's novel is steeped in History, Suspense, Magic and even a little bit of romance.

I actually did enjoy this book but as soon as Connie moved into Granna's house and she noticed the little bottles and jars, I figured out where the story was going. I thought in some respects that this book was very well written, but on the otherhand, in some areas the author seemed to be trying too hard. If I had to read one more time about Connie's "cut-offs" I was going to scream. And the constant reference to Manning being a Boston Brahmin got very annoying, we only need to be told once he is Boston Brahmin. Like other readers, I found the New England accents difficult to read and I believe that took away from the story (and I'm a native New Englander!). One other thing I just didn't get was that finding the book was such a main part of the story line, yet the author totally left out how and where Connie found the book. At first, I almost thought I missed reading some pages because one minute she's looking for the book and the next she has it. Strange. I liked all the characters in the book even though Connie would not have lasted a day as a grad student in real life and I really enjoyed reading about what happened to Deliverance and her descendants. I can easily see this book being made into a Lifetime movie.

The combination of current day suspense with historical fiction of the Salem witch era offered an intriguing plot. The five star rating was for the author's writing style-- the vocabulary, descriptive phrases, and complicated story lines challenge the reader. This isn't a book you can skim through, and if you do, you'll miss the best parts.

Despite the obvious and predictable appearance of a rather dastardly villain of the Snidely Whiplash variety, the content of "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane," a novel by Katherine Howe delivers a potent and sad message that bears extensive thought.

The story, itself, engages with interesting and finely drawn characters that center around the "historical mystery puzzled out by a notable scholar" plot quest that came to mainstream fruition with Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and literary perfection in A.S. Byatt's "Possession." In "Physick--the title refers to an almanac of sorts written by a "witch" or "cunning woman" of the 17th century, in none other than Salem, Massachusetts. The actual "Physick" is a compilation of time-trusted "instructions" that one would attribute to a witch's grimoire. Spells to ward off sickness and other maladies are listed along step-by-steps to cultivate other phenomenon perhaps not all in keeping with the religiosity of the Puritan populace of the time of the book's main composition. Perhaps the volume and its writer are so controversial that the denizens of the late 1600s would consider it such blasphemy it could evidence a discovery of witches and add burning embers to a flame of anger and hatred already fostered by the superstition, boredom, jealousy and hysteria that led to the Salem Witch trials.

Howe's main character, Connie Goodwin possesses good Yankee commonsense combined with scholarship and tenacity. In 1991, she pursues her doctorate in colonial history under the advisement of her mentor Manning Chilton. When her mother, Grace, definitely a woman whose New Age sensibilities of her 60s heyday drive her more grounded daughter to eye-rolling bouts of frustration, calls from Arizona with a request to look into a property tax snafu on a family dwelling in Marblehead, Connie reluctantly but diligently moves from Cambridge to sort out the paperwork and clean out the cottage. What she finds there intrigues her from a multitude of levels. For not only is the house pre-Revolutionary and hidden from plain view by overgrown shrubs and other wildly nurtured vegetation, it is a treasure trove of paraphernalia utilized by the generations of women who lived there. As Connie accidentally upsets a Bible on a dusty shelf and discovers the name "Deliverance Dane" on a paper folded and tucked into the shaft of a key within the book's pages, a scholarly quest to find the "Physick" ensues that consumes Connie from a historical standpoint but then eventually acts as a portal to a portion of her identity of which she is unaware but sorely needs to uncover.

The actual hunt for the Physick involves wading through old records and library stacks that should appeal to the avid Sherlockian literati especially when shining moments of enlightenment are gleaned as reward. Connie's education like that of her creator aids her in wielding a mental machete that hacks a path through the darkness of ignorance towards ultimate revelation.

The story falters a bit with the addition of the two-dimensional villain who from the get-go is so insinuatingly obvious as the cause of all things that go wrong for the protagonist that it is almost painful to have to undergo the process that leads to Connie's eventual understanding and ultimate reckoning.

Nonetheless, the true strength in Howe's book is not really the discovery of history, self and confidence--which is, indeed, entertaining in itself--but the insightful comments that the author makes with regard to the nature of women.

In one very poignant portion of the story--the novel does include some "interlude" chapters where the cast from history is focused upon--Deliverance Dane from the vantage point of an imprisoned woman accused of witchcraft by a hysterical group of young girls (made famous in Miller's "The Crucible") and women who acted as inspectors looking for so-called "witch marks" on the bodies of the soon-to-be condemned, sadly notes that it is always other women that "leap" to accuse each other and that they pose a danger to each other that somehow did not pose to men. For whatever reason, the other women in the community throw Deliverance and the other accused under the bus--why? Is it jealousy? Ego? Spitefulness? Whatever the reason, Howe's perspective is that this seems to be the nature of women--a point of fact that hasn't changed and never will. Men gain admittance into the "good-old-boy" society. There is no such thing for women. Knives in the back are common and forthcoming. Howe's prose within the "Interlude" sections is tinged with a realistic melancholy of not being able to trust any woman regardless of one's friendships, confidences, special talents, recognition or acceptance of self. For anyone traveling the road of individual enlightenment--be it through religion, spiritualism, witchcraft herb lore or sincere intention--beware. Unfortunately, this is a road best traveled alone without women companions. Howe tells us that there is no sisterhood of the traveling pants or sorority of the ya-ya sisters--those are just imaginings or wishes. In the real world, spiteful condemnation is certitude upon which a woman of certain skills can solely rely. Hopefully, her Connie will heed her words, plow forward keeping her extra curriculums to herself and trusting no one.

Bottom line? "The Physick of Deliverance Dane" by Katherine Howe entertains from the vantage point of the historical novel whose scholarship is insured by Howe's own scholarship and that of the conundrum obscured by time and unraveled through clever observation, education and intellect. "Physick" is a novel revolving around witchcraft, the Salem Trials, the finding of self and the world of Harvard doctorate candidates. On a more important level, it comments with regret upon the nature of women and the oftentimes futility of possessing integrity when the crowd is easily swayed through malicious intent and spiteful jealousy to act against you. Recommended as a fast read that gives insight beyond the actual paranormal plotline.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

An interesting story of a graduate student in New England and her experiences with flash backs to the Salem Witch trials. I enjoyed the well described characters and settings as well as the historical details. The story moves right along with hints throughout of future events.

I am by no means an expert on Colonial America, the Puritans, or even the witchcraft trials of that time. However, I have lived in houses without heat, hot water, electricity, etc. And this book's errors were so jarring that I can only think how wonderful it would have been if the author hadn't been such a flatlander. First off, the scrawny heroine lifts "soft armfuls" of 20-year-old ivy out of the way & opens a 20-year-rusted-shut gate? Next, wisteria is known to tear houses apart, yet one drapes elegantly over the front door. The leaded glass panes are still intact, in spite of the leading being known to rot or disintegrate over time. The house is dusty but not falling apart after a 2-decade abandonment??? And oh, yeah, how in Hades did the well function without electricity???? And water just happened to be in the pipes after 20 years????? What about the known hazards of burst pipes in New England's notorious winters? Sorry, I've had to clean out abandoned houses to live in- even ones only 5 or 10 years empty are a wicked witch to clean. You cough & gag over the mold alone. And as for the well itself, we had putrefying opossums in the cistern in a 5-year abandoned house, so I shudder to think of a 20-year empty house. Blech! And rosemary surviving in a New England winter? Don't think so. The colonists may have potted the herbs & brought them in or overwintered them somewhere very sheltered. We are zone 3 or 4 according to the USDA maps. Rosemary is hardy to zone 5 or 6 I believe, way too intolerant for the ice & snow common here. A 20-year garden untended would have hardly recognizable veggies let alone Plants of Magick (gag). And don't even get me started on our heroine using an 18th century fireplace with a chimney that hasn't been repaired or upgraded for fire code. She could burn herself, no stake needed, too easily if that chimney failed. Last, Howe gives the condemned a little mercy by granting them the long drop off the gallows, a practice not put into place until the END of the 18th century. Condemned people were supposed to suffer & would get a short drop, either off the end of a cart (the tumbrel) or hoisted up by the noose. Death occurred in about 10 to 15 minutes, slow strangulation. Besides all this & more, I would really enjoy the book if my balloon of suspension of willing disbelief hadn't crashed on her mountain of errors. Hmph. And such a lovely premise!!!

This book was good if a bit predictable. I'd figured alot of it out right away. It started a little slow but did pick up about halfway through and was an interesting take on the Salem witch trials. The 'Salem Dialect" did throw me off at first but that may be because it was the first I'd read that kind of dialect because I love a book with a Scottish brogue. I either got used to it or she seemed to lighten it up as the book went on, I'm still not sure which.
I guess the most interesting part of the book was the postscript where the author reveals she is a descendant of one of the victims of the witch trials.

Charming tale of grad student Connie trying to appease her advisor and her mother at the same time. Her advisor is pressuring her to provide him with research for his personal gain while her mother has requested for her to sell Connie's grandmother's house. The two tasks become intertwined when Connie discovers a mysterious piece of paper in a book at her grandmother's house. Connie tries to track down the physick book of Deliverance Dane and learns the history of both the book and her family. The story moves back and forth between the past and present to provide a rich colorful story that leaves you smiling.

I have been reading quite a few biographies lately, and I found this book to be a great relief! Deliverance Dane is a great read. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the house that Connie's mother sends her to clean up to be sold. The house previously belonged to her grandmother and has an over-grown garden to die for!

