Stack of Spines

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After a long wait at the library, I so enjoyed The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.  Katherine Howe is nothing if not meticulous and her passion for 17th Century America was evident in Deliverance Dane; it was essentially a love story to history.

Howe knows her stuff but isn’t afraid to take a leap into the unknown for the sake of good fiction.  I found her twist on the Salem Witch Trials very transformative.  Having taken an American History class in college in Boston, I had heard most of the social theories as to why the Witch Trials took place.  The premise of Deliverance Dane was quite the flip from everything I’d read previously.

Howe’s characters didn’t live up to the breadth of her ideas — at first.  I think initially Connie comes off as a bit pretentious; however, just as her mind and research expand with new and exciting possibilities, she becomes more likeable.  I was confused by the relationship she had with her mother and I think it added an unnecessary dimension of complexity and confusion.

Admittedly, it took me a bit to really get into the book.  The set-up was evident and necessary and I wasn’t bored per-se, but I could sort of feel it all coming at me.  After about a third of the way through, I was hooked.  The plot twists and flashbacks (which I normally have trouble with — often they are unwelcome distractions) were very appropriate and added to the story very much.

My favorite part and the section I most appreciated was the Author’s Note at the end.  I love watching DVDs with the commentary and getting any inside information I can gather.  Howe provided a brief but unique look at her writing process and my positive feelings about the book and her research and knowledge base were cemented even more.

I would be interested to know why the present day was in 1991 — 399 years after the Salem Witch Trials.  I can’t figure out for the life of me the significance, if there even is one.