Part I, Chapters 1-6

[aprilh]

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pode wrote:
Also, the judge in the trial is Samuel and the love interest is Sam.

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Good observation! I completely missed that. That's what I love about this book club. Everyone brings something different to the table, so if I've missed something there's always someone there to point it out to me.

[PiperMurphy]

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krenea1 wrote:
Okay, do you pronounce physick as fiz sick?

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That's right, just drop the k - physic.

[mv5ocean]

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liisa22 wrote:

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nfam wrote:

I very much wanted to like the book. I, like many people, am fascinated by the Salem witch trials. Unfortunately the first chapters were a real turn-off. There are several reason for this. The scene where Liz and Connie investigate the old house is totally unrealistic. I couldn't believe the author and editor didn't have any idea what happens to water pipes in a house that's been closed up for twenty years. Trust me, you don't just turn on the faucet and get brown water. The girls would have been more likely to find the upstairs bