The Physick Book of Deliverance Daneby Katherine Howe
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is both mystery and historical fiction, bouncing back and forth between “present day” (1991) and the 1600s and 1700s.
The main character, Connie, is a Harvard graduate student who must spend the summer cleaning out her deceased grandmother’s several-hundred-years-old house in Massachusetts, while conducting research for her PhD dissertation. During her stay she unearths numerous family secrets that take her back to the Salem witch trials of 1692. Along the journey she investigates the existence of a physick book (recipe book, spell book) that may have belonged to one of the condemned “witches” and passed down through subsequent generations. The novel also contains the requisite love interest and, of course, the villain who wants the physick book for him- or herself.
The story itself was great. It was a quick read and the facts about the Salem witch trials are fascinating. I knocked a couple of stars off because at times I was annoyed by the writing style (overuse of adjectives, some cheesy scenes between the characters, predictable plot), but overall I found it very enjoyable and worth reading.
The verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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