This book contains two stories. Connie, a history student, and Deliverance Dane, a woman presumed a witch in the 1600's. The area of Salem is described as is was in Puritan days, and in the present. The hysteria of the witch hunts is an intriquing part of the story.

Witchcraft is at the book's heart, so if you are into stories of Salem, witch hunts, or Puritan life, you'll enjoy this book.

The book is an easy, enjoyable read with a few twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages.

I'm not sure where to begin my praise of Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. I will say that this book has been on my "To-read" list since it first came out but unfortunately I always have to wait an eternity until the book comes out in paperback (financial limitations, sigh) before I can get my hands on it. I should also clarify that I am a Salem Witch trials junkie and have read everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) published on it that I can get my hands on, historical fiction and academic books alike, took a class on the European Witch Trials that also touched on the Salem Witch Trials, and even went on my own pilgrimage to Salem, MA a couple summers ago, eagerly drinking in the history of the town and funding the over-priced New England touring industry to within an inch of my life.

That said, most historical fiction books surrounding the Salem Witch trials follow a heroine whose mother (or the heroine herself) is accused and details the harrowing and brutal treatment of the innocents involved, Howe's book departs from this tradition. Perhaps what draws so many to this dark, and thankfully brief, time in American history are the unresolved questions still lingering as to why these women were hanged back in 1692, their reputations sullied, and the debate as to which conspiracy theory fits best to answer these lingering questions. When I first heard of The Phsyick Book of Deliverance Dane I was worried by Howe's decision to make magic real and suggest that perhaps a real witch was among those hanged, but Howe's story is so well executed and so weighted with respect for historical details and reverence for the mentioned victims of the hangings, that any worry I had before reading it quickly dissolved as the plot progressed.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane tells the story of a young Harvard PhD student named Connie who, working on her dissertation for studies of the history of New England, discovers a clue in her newly inherited grandmother's old dilapidated house that might suggest the existence of a physick book, a book of spells/herbal remedies passed down through the generations from an undocumented accused witch of the Salem Witch trials. Connie, on her quest to find the book, and use it as a primary source that would surely bolster her future career, must juggle her research with cleaning out the old house in preparation for resale, phoning her mother's eccentric antics, wooing a newfound love interest, and evading her over-zealous advisor, all in the typical Massachusetts summer humidity.

The pace of the book, the wonderfully constructed prose and vocabulary, the layered plot that crosses genres from historical fiction to romance to fantasy to mystery all while keeping the reader engaged and on baited breath, makes it very difficult to believe this book to be Howe's debut novel. Rarely do I comment on the design of a book but even the cover of both the hardback and the paperback editions are beautiful! Everything about this book delighted me and not only because I have an obsession with the subject matter, Connie's narrative, as well as the narratives of the Dane women peppered throughout, bring richness and context to a period in history in need a of a fresh perspective and makes it accessible to anyone who has ever wondered about connections with their ancestral past.

The gushing excerpt from Matthew Pearl on the back cover should have been a red flag - this book reads like exactly what it is, a gimmick for National Novel Writing Month. Really, no one has ever "dared to ask" if the women convicted at Salem really were witches? It's only the premise of dozens of stories, novels, and films.

Still, as many have pointed out, it could have been very good - the story itself is not the weakest part. But the ponderous dialogue and page after page of telling what the characters are feeling and what Connie's backstory and relationship with her mother are, etc. etc., get tiring. If only Howe had shown and not told! The premise of finding an abandoned house (that NO ONE knew was there for decades?) and immediately moving in the same day (even the plumbing still works fine!) was simply unbelievable. I can buy the fantasy/timeslip elements, but these need to be grounded in the rules of the real world.

Connie is flat and not likable. Among other things, she screams a lot, including at momentary surprises. For a doctoral student specializing in New England history, she's remarkably stupid; her advisor actually has to tell her that "Deliverance Dane" is a name, and she's surprised! He ALSO has to tell her to go look up this woman in the public records office; wouldn't an advanced researcher such as Connie already have done that immediately upon finding the book and key, before she talked to her advisor in the first place?

Small detail, but Connie's forehead has a life of its own: besides the simple "Connie frowned," her eyebrows "knit together in concentration," "crumple together over her nose," again and again and again. This is a talented writer who needs a good editor and a bit more practice.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, by Katherine Howe is an amazing debut novel. Do you enjoy a little, history, a little mystery, stories about the Salem witch hysteria? If so, this just might be a good book for you to try.

In 1991, Connie Goodwin is a Harvard Grad Student in American Colonial Studies, trying to decide on a topic for her dissertation, when a frantic telephone call from her "hippie-mom" changes her academic routine. Grace begs her daughter to spend her summer in Marblehead, MA cleaning out her grandmother's old, run down home, so that she can sell the property. So off Connie goes, along with her dog Arlo to this old abandoned house, hidden from view. There is no electricity, no running water, and no telephone. While Connie is cleaning, she finds an old key, along with a name on a tiny piece of parchment scroll, inside of an old family bible: Deliverance Dane. Connie is on a mission to find out more.

A good amount of this story revolves around Connie's academic research in 1991 when records were not computerized. Through her research she learns that Physick was a word used in the 17th century for herbal remedy, or what might be better referred to as spells used by witches. Connie also learns that Deliverance Dane, from Salem, Massachusetts, practiced this herbal healing craft. Connie's research for her dissertation, and hunt for the missing Physick (spell) book, keep the reader anxiously turning the pages, especially as Connie begins to wonder whether is could be somehow tied to the witches of Salem. The story travels back in time to the late 1600's and the year 1991.

My Thoughts: Part historical fiction, part mystery, witchcraft, a dash of humor, and a little romance thrown in as well, make this a winning combination. The significant research involved in writing this novel is evident throughout. I loved the description of life in the late 1600's. Even though I have read several books on the Salem witches, trial etc., I never tire of reading a story from yet another angle. The ending might leave you with some unanswered questions, but despite this, the book was certainly a worthy read. It was also interesting to learn that the author is a descendant of two women who endured the Salem witch panic of 1692. This book is Recommended.

Connie Goodwin believes the pressure will be off of her once she completes her oral exams. Instead, she finds herself torn between her mother and her graduate advisor, both wanting very different things from her. Her often flighty mother wants her to clean and pack up her grandmother's house so that it can be sold while her graduate advisor is putting pressure on her to uncover a primary source for her dissertation. Meanwhile, Connie is distracted by a handsome young steeplejack and a name she finds in an old family Bible. Connie's quest is going to lead her straight back into the Salem Witch Trials and the story of Deliverance Dane.

THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE shifts seamlessly back and forth between the year 1991 and the time surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. Katherine Howe does a magnificent job at weaving in a bit of suspense to both time periods while also fully developing these two very distinct worlds with a whole plethora of supporting characters. I have to admit, it was hard not to skip ahead to the historical parts as the mystery behind Deliverance Dane intrigued me. However, this is not to say that the contemporary aspects were not entertaining as they provided a structure in which the tension and mystery of Deliverance Dane's identity and place in history could be unveiled.

THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE has mystical element that gradually infuses the tale. As Connie learns about her own family history, some truths are revealed that are not what the very bookish woman is expecting. This contrast between the supernatural and the academic accentuates the very nature of the Salem Witch Trials and the implications of the trials on Connie's own life.

Relationships are integral to making THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE stand out as more than just another Salem Witch Trial story, however. Katherine Howe shows family continuity and healing as we see the relationship between Connie and her mother change, just as in the past Deliverance Dane and her daughter came to their own resolutions. Family relationships and secrets can be some of the hardest to resolve, especially ones that come with a cost, whether intentional or not. Katherine Howe shows the beauty of family love that can emerge even in the midst of a nightmarish scenario. Bravo to Katherine Howe for such an insightful and entertaining tale!

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

Connie is a graduate student working on finding a unique primary source for her dissertation. As large of a feat that is, she is at the same time trying to clean out her late grandmother's house to prepare it to sell. When she finds a name hidden in a key in a Bible at the house, the wheels start to turn in the search for a physick book - her primary source. While staying down at her grandmother's house, Connie meets Sam, a young man who is doing some restoration work in town. He helps her search for clues to finding this book and the search ultimately leads down a dangerous path and to some unique revelations about herself for Connie.

I absolutely couldn't put this book down! The main subject of the book is about the Salem Witch Trials and the story bounces back and forth between the present of 1991 and the past of the 17th century. It was really interesting to see how these two periods intersected with each other. Howe weaved the two stories together seamlessly. Every time you thought maybe you had something figured out, you would get another glimpse of the past and it would make you rethink your prior idea. It definitely kept me glued to the book from beginning to end.

I could relate to Connie in many ways. I recently graduated from college and remember well all the time I spent researching for my thesis - although mine didn't lead to great adventures, but was a little less harrowing! I also could connect with the idea of having to clean out the house of a deceased relative and all of the very interesting things you learn about them after they are gone.

I learned so much about the Salem Witch Trials and how witches were viewed at the time. I had never heard of a cunning woman before - and that is a huge part of the book. Living so close by I will just have to take a trip up to that area again and be able to look at it in a completely different way.

