A Good Witch Work

Now here is the book I was looking for around Halloween. This is a fun, easy read. What I really like about it is you have the past and recent past combined together. The majority of the book takes place in 1991 with a Harvard PhD student. Connie is intelligent and research obsessed. Over the summer, she must clean up her grandmother's old house, while trying to find an untapped primary source. Well lucky her!! Granny's house has a mystery or two up its sleeve. Here begins the tale of Deliverance Dane and her descendants.

The book presented the fun side of research (there's a fun side?). Yes the FUN side, where you interpret and figure out what the clues mean and how to piece together evidence, search for sources, and interrogate witches (ok I've never done that). Anywho, the book presented an arguably realistic look at how one digs deep into history. Along with that, I love a good witch tale, and this was one that took a different spin on it. The history part of this book takes place around 1692, the Salem witch trials. What a terrible time in our nation's history, but what if those people weren't just paranoid, blaming others for their problems, or mad about the changing role of women in culture? What if witches exist???

I like this book and would certainly recommend it as a fun read. Katherine Howe is a good writer. It flows well between the centuries and plot points. The ending is perhaps a bit odd, but it is an overall good read. Not life changing or worthy of much discussion, in my opinion, but a fun witchy work (who doesn't love some alliteration).