The courtroom scene that ensues is a high point in the book. At her breaking point, Mary seeks to end her marriage on the grounds of cruelty. In a culture in which church attendance is mandated by law, divorce is possible but extremely rare. This scandalous utensil, which the Puritans call "the Devil's tines," plays an outsize role in Mary's fate. His abuse, which he cunningly displays only in private, escalates until he stabs his wife through the hand with a three-pronged fork. Several years after her arrival, she marries Thomas Deerfield, a well-to-do widower more than 20 years her senior with a bad temper and a drinking problem. The story centers on 24-year-old Mary Deerfield, who arrived in Boston from England as a teen with her parents. There, the town meeting place offers a view of the rapidly expanding city, as well as stocks and a whipping platform in the square.
Hour of the Witch, the newest book by best-selling Weybridge author Chris Bohjalian, is set well in the past, but its witch-accusation drama feels contemporary enough to drive home how far Americans still have to go in dismantling the patriarchy.īohjalian's 21st novel, a historical thriller to be released on May 4, takes place in 1662 Boston. He referred to the trio of powerful Democratic women as "those three witches" who should be "ready for the burning at the stake."Ĭenturies after the Salem witch trials, this misogynist trope just won't die. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel. In a March 2021 speech, Michigan Republican Party chair Ron Weiser flung a well-worn insult at Michigan Gov.
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