I would recommend this book 100 times over to anyone interested in the witch hysteria that took over during this early part of US history.

a bad book about the Salem Witch trials. I actually said that in a previous review, so you can imagine my excitement to read this book. Well, I got 3/4 through it and didn't even bother to finish. I'm glad I didn't since, reading some of the other reviews, it appears the ending can be seen a mile away (and I'm only 1/4 mile). The premise was great. But the execution? (no pun intended) Not so much. Aside from the whole nauseating Harlequin romance theme, things just weren't plausible, even from the start. I mean, they couldn't even see the house because it had been abandoned for so long and covered in foliage, yet they had no issues living in it right away, and without electricity? And, for the sake of the story, I would have been willing to overlook the fact that real life people were actually able to practice magic, but the rest of the absurdities prevented me from doing this. I do hope the author writes another book because I think she has something to offer, but unfortunately this was not it.

Other reviews have taken excellent time with a plot summary, so I will refrain from doing so. I only wish to say this : there is little to no reason to phonetically spell out words spoken in accents. Howe's passion for spelling out the idiosyncratic pronunciations of her New England characters - both in 1690 and 1991 - was so annoying that I almost did not finish the book. The characters were often one dimensional and felt like vehicles for delivering information.

I have read many reviews of persons who simply loved this book and I am glad for them. I do not count myself among their company.

This book pulls you in on the first page. Steeped in logic, PHD student, Connie decides to live in her family home and discovers a book that leads her on a wild discovery guide to her ancestor who was a witch. Stir in intrigue, a bit a romance and a touch of magic and you have a fun read that will keep you engaged until you finish.

I was able to read an advance copy this wonderful debut novel. Katherine Howe has a wonderful gift of descriptive writing that makes you feel like you are right there in the story. Quite a feat seeing the novel takes place in two different time periods. I have not read much about the Salem Witch Trials so I found the the history aspect very intriguing. Katherine Howe kept my interest peaked with the past and present story lines and how they relate to each other. It definitely is a page turner. You don't want to miss this one! I can't wait to see what this author writes next!

I had high hopes for this book as I'm interested in the history surrounding Salem. I actually listened through 3/4 of the book because I was waiting for the characters and story to get better, but eventually gave up on it. What a waste of my time. Just awful!

This book has a lot going for it.Modern woman, Connie goes to house in Marblehead, Ma that she did not know existed but was her mothers!She is a PHD student who is sent by her hippy mother to clean out house abandoned for 20 years that her mother grew up in. She is studying early with trials in Salem at Harvard. She finds old book belonging to Deliverance Dane in the house.The book was interesting in parts but I just could not buy all the coincidences and did not find the characters very likable, except for the magic dog Arlo.

An entertaining book but didn't quite live up to all the hype. Perhaps I expected too much *because* of all the hype. It was interesting enough. The pace through the beginning and much of the book was good. However, I felt it became rather abrupt towards the end though.

I have nothing new to add to the multitude of reviews I observed for this book, but I wanted to echo the majority. This novel just makes you turn the pages. I am not one to normally choose this genre, but the book was featured at my local Barnes and Noble so I took a chance. A few days later I can only say I was really entertained. I also received the added benefit of learning about the Salem witch trials, culture and history which Katherine Howe so expertly presented throughout the story.

For a debut novel, the author has shown great talent. I was immediately drawn to the characters & often found myself lost in the scenes as though I was there among them. The transition from 1991 to the 1600's was a smooth one & the reader will never feel lost or confused. The authenticity of the 1600's is wonderful! There's alot of mystery & a little romance. The majority of the novel uses real facts from the Salem Witch Trials, real names of women accused mixed with some fiction. Prepared to be lost in a book you won't want to put down!

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.

I love stories with accurate historical facts and events. I am interested in colonial American history and the plights of women during those times. This book is a page-turner without being cheesy. No way is it a cheap thriller. I have no patience for stories that don't make sense or have unremarkable characters. This book isn't any of those. It's not perfect, but it's a great story to immerse yourself in and have a little fun at the same time. I read this book from cover to cover in one day, which is rare for me (I usually read a book over a few days).

Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is the story of Connie Goodwin, a doctoral candidate at Harvard who specializes in colonial-era American history who, after finding herself tasked with preparing her late grandmother's house for sale one summer, stumbles upon an artifact dating from the 1692 Salem witch trials. The artifact contains the mysterious name Deliverance Dane, and Connie, seeing an opportunity for a dissertation topic, begins investigating. Before long, outside pressures force her into a race against the clock to find out exactly who Deliverance Dane was, and why that name found itself in her grandmother's house.

The book alternates between two storylines: Connie's, in the summer of 1991, and Deliverance and her family's, spanning several decades in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. As Connie's investigation progresses, the reader is presented with more and more from her subject's point of view. Both stories are well-written, with the colonial-era chapters especially providing a vivid portrayal of the nature of the witch panic and the mindset of those involved. The two stories complement each other well enough that as the narration switched back and forth, the conclusion of a segment in one timeline usually left me anxious to find out what was about to happen in the other.

The book does have a few minor issues, though, in my opinion. Personally, I am not a fan of the technique of using phonetic spelling to accentuate heavy accents (e.g., "Bahstun", "fahthuh"), which the author does frequently (though seemingly inconsistently) in the colonial-era chapters. This is just a matter of personal taste; while some might find it immersive, I just find it distracting and unnecessary. The book also makes heavy use of foreshadowing, which is normally not a problem, until a point is reached where the reader is being beaten over the head with it. Finally, without spoiling anything, I was mildly disappointed with the resolution, but I'm sure others would feel differently, and it fits well enough in the context of the rest of the book that it doesn't detract too much from the rest of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. It is well-written and tells an interesting story, but I think the author makes enough potentially polarizing stylistic choices that the book carries a bit of a "love it or hate it" vibe. If you are a fan of historical fiction and don't mind slogging through some colonial New England accents, though, I would definitely give it a shot.

Katherine Howe does a good job of reeling you in at the beginning. The historical parts of the book are well written but sparse. The main character, Connie, a PhD candidate is a little clueless for a Harvard grad. The book gets a bit fantstical at the end but over all pretty good for a light read. A little history, romance and mystery. Not great if you are looking for something more serious or historical about the Salem Witch Trials. I probably won't read the sequel, but this wasn't a waste of my time.

The topic was fun. I find the idea of actual witch craft in early America and modern times intriguing. The author also paints a good picture of what life in early New England was like for women on the fringes of society. The storyline had the potential to be very good, but the author does not give the reader credit for much intelligence. Every time a new plot point is introduced the author immediately over-hints at where it's going to the point that you have the whole story figured out in the first 1/4 of the book. A fun, fluffy read, but if your looking for the "puzzler" advertised on the cover, look elsewhere.

This is a book that I desperately wanted to like more than I actually did. It had so much potential that just never came to fruition, and it made the "bad guy" way to obvious.
Nevertheless it was a fun read, nothing too deep, with an interesting historical twist. I'm still not sure whether I actually like Connie, the heroine; my favorite parts of the book were definitely the historical sequences.
All in all still a good book.

Loved the book! The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane gave a great insight into the minds and lives of the colonists in the 1600's. Enjoyed the researching and tenaciousness of Connie and the different ways she gained information for her thesis.

I read this book as it had a prominent blurb by one of my favorite authors (Matthew Pearl). I wasn't disappointed. From beginning to end, the scenes set in the old days of Salem were terrific...not sentimental...brutal truth...and some of the best-written courtroom scenes that I have ever read. Ever. The modern-day part of the story started out quite well...the interaction between the heroine and her graduate advisers and fellow students was witty and realistic...the romance between Connie and Sam was sweet, tender, and yet still passionate...the end of the book was the most disappointing, not in how she wrapped things up, but in the cartoonish behavior of the professor and manifestations of witchcraft by Connie in a book that was otherwise so believable. Still - great storytelling and a good history lesson to boot. Check out the videos on her website...really interesting stuff! Well done!

I'm only about halfway through and I'm forcing myself to finish. The novel would seem to be in line with my favorite subjects to read about, but it seems as if the author created her "Salem Witch Trials" storyline as a backdrop for her junior high-esque "budding romance" MAIN storyline. Perhaps she figured she would get the historical fiction crowd, as well as jump on the currently popular vampires-and-witches bandwagon, but the novel boils down to a sad little courtship novel set up by a potentially -- but never actually -- fascinating research project.

I loved how the story split between the past and! present. An aspect of the Salem Witch trials and family history that could be a direct link to an inherent trait.
I would definitely recommend this book to someone interested in a historical fiction book.

I am giving this book 5 stars simply because it was a page turner for me. I read it in just a few days and each time I put it down I was sorry I had to do so. When I purchased the book I was hoping for more 17th century history but was pleasantly surprised at the author's ability to go back and forth and weave a good story out of two very different time periods. Being from New England myself and having had visited Salem, I really felt a connection to the area and the author was really able to create that 'New England' feeling for me. I could easily picture the Milk Street house and Salem Town. As for the chapters referring to 17th century New England life and the Witch Trials, I think the author did a good job with the historical details and creating a vivid picture for the reader. The Boston accent is a hard one to pull off through writing and at times I just did not feel as though I was hearing that true Boston accent. Lastly, while I don't believe this takes away from the story, I will note that it is very clear the author has spent a good amount of time on her education. The prose is quite acedemic at times. This, along with the accent not being quite on, did NOT bother me and in my opinion did not take away from the story. In ending, if you enjoy reading about 17th century New England and the Witch Trials - don't miss this one.

"What if, among those falsely accused during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, there had been a few actual witches?"...That is the premise of this historical novel, and Ms Howe delivers a good story...with a few flaws. Aside from a couple of characters who border on Caricature (the New Age Mom, the Evil Mentor), a didactic tone (at the beginning of the book i felt as if i were back in college, sitting through another History lecture), and the whole mystical, "blue-ball-of-energy" pyrotechnic display (Comic Book, anyone?)...this story of a missing Spell book works...or maybe because of these very things.

Ms Howe's scholarship is impeccable, but i felt her protagonist suffered for it. Poor Connie Goodwin was at sea in her own story, at times..bogged down by details and her own angst..with little room to move....Given the fact that both the author and main character have a Salem Legacy..i will carp no more.

Academic ambition, shaky ethics, the burden of History and Family are all here...this was an enjoyable read, all-in-all....One may not think of Witches in the same "olde wayes" again

I found this book very difficult to get into and stay with it. I did start enjoying it a little past midway through. Ultimately I was glad I finished the novel part and then read the author's notes.

An engaging and delightfully enjoyable and light read. Covering the time period between the colonial Salem witch trials and current time, this well written book, rich in details of the colonial time period in particular,combines mystery and history to trace the line of a family of women. How one tragic event affects their lives for generations is the theme of the book. In tone and style, the book is much like the popular Thirteenth Tale. I bought it to have on my book shelf-it was that much fun.

Overwritten and underwhelming, this book is self conscious in style. The author expresses herself as though she is trying to wow a creative writing class. When she imparts information, her narrative reads as if compiled from research notes recorded on index cards, or, to use her own description of her protagonist, as if she hadn't "come back from orals-land." If it had not been a selection of my book club, I would not have finished it. I kept hoping something meaningful would happen in the trite storyline, but it never did. I rue the time I wasted.

Here was the single most irritating thing to me--the 17th century characters were actually pretty likable, they felt somewhat real to me. The reason that is irritating is because is shows that the author is possible of making a semi-likable character and for some reason chose not to with the main characters. Connie and Sam are horrible. People don't act like that. Even though I knew it was coming, I was really sad when Deliverance died. Connie and Sam could have been eaten by a pack of wolves on their wedding night and I think I would have been okay with that.

This book was just what I needed. I was so disappointed by Brunonia's The Lace Reader, which was a psuedo mudder mystery something or other. This was truly a witch book~which fascinates me. I love reading about Salem and the European witch hunts. This was right up my alley!

Connie is a grad student at Harvard, with a somewhat eccentric advisor, a seemingly wacky new age mother in New Mexico and a sweet dog named Arlo. Her mother asks her to return to her Grandmother's home in Marblehead MA, which up until now, Connie knew nothing about, to clean up and possibly put the house on the market. Connie is also starting her master dissertation, and the idea she gets for it comes from a key she finds in the long shut up old home.

I don't want to give a thing away, although a few things were very guessable about this book. However, that did nothing to hinder my complete enjoyment of this well written novel. I look forward to reading Howe's next book, and would higly recommend this one.

Just finished reading this book and recommend it to those who like a smidgen of history and a good story. A nice combination of a historical novel and a romance novel, for me, it was not a fast read as Howe uses wonderful, rich imagery to create her settings past and present. I would have liked the modern day characters a bit more complicated, interesting. The historical characters were fine--cunning folk were not uncommon (and still aren't) and the writer seems to have a good grasp of the temperament needed for such work. I enjoyed the changing dialect--it helped me visualize the historical setting and characters. A five star review from somenone who is lately enjoying reading a slew of excellent female readers.

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.

This book is wonderful. Well written, thoroughly researched - if you like historical fiction this is a read for you. I've read many books in my life, and this one of the best. And no, I do not know Katherine nor am I being paid to say this! Read the book and you won't be disappointed. I also checked out the Univ of VA web site which Katherine lists as a source for documents pertaining to the Salem Witch Trials. This was definitely a fascinating and incredible time in our history that Katherine brings to life beautifully.

Ok, so every twist and even the ending can be seen a mile away. This is an easy to forgive weakness in an otherwise very well-written book. If I see another person compare this to the DaVinci Code I'll probably cry. Dan Brown is a hack. Katherine Howe's book may not be exactly high literature, but her characters feel real and her affection for the subject matter of the book is clear in every word. Like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, the magic in this book is dark, gritty and personal. There is a bit of a history-detective feel to the main character's quest, but it isn't nearly as melodramatic as a Dan Brown "novel".

The interview with the author at the end promises more to come from Howe, and I will definitely read whatever she writes next.

Good for fans of Alice Hoffman, Joanne Harris and Sarah Addison Allen.

This book will pull you in right from the start. It is well written and I have give it five stars because it is one that you will want to read over. Some books you read once and that is enough. This one is a repeat book in my opinion.

I thought this was a very interesting book. Not so much a page turner but it was very good. I liked the way she went back and forth from one time to another. It was very well thought out and easy to follow. I just finished this book last night and I recommend it to anyone interested in the 1690 time era. Four Stars for sure.

A little of Sherlock Holmes, a little of Harry Potter, a mild stretch of imagination, and plenty of historical fact tossed together in a witch's brew creates a wonderful magical potion in Katherine's novel. The story is very well written with vivid imagery and rich text. Her portrayals of the Salem "witch-hunt", and what could be construed as dark sorcery and incantations intermingled with factual historical accounts were nicely woven into the modern day life especially when one takes into consideration her own genealogy and path taken in writing this work.

Overwritten and underwhelming, this book is self conscious in style. The author expresses herself as though she is trying to wow a creative writing class. When she imparts information, her narrative reads as if compiled from research notes recorded on index cards, or, to use her own description of her protagonist, as if she hadn't "come back from orals-land." If it had not been a selection of my book club, I would not have finished it. I kept hoping something meaningful would happen in the trite storyline, but it never did. I rue the time I wasted.

Here was the single most irritating thing to me--the 17th century characters were actually pretty likable, they felt somewhat real to me. The reason that is irritating is because is shows that the author is possible of making a semi-likable character and for some reason chose not to with the main characters. Connie and Sam are horrible. People don't act like that. Even though I knew it was coming, I was really sad when Deliverance died. Connie and Sam could have been eaten by a pack of wolves on their wedding night and I think I would have been okay with that.

This book was just what I needed. I was so disappointed by Brunonia's The Lace Reader, which was a psuedo mudder mystery something or other. This was truly a witch book~which fascinates me. I love reading about Salem and the European witch hunts. This was right up my alley!

Connie is a grad student at Harvard, with a somewhat eccentric advisor, a seemingly wacky new age mother in New Mexico and a sweet dog named Arlo. Her mother asks her to return to her Grandmother's home in Marblehead MA, which up until now, Connie knew nothing about, to clean up and possibly put the house on the market. Connie is also starting her master dissertation, and the idea she gets for it comes from a key she finds in the long shut up old home.

I don't want to give a thing away, although a few things were very guessable about this book. However, that did nothing to hinder my complete enjoyment of this well written novel. I look forward to reading Howe's next book, and would higly recommend this one.

Just finished reading this book and recommend it to those who like a smidgen of history and a good story. A nice combination of a historical novel and a romance novel, for me, it was not a fast read as Howe uses wonderful, rich imagery to create her settings past and present. I would have liked the modern day characters a bit more complicated, interesting. The historical characters were fine--cunning folk were not uncommon (and still aren't) and the writer seems to have a good grasp of the temperament needed for such work. I enjoyed the changing dialect--it helped me visualize the historical setting and characters. A five star review from somenone who is lately enjoying reading a slew of excellent female readers.

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.

This book is wonderful. Well written, thoroughly researched - if you like historical fiction this is a read for you. I've read many books in my life, and this one of the best. And no, I do not know Katherine nor am I being paid to say this! Read the book and you won't be disappointed. I also checked out the Univ of VA web site which Katherine lists as a source for documents pertaining to the Salem Witch Trials. This was definitely a fascinating and incredible time in our history that Katherine brings to life beautifully.

Ok, so every twist and even the ending can be seen a mile away. This is an easy to forgive weakness in an otherwise very well-written book. If I see another person compare this to the DaVinci Code I'll probably cry. Dan Brown is a hack. Katherine Howe's book may not be exactly high literature, but her characters feel real and her affection for the subject matter of the book is clear in every word. Like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, the magic in this book is dark, gritty and personal. There is a bit of a history-detective feel to the main character's quest, but it isn't nearly as melodramatic as a Dan Brown "novel".

The interview with the author at the end promises more to come from Howe, and I will definitely read whatever she writes next.

Good for fans of Alice Hoffman, Joanne Harris and Sarah Addison Allen.

This book will pull you in right from the start. It is well written and I have give it five stars because it is one that you will want to read over. Some books you read once and that is enough. This one is a repeat book in my opinion.

What do you really know about witches? Not the ones roaming the streets on Halloween, but the ones who cast spells, heal ailments, conjure up brews and curse enemies. Probably very little more than the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts, knew back in the panic of 1692.

Deliverance Dane lived back then, during the so-called witch trials. And Connie Goodwin, 1991 Harvard graduate student, is studying that time in American history. After getting through her oral exams, she needs to find a subject for her doctoral thesis. But summer intervenes, as does her mother, Grace, and she ends up in the small town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, putting her grandmother's ancient house in shape for sale. Twenty years have passed since Connie's Granna died, and nothing much has been done to the crumbling old structure. The task falls to Connie. Grace is too busy reading auras or some other nonsense. Kicking herself for allowing her mom to talk her into it, Connie nevertheless drives down to the house on Milk Street to settle in for a few months of cleaning.

Vines and all manner of vegetation have kept the structure hidden from view. Connie blazes a path to the front door. Inside, mushrooms are growing and the garden is trying to take up residence in the moldy rooms. Granna's place had been left pretty much the same as it was the day she died, with dusty old books on the shelves, dried herbs in the jars, and disintegrating papers in the desk. Happenstance brings Connie the intriguing name of Deliverance Dane. Curiosity carries her further, to birth and death records, church records, any central depository of historical documents that might shed light on who Deliverance Dane was. The enormity of what she has found slowly dawns on Connie, leaving her trembling with excitement and fear. And she soon starts to realize that she is not the only one seeking answers about Deliverance Dane.

While following a clue or two, Connie meets a young man named Sam, a steeplejack working on the restoration of one of the local churches. Without Sam, Connie may have had to abandon her quest, but he is full of encouragement. And full of distractions. She has always been a serious student, with no time for romance. But things are different that summer in Marblehead. They form a bond that becomes hard to break, which may just be the key to saving their lives.

Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE will be tough to resist. Covering a time in our past that is hard to comprehend, author Katherine Howe has put a fresh spin on how to view it. Maybe we can get a better understanding of what motivated people to accuse women of witchcraft, and dispel the senseless fear that came along with it. Perhaps we can learn not to repeat our mistakes. For a certainty, we can have a lot of fun reading about it.

Part thriller, part haunted house mystery and part love story, with just a small measure of DA VINCI CODE-like action and suspense, this book will keep its readers spellbound from cover to cover. It's more than intriguing; it's positively captivating.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

I thought this was a very interesting book. Not so much a page turner but it was very good. I liked the way she went back and forth from one time to another. It was very well thought out and easy to follow. I just finished this book last night and I recommend it to anyone interested in the 1690 time era. Four Stars for sure.

A little of Sherlock Holmes, a little of Harry Potter, a mild stretch of imagination, and plenty of historical fact tossed together in a witch's brew creates a wonderful magical potion in Katherine's novel. The story is very well written with vivid imagery and rich text. Her portrayals of the Salem "witch-hunt", and what could be construed as dark sorcery and incantations intermingled with factual historical accounts were nicely woven into the modern day life especially when one takes into consideration her own genealogy and path taken in writing this work.

This is the story of a modern day academic accidentally discovering her family history while researching her doctorate. That may sound a little dry, but it is actually a fascinating story of modern greed and vanity combined with very interesting American history. The novel even includes a sexy romance. It is the story of strong women surviving prejudice, and the terrible effects of small mindedness and religious persecution. Supernatural elements add a great deal to the adventure. Anyone with an interest in the infamous Salem Witch Trials will enjoy this tale.
Michael Travis Jasper, author of the novel "To Be Chosen"
A Discovery of Witches: A Novel,The Witch's Daughter

I really expected to like this book. I love the genre (both paranormal and historical fiction), but the book didn't live up to my expectations. I found the plot to be very predictable, and I just wasn't that interested in (or invested in) the main characters. I kept waiting for something more, or to actually care more, but that just didn't happen. It's not that I won't ever read this author again, but this definitely wasn't one of my favorites.

It's been awhile since I've read this book (two years to be exact) so I will do my best to share my thoughts. First of all, isn't this a beautiful cover? As a history major, I really enjoyed this novel. I loved how the author brought us into life of a Harvard academic while at the same time telling the story of Deliverance Dane and her family during 17th century America. Katherine Howe was able to weave post past and present in such a way that reminded me of one of my favorite novels, Possession by A.S. Byatt. I didn't give this book five stars because I was a little disappointed in the ending. It just give the rest of the story justice.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction with a little more than the average historical detail.

This book was on the reading list for a class I am taking in Historical Fiction. I enjoyed the mix of the past and the present as well as a slightly different view of the Salem witch trials that the author presented.

I loved this book! A well-paced thriller based on the actual history of the Salem witch trials, author Katherine Howe skillfully incorporates elements from real archives into an imaginary timeline leading to the present day. In the course of writing her Phd thesis, the appealing heroine Connie Goodwin discovers ancient mysteries linking her own family to Salem's dark past. Her quest for the truth becomes an adventure through the diverse worlds of academia, historical archives, romance, new-age spirituality, and modern Salem. The author has done an excellent job of blending the historical record with fictional invention, even more remarkable considering that she is herself the descendant of accused Salem witches, one who survived and one who did not. A must-read for anyone fascinated with esoteric studies and the bizarre events in Salem in the 1690s.

I typically have little or no interest in novels dealing with the supernatural. But I do like Michael Gruber's work ("There is no supernatural. It's all part of the universe, although the universe is queerer than we suppose.") and a couple of decades ago there was a novel about ghosts at West Point that I found enthralling (Timothy R. O'Neill's Shades of Gray). And I fell completely under the spell of Deliverance Dane and her descendant. The trials and tribulations of near-contemporary scholarship echo well with the grim life of 17th and 18th century New England, rendered with unsparing accuracy. Ms. Howe delivers a compelling narrative with the element of suspense growing persistently in the background. The details of the Salem witchcraft hysteria come fully alive in her hands. This is first-rate historical fiction.

This is simply entertainment and I enjoyed the mystery of the story line and watching it unfold. It is well written, characters are well developed (I enjoyed the aspect of the dog). It gives thought to what happened during the Salem witch trials. I appreciated that K. Rowe kept the relationship with Sam sweet and innocent enough to have younger readers appreciate the story. I recommend this book and will look forward to more by K. Howe.

If you are looking for a wonderful summer read, then this is it. The writing flows well, the time period hopping I am usually against, was not annoying as it can be with some authors. She goes from one to the other with ease. I loved the characters, even if I didn't like them very much. They all worked well together, and added to the chemistry. I enjoyed that there was fact and fiction blended together. I also liked her spin on the trials...what if a "real" witch were actually tried and convicted??? Very intriuging. This is definately a book I will recommend to all my friends who enjoy this sort of fiction.

I really enjoy a good occult style mystery. Particularly if it blends present & past situations. I thrive on the idea that despite the passing of time and answer will always arrive to every Historical puzzle. There are plenty of novels out there that opperate on this premise & they fail badly. I was very relieved that Ms. Howe was able to satisfy me!

This is worth re-reading, even after you know how it ends.

This is one of the best books I've ever read about the Salem witches. The author beautifully blends the story of the Salem witches with a modern-day grad student's research into their stories. The hunt for the "Physick Book" takes the protagonist to some unexpected places and she discovers exactly where she came from and who she is. I loved Connie's relationship with her mother and the romance with Sam was very sweet and turned out to be quite pivotal. The historic details are wonderful. I loved the magical twists and turns. This is definitely a book that requires the suspension of reality, but if you can do that, this book is major fun and very hard to put down, especially during the final third of the story. A great escape from reality book, but the timeless themes still shine through. Just what a great book should do.

I checked this book out from the library; to have purchased would not have been worth the price. Only because I am interested in genealogy, and have a personal distant link to Elizabeth Proctor of the Salem Witchcraft era, am I struggling to continue reading this book. The writing is stilted and more of what I would expect to find in a thesis, not smooth and intriguing for a historical novel. The history of that era I know quite well and was hoping to find it used in a fresh novel that was historically accurate. The story drags and the dialogue seems forced, almost as if the author is trying too hard to cram all her ivory tower knowledge into her version of a novel.

I'd give more than 5 stars if I could. The author wrote this story so well that she really had me by the end of the 1st paragraph. Her style of writing, her story telling, her attention to detail... you can tell she put alot of thought & care into this story. This book is a little treasure. You really can bond with the characters pretty much right away. You get a very good sense as to what they're all about. The story weaves together like a fine tapestry. It really was such a pleasure to read. I can't recommend it highly enough. Just captivating !

The main character of Connie was way too stupid to be a PhD candidate in anything. Despite her academic status, she was unable to read and decipher a primary source that I would bet 98 percent of readers recognized. I also felt there were way too many unanswered questions about her mother and grandmother, and how much magic they actually practiced. The rendered Boston accents were ridiculous; why a good editor did not fix that I do not know!

That being said, the character of the house and the setting in the Salem area and Cambridge were interesting. I liked Connie's friend Liz, although I highly doubted that anyone who hung around with Liz would absorb a lot of Latin. Reading about the Salem witch trials is always riveting, and the author wrote about them well. I especially liked the scenes that were set during that time.

Kathrine Howe's page turning novel brings the Salem witch trials to life and holds the reader spellbound as only a real life historian and the descendant of an accused Salem witch could accomplish. Don't be put off by the 17th century New England dialect. The dialog may be difficult to follow at first but it adds authenticity to a story that reads like non-fiction.

As the protagonist Connie Goodwin prepares for a PhD in Hitory, her advisor asks the question that sets the stage for the captivating drama that toggles back and forth between the 1680's and 1990's in New England; what if the Salem witches were actually practicing witchcraft? Connie's quest to answer that question leads to more than just academic curiosity. Eventually she must come to grips with the possibility that witchcraft was actually practied and that she may be a descendant of a practiing witch.

"The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" is a must read for your summer vacation.

I did not read the "about the author" before I read the book. After reading the book, I was not surprised that the author was a graduate student. The story read like a glorified research paper. I definitely learned something so I can recommend it for its historical research, but I did not feel the story-telling balanced the research.

I loved this book! Historical fiction has always been a weakness of mine, and this one definitely hit the spot. I loved the characters past and present. The plot was mildly predictable, but it didn't take away from the story. An experienced reader can tell the author is new at her craft because the transition from present to past is often choppy. None of this stopped me from getting through this book in a week. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters.

Set in Cambridge & Marblehead, Massachusetts, this fascinating story weaves back and forth from past to the present. Following the lives of the women in the family as they struggle with the belief in and use of what we might call witchcraft.

I really enjoyed reading this book more so than I thought I would. It was very gripping at times and I enjoyed learning about the witch trials, which in school I didn't want to learn or hear about it, because I thought history was the most boring class ever. But putting the stories in this form was a great way of learning and after reading this book I really wanted to do my own research.

I've loaned this book out several times and have recommended it time and time again. I've also purchased about ten (or more) copies and given them to family and friends as gifts.

I sometimes have a hard time finding fiction I love, because it has to be meaty and meaningful enough to be interesting, but it also has to be fun to read. So much women's fiction that seems "fun to read" is so light and shallow and formulaic that I can't even get into it. Other novels are full of meaning, but are so literary and challenging they feel more like the kinds of books that are assigned in school because that's the only time you'd be disciplined enough to plow through them.

Enter "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane," a terrific, absorbing novel set in 1991, with a generous helping of history regarding the Salem witch trials of the 17th century. It's smart and meaty and well-written, it touches on "women's" topics of great interest to us all, and at the same time is great, great fun to read.

The book's plucky heroine, Connie, is a Harvard grad student in Cambridge, Mass., searching for a good PhD thesis topic when her mother asks her to clean out her late grandmother's house in Marblehead, Mass. In doing so, Connie embarks on an adventure that begins to add some mystery to the book: she discovers fascinating artifacts from the witch trials, including information on a woman named Deliverance Dane.

But this book is much more than a mystery--it's one part mystery, one part "woman's book" with a great telling of this time in Connie's life, her relationship with her mother, friends, boyfriend, Harvard mentor and Harvard adviser, and one part historical fiction with period detail that make that fascinating, and horrifying, part of America's history really come to life.

Highly recommended.

Getting past the unusual design of the book, I found Connie's and Deliverance's stories very interesting. This is a fiction novel that has some historical facts about the Salem witch trials. I was expecting the historical element, but the suspense element was a nice surprise. Connie is working on her dissertation and comes across an old "recipe" book that connects her to the past and to Deliverance Dane, an accused Salem witch. Little does Connie know that the book will put her in danger as well.

While looking through the Costco magazine, I saw this book and ordered it! What a great surprise. I love the way Katherine Howe has us going back and forth from 1691 to 1991. Believe me there is never a dull moment! Does anyone know how the circle got on the door? This was fun to read and I looked forward every day coming home from work knowing it was waiting for me. A true escape!

I just finished reading "The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane" by Katherine Howe. Mysterious and magical are the two words that come to mind when I think of this book. The story takes the reader from modern day Salem to a horrific time in history when someone could be accussed of being a witch just by being different. The main character, Connie Goodwin, a graduate student at Harvard, is given the responsiblity of preparing her grandmother's estate to be sold. As she is going through some of her grandmother's books she discovers a seventh century Bible that contains more than scriptures. Inside is an antique key with a tiny compartment containing an old yellowed piece of parchment paper with the name Deliverance Dane written on it. Thus begins the search for the mysterious Deliverance Dane and her Physick (medicine) book. Or is it her long hidden Witches Book of Shadows that contains actual spells and incantations that could change the world as we know it? As Connie searches for answers she also discoves powers, within herself, that have been carried from the 1690s world of Deliverance Dane to the present.

I thought the idea for this story was great, but the prose failed to pull me in.

I got the impression that Howe is a very intelligent woman who has spent too much time reading text books, and not enough time reading modern fiction. The prose and dialogue were too stiff for my taste, but this may not be a problem for other readers.

I really enjoyed this novel by Katherine Howe, and would recommend it to those who enjoy the "witchy" themes in modern literature. The main heroine of the tale, Connie, is a Colonial historian and a grad student, unexpectedly stuck trying to sell her grandmother's empty house in Marblehead, Massachusetts. She spends the summer cleaning the house and searching for a unique and original source for her future doctorate when a strange find sends her on a journey through time to unravel a mystery of her own ancestry, Salem Witch Trials, and a woman who may have been a genuine potion maker. The story is easy to follow, with interesting flashbacks to the 17th and 18th centuries when the Trials were taking place, and the aftermath of the events was affecting the lives of villages all around Salem town. I definitely managed to stay awake throughout the narrative, with the narrator doing a rather good job with portraying various characters. This one is worth a read for any person (but still mostly a woman) who is interested in Salem Witch Trials, and a bit of historical/fictional mystery thrown in.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" by Katherin Howe was an interesting story about how a young historian was unexpectantly connected to the Salem Witch Trials. The interesting theme of an actual witch during the time of the witch hysteria is woven throughout the book. The book jumps back and forth through time keeping you entertained as the character comes to learn more and more about her own family history and the time period which she herself is suppose to be a specialist. With a small romance story line and a reconnecting of mother and daugheter it is quite entertaining. Even though a few chapters before the end I was able to guess the ending and figure out the "bad guy", it was still good and worth a read.

To be fair, I'm only on page 169. But the fact that I'm *making* myself read this book for the sake of having to finish a book after it's been opened is saying something. If you're a writer such as myself, or expect literature to surprise you and give you something new and refreshing, this book will disappoint you.

The character development is horrible, the writing is simple, and the plot line is predictable. Am I honestly to expect Connie, a Harvard student getting her PhD, can't figure out the simplest clues going on in this book? I understand the author is trying to set this up as a 'mystery' and leaving 'clues along the way,' but she needs to give her readers - and characters- more credit than that. Every turn in the story, every new scene and character, is so clearly placed there for a reason, meaning nothing will surprise you, and you'll likely figure out what's going to happen next before our *bright* main character does.

As far as character development goes, Connie is the worst. We're introduced to an ambitious young woman, serious and dedicated to her studies. Once she goes to her grandmother's house, instead of a well-paced change in Connie (her world is changing after all), she quickly becomes a procrastinator who gives up years of her hard studying to go on a hunt for a name she found in a book (seriously- halfway through the book and I don't think she's cleaned one thing in that house). This, on top of her randomly wanting to do cartwheels in a library, swimming in her underwear without a thought ... where did these characteristics come from? It's hard to read a book when the main character's personality is fuzzy and slightly annoying.

I will say I find some of the history interesting, though if I wanted that, I would have picked up a history book, not a fiction one.

I highly doubt the plot will take such a drastic turn that I will like this book. The best plot couldn't make up for the poor, dumbed down writing. Page 169, and bored out of my mind.

I really enjoyed this book. Historical fiction is my way of learning history. Ms.Howe's combination of historical fiction and paranormal really makes this a fun yet educational read. I loved her explanation of the superstitions of the 16th and 17th Centuries and the many unknown facts of the Salem Witch Trials. I am looking forward to reading her next book.

Howe, a descendant of two Salem Witches, interprets history in a most original, readable novel. Simply brilliant. I devoured this story and I admired the way the author was able to keep an ominous feeling and an underlying tone of tension throughout -- even on a sunny day. Would be a wonderful choice for a book club.

Connie, a Harvard PhD student in history who has just passed her orals, heads to a small town for the summer to handle the sale of her grandmother's house. There, she finds the name Deliverance Dane on a slip of paper and starts on a search that combines two object: a new primary source for her dissertation and an answer to a family mystery. Along the way, she meets an attractive man who helps in her research and becomes more accepting of her mother, of things outside the strictly logical, and of herself.

If it sounds like a lot of other novels, it is; Deliverance Dane is trite and predictable, with characters that seem like caricatures and a romantic subplot that seemed obligatory and lacked head. The man character is a too-logical grad student who needs to loosen up and embrace her supernatural side; her mother is an aging hippie with unexpected, disarming wisdom; the villain is power-crazed and delusional. Moreover, the "witches" possess vague, faintly silly powers. I'm willing to accept the supernatural in a book, but this one just didn't sell me on it with its bland writing that never shows when it can tell. The writer never seemed content to let the reader draw conclusions, seeming to fear that if she didn't spell out for us that, for instance, the villain was a "small man," we wouldn't figure it out. I saw him coming a mile away, anyway. There was nothing outrageously wrong with the book--just nothing special about it.

A wonderful book that is full of history and drama. Presented an interesting perspective of the Salem witch ordeals. I loved the way the old and the new was intertwined to create a great story. It would have been great to have had more history on the house in which most of the story unfolds and more of the story on the genetics that seems to have connected the generations of women that lived in the house.

In spite of its predictability, this book is an enjoyable read. I loved the flashbacks about Deliverance, the historical time-period of the 1690's was very well done, particularly the effect of the witch trials throughout the generations . I always love a good mystery with good flow and a gradual suspense. What I didn't like is the mundane love interest that comes out of nowhere and and ending you could see coming a mile away. I would have preferred the mother-daughter relationship developed more deeply as well as the main character's friendships.

This story had much potential, but Howe missed the mark. She should stick to academia. The characters were predictable, flat and unlikeable. The story was disjointed and slow, and at no point did it pick up to offer the reader excitement or mystery. The mystery was anything but - a two year old could figure out the plot line after reading 10 pages. The book's only redeeming quality was offering the reader a "New England respite" as Howe described the campus of Harvard and the small cottage in Marblehead Massachusetts.

I live and breathe for fiction books about witches that aren't stuck in the Sci-Fi section. This book was a great read; the author did a nice job of describing both the historical and current settings of this story. I agree with one other reviewer who said that the author at times did seem to be showing off her knowledge of history, but the rest of the book makes up for that. Her writing left pictures of the house, the scroll, the town, etc., in my mind and left me wishing to see something like it in person. She also did a nice job weaving the mystery of it all throughout the book. Definitely worth reading overall.

I enjoyed reading this book, and I can easily see it being made into a movie. The plot is somewhat predictable, but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless. I also enjoyed all the historical tidbits throughout the novel. I have always been intrigued about the Salem witch trials and that time period, and the author did an excellent job of making that time period come alive. This would be a great book for students (or anyone) to read to learn more about early American history, while still being entertained by the story. The main character is likable, but she did get kind of annoying at times because of her not, as her mother says in the book, being able to see what is right in front of her. However, it's still a very good book and a worthwhile read.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is a novel written by Katherine Howe that is sort of a time-warp story. The book starts out in 1991 Massachusetts, but goes back in time to the 17th century when witchcraft was an issue. For those readers who are interested in the Salem witch trials and connected events, then this should be an interesting read. Like many books, there was a slow start because the author had to build the background information before the action of the plot could start.

From my book review blog, [...]:

In short, I loved the book, being a lover of mystery fiction, paranormal and off the beaten path writers and their books. Katherine Howe certainly delivers in this mini tome. The characters, setting and plot are believable and even likable. You empathize with Connie and the women from the past, Deliverance, Prudence and so forth. Each task Connie sets her in a path that is dangerous and unlikely foes are using her for their own good (or bad, as the case may be). Katherine takes great care in crafting her settings, from Cambridge to the small town where she finds her family's sturdy but down-trodden home. Mystical happenings abound and Connie's academic brain must sort through the ages to find out where the truth lies, as well as clear an unbeknownst ancestor's name.

This is one book I would definitely recommend for a rainy or snowy weekend.

The inside flap to the book is a bit misleading as to what the story is about. The story is not about a woman with "visions" of the witch trials. Instead the book alternates between two threads: a post-grad student seeking to learn about her ancestors; and 2: those very ancestors dealing with the hysteria of 17th century witchcraft. The story is not particularly spooky, and I felt confused by the notion developed in the book that we should feel sorry for those social misfits accused of 'witchcraft' when it is later revealed that they did indeed have some unworldly powers. I can see how the social context of each century might look at magic differently (i.e. as witchcraft in 1692, or as New Age nonsense in 2010). Its a good book, with a small number of characters nicely developed. Its just not what I expected from the books own description.

This book was a random selection from the library one day. It quite surprised me in its accurate details of the historical period--and this is something I LOVE to see in a book. Much like the Diana Gabaldon Outlander series, this author has done her historical research and weaves a story using solid background and historical events. The actual story was simple, and the modern characters a bit lacking in depth; but the intriquing historical details of belief in witchcraft in the Salem witch trials period was more than worth it.

Of course, I'm a nut for Salem history and the city itself. And I'm a witch. So chances were good that I'd enjoy the book. It was fun to immerse myself Salem and its history. I thought the book was well-researched - I especially enjoyed the folk magic and medicine - and that the plot and many subplots were more than engaging. I read it in one sitting. (Admittedly, I read pretty darn fast.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more by this author. That said, I can express some disappointment in the main character, Connie. For a graduate student she certainly did come across as a little dimwitted at times and a bit weak-willed as well. I wanted to shout at her - "stand up to your advisor, stand up to your mother, and stop letting snotty clerks intimidate you".

I won't belabor the point here--suffice it to say that based on the reviews I was hoping for lots more. The book makes for a diverting beach/pool read, period, assuming the aggressively insipid heroine and historical minutiae don't put you to sleep first.

The alternating story of a Harvard graduate student and her Salem, Massachusetts ancestor accused of witchcraft, drew me in and kept me reading. As Connie, the graduate student, moves into her grandmother's house and slowly uncovers her family's history, it was fascinating to follow along with her, even though it was a little too predictable as to what was going to happen next and who the antagonist would turn out to be. The chapters written from the viewpoint of her ancestors were especially intriguing, and for a historical fiction fan like me, very believable. I particularly loved the author's ability to describe the settings. I wanted to be the one to first find Connie's grandmother's house, hidden away and overgrown, untouched for years. Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

This book was just a little too predictable. The author did a wodnerful job researching this subject and included lots of information not widely known regarding those accused in the Salem witch trails; however, the characters never really developed to their full potential. The loose ends tied up too neatly at the end. Parts of the book read like a report and did not flow with the casual dialog. A solid "C" for this book.

I took this book to read when I did doubles at work, and there were times I couldnt put it down. The author is obviously very keen on the subject matter from a historians viewpoint, but shes excellent at weaving in the fictional aspects. Its an educational book, but with magic and a bit of danger...and it made me think of my mother and grandmothers - and my own daughter. I think she described the daily living from that time period so well that I was left imagining myself being alive back then, even after I was done with the book.
I cried at parts, and I hoped at parts, and I became anxious at parts. Good read.

I admit that it took me a while to get through the book, I had to come back to it to actually read it, but having finished it I liked Howe's interpretation of the Salem Witch trials. As she said, it was from the point of view that magic existed and it was interesting to see a skeptic being forced to believe in magic.

The premise sounded very promising and I love fiction about this era and the witch trials, but this book was a major disappointment. First, the writing was just horrible. I felt like the author was spoon feeding me every thought she wanted me to me have. The dialogue is very mechanical and the characters are completely bland. I kept waiting for plot to become more intriguing but it just dragged on and on, and then ended without ever really having a point.

I really wanted to like this book, but could not get past its many faults. Forget the cut-offs, flip flops, Boston accents for people living 350 years ago, the nose ring and living in a house that should have fallen down.

It was the prose that put me off, right from the git go. The author in the acknowledgements thanked her editor. Seriously? An editor who missed these gems:

"The receiver clicked and went blank as she was placed on hold."
Blank is a SEEING adjective. Using your ears, you cannot detect blank. What is wrong with using "silent"?

"Connie had trouble conceiving of such a tidy woman, in her Peter Pan collar and pleated skirt, as a `Laura.'"
Why? Laura is a classically feminine name. Laura Ashley, for example. What should her name have been? Delilah? Apple? Jed?

"Connie heard her mother put a bleeding palm to her mouth and soothe it with lips."
The context of this is that Connie was on the phone with her mother. This was the line that took me out of chair and down to my family room to show my children a bad sentence.
You cannot hear a palm bleed. You also cannot hear someone soothe with lips unless the mother was making loud sucking sounds. And while that image is hilarious to me, I doubt that is what Ms. Howe intended my reaction to be. Connie could have "imagined her mother put a bleeding palm..." or "pictured her mother put a bleeding palm..."

There were more, but I imagine that'll do.

The story itself is very engaging and I was reeled into the plot line wanting to know more about the characters and how they fit together. The only thing that made it somewhat weaker to me was the it got a little verbose in places that didn't really matter to the story. It is one of those books that makes me want to know more about the era and the people which makes it a winner in my mind. I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed the premise of this novel, as well as the author's rich (thick?) descriptive writing style. Readers should be prepared for the shift from historical fiction/drama to an unexpected magical realism. Unique and interesting read.

Strange, found this in my collection and had never seen it before. Had no dust jacket so I had no idea what it was and it hooked me. I think it didn't end as well as I hoped but worth reading. How does one end a book like this in a way that does it justice? Maybe a more experienced writer would have done better, maybe not. Her flashbacks to the 17th century were the best part.

This book was wonderful. It took me a few pages to get hooked, but I did. Found myself thinking of the characters long after I finished the book. I now plan to visit Salem when I go to Boston next year. Highly recommend the book.

The premise of this novel intrigued me: young woman spends her summer sorting through her deceased grandmother's possessions and discovers a heretofore unknown primary source document that may or may not help her formulate her own doctoral thesis.

Old manuscripts? Check. Crumbling house filled with ancient treasures? Check. Smart, likable heroine who won't take no for an answer? Check, er, wait, uncheck that one.

The primary problem with this novel is the author's complete lack of writing ability. I'm afraid getting a Ph.D. in American Studies does not a novelist make. Indeed, page after page of unlikable, transparently evil or good characters coupled with leaden, mind-numbing prose and dialogue made finishing "The Physick Book" a chore somewhat akin to doing the laundry or paying bills. I wanted to finish it because I'd started it, but god help me, I loathed the thought of picking it up again.

Nothing makes sense in this novel. Why have Connie's grandmother die 20 years before? From a purely practical standpoint, houses that have sat empty for 20 years are going to have holes in their roofs and no workable plumbing or running water. Connie would have been sleeping in a tent in the garden or staying at the local inn. There's no way she could have set up house after one day. My guess is the author didn't want to have to contend with complicated backstory and relationships, so she opted for the easy way out: granny died when the protagonist was a wee thing so the protagonist will have no knowledge or memory of granny, except when she does, but then she doesn't.

Why bother having Connie go through the grandmother's house at all if you're not going to at least show us a little of that work? The house becomes a set piece that has little to do with the story by the time the author gets done with it. It could have been used in so many other interesting ways.

Why not have the mother stay at the house with Connie so the two of them can work out their complicated but interesting relationship one-on-one? Of course, that would require the author to actually write believable characters who move beyond the most superficial of changes and interaction, but it also would have made the novel that much more interesting.

Why set the present-day action in 1991? 1991? That's practically ancient history by now. I suppose it made it easier for the author to heighten Connie's isolation and her ability to sleuth out the answers the old-fashioned way, but honestly, if you can't write a period and place believably, then don't bother. There were a lot of small errors that kept pulling me out of 1991 and leaving me utterly irritated.

Why have one's protagonist behave like such a blathering, unaware, ridiculous idiot? For this question, I have no answer except that perhaps the author hoped the reader would feel smarter if he or she could figure out the next clue before the protagonist or perhaps the author really is that terrible of a writer. Either way, it was annoying. Simple clues were sources of amazement for Connie the clueless heroine. Connie supposedly is a budding expert on Colonial era customs, writing and mores. Yet, she routinely misses obvious information. This did not heighten the story's tension for me, although it did heighten my wish to toss it across the room and crack the book's spine in two. Which gets me to my final point...building tension in novels is harder than most people realize.

As it turns out, having one's protagonist constantly surprised by everything that happens around her does not actually build tension. If Connie calls smoking hot Sam, the steeplejack, and asks him to stop by, then why did she forget she did this in the ensuing 40 minutes since the call and why is the reader told she's surprised when he shows up at her house? Really? Did she really forget she called him? Or is the author merely trying to build "tension" for the reader. My money's on tension, and this did not endear me to the author's cause.

Moreover, breaking up the present-day narrative with narrative from the 1690s would be interesting if the author wasn't essentially giving away all the secrets that the present-day protagonist is seeking to understand. That stripped the book of its forward momentum and of its natural tension more effectively than even a stupid main character and leaden prose could ever hope to do. I imagine Howe was trying to mimic something like Geraldine Brooks' masterful "People of the Book," but she could not have been less successful.

In conclusion, "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" is not worth the money or the time you will invest in it.

Good grief! I can't take it any more. I just started reading this book and am currently on page 81 and nothing much has happened yet! The author is taking forever to get to the point and I can't quite figure out if this is a ghost story or a mystery--maybe both? Either way, I think I'm moving on. It's a shame because it got such good reviews and I was so excited about reading it. the portions about Deliverance Dane were interesteing but all that period talk made it slow going.

I was skeptical about this book when I first bought it, never having read Katherine Howe before but my worries were quickly assuaged, this book is fantastic! I couldn't put it down, I'd fall asleep reading and wake up wanting to read more!

I loved this! I'm completely fascinated by the history of Salem and this book was full of interesting facts and anecdotes about New England in the 1690s. A great combination of spooky, magical and historical. Don't miss this one!

I'm not sure what all the people who gave this book 1 star are whinning about, the book was fantastic! Honestly, I only picked this book up because i liked the way the cover looked.... I read it in a day and a half. Obviously you need to interested in the sort of fantasy fiction world of witches and such..but my favorite part was that the author is actually related to a "witch" who was hanged during the Salem Witch Trials- the book successfully incorporated fun fiction with truths from the days of witches in Salem. Great read you won't regret!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Walk the streets of old and new - we are all intertwined with our family's past. This offers a slightly different vew of the Salem witch trials; a view that makes sense. Who said common sense was dead?

The Salem witch trials from one grad. student's bird's eye view reveals the dangers of persecuting odd folks rather than embracing them. Loved the color of the town and salty townspeople. Lovely dip into history.

I was so excited to read this book, and I definitely was not let down.
I read this book every chance I had, on breaks at work, in between homework, right before bed, EVERYWHERE!
I loved how we got to travel back in time and see what was going on with Deliverance!
It was a fantastic read!
I recommend to Everyone!

I could not put this book down, I really enoyed it! I love the fact that the author is actually related to two of the victims of the Salem witch trials. It is backed with historial references, has suspense and mystery, romance and comedy. I highly recommend it!

I appreciated Katherine Howe's passion in writing about the Salem witch trials. She is evidentally a descendent of one of the unfortunate women inapppropriately executed. Howe writes description well. I felt that sometimes, however, she sacrificed the flow of the plot to description. It kept my interest until the end.
by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont

For a first novel, Ms. Howe has a winner. I get tired of reading the same old thing. This book is fresh, unique and well-written. The characters are well developed. It's smart and fun. I'm hoping the movie rights have already been snapped up!

This book had me going from the start. Mixing the history of the Salem witch trials with a current story and connecting them through genetics drew me in. Some predictable events, but not enough to detract from the story. Read it over the weekend.

If you're interested in the Salem Witch Trials and you like reading historical fiction, this book is well researched and well written and a good read as well. I am giving it 4 stars because I wasn't fond of the ending.

I really enjoyed this book - read it nearly straight through on a sick day. I loved the characters and could picture them all perfectly. The historical details are facinating and the story keeps you reading, long after you should go to sleep! I want more stories of the Goodwin women!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe was a phenomenal read. I relished every moment of the story. The historical research that the author conducted is evidant and was interwoven throughout the pages making it a part of the story and never coming across as a educational lecture or rant. The writing immersed you into the world of the characters. As the mystery began to unfold I had a good time trying to figure out the outcome and all the little niches that added up to the ending. I loved this book and it will remain a staple in my collection.

First half of the book, 5 stars. Second half, 2 stars. This could have been a great book if she had stuck to natural solutions, instead of turning to casting spells, etc. I don't get why people want to read about witches, werewolves, and vampires. Is real life that boring to you?

The cover is what drew me to this book and I must say it was surprisingly good. The author is currently working on her PHd which you can certianly tell in the book. I think she gets a little to descriptive of the whole graduate process. However it was easy to overlook in such a fantastic view/story into the Salem Witch Trails and it's relation to one modern day women.

This is one of the most poorly written and poorly edited book I have ever read. The number of events that conveniently occur are overwhelming. In addition, the inconsistencies weren't even caught by the editor: For instance, the main character says she barely remembers her grandmother. But then she vividly recalls her grandmother knitting her a sweater. Swimming in Marblehead harbor on one moonless night, she "accidentally" swims into her love interest who just "accidentally" happened to be swimming there, too (and no one else is- give me a break). And even though she can't see him in this dark night, she does see his nose ring sparkle in the moonlight. (How is this possible when it was so dark she couldn't even see him in the water?) It is annoying to have a book like this marketed to the public when it is so poorly written.

I had such hopes for this one. And I kept waiting for it to get better, but it never did. It is written on a junior high school level and the ending just screams at you from the very beginning. Do NOT buy this one. Don't even get from the library. Pure drivel.

I loved this book -- the weave of history, grad school drama, love story, and a bit of witchcraft. It was well written, and the characters were believable. I liked the alternation between past and present, and the tension of the impending trial. The suspense kept me reading and I loved the botanical references. Write another!

Just finished "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" by Katherine Howe.
Great fast summer read. The smooth writing style along with the vernacular of 1681 time period of Salem, Massachusetts makes the book. 5 stars

This was a fantastic book! I absolutely loved the prose and circumspect of this novel! This book was filled with tidbits of historically accurate vernacular Magick! I fell in love with the characters! I sincerely hope Mrs. Howe writes another book on colonial Witchcraft and Magick! I am recommending this book to everyone I see!

I'm not sure why this book caught my attention. I thought I would enjoy it, but once I started reading it, I was so pleasantly surprised by how awesome it was. I could not put it down. Finished it in 2 days. Story was well written and charachters too!

Extremely predictable. It was so obvious that Connie, her mother and grandmother were descendants of Deliverance and her daughter. It would have added to the story to know more about Grace and Sophia and their connections to the craft that was only hinted at.
And really, blue-white balls of magic and ABRACADABRA?

I have enjoyed this book for it's historic value, of a time that I only "heard" of - the fact that it is written in the voice of the subject as the heroine searches for and finds other historic documentation makes it seem so real. Plus, the mystery of it all.

I loved this book -- the weave of history, grad school drama, love story, and a bit of witchcraft. It was well written, and the characters were believable. I liked the alternation between past and present, and the tension of the impending trial. The suspense kept me reading and I loved the botanical references. Write another!

Just finished "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" by Katherine Howe.
Great fast summer read. The smooth writing style along with the vernacular of 1681 time period of Salem, Massachusetts makes the book. 5 stars

This was a fantastic book! I absolutely loved the prose and circumspect of this novel! This book was filled with tidbits of historically accurate vernacular Magick! I fell in love with the characters! I sincerely hope Mrs. Howe writes another book on colonial Witchcraft and Magick! I am recommending this book to everyone I see!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is a suspense-filled and mesmerizing read. A stop off at the Deliverance Dane website -- Totally Enchanting. Will hold you 'til your book arrives. And you might want to visit the site through link at the back of the book --Truly Fascinating. Enjoy.

I'm not sure why this book caught my attention. I thought I would enjoy it, but once I started reading it, I was so pleasantly surprised by how awesome it was. I could not put it down. Finished it in 2 days. Story was well written and charachters too!

I have enjoyed this book for it's historic value, of a time that I only "heard" of - the fact that it is written in the voice of the subject as the heroine searches for and finds other historic documentation makes it seem so real. Plus, the mystery of it all.

Ms. Howe had me hooked all the way through part I but then things went comically down hill . . . the mystery surrounding the book was enough to keep readers interested. She didn't need to travel the road she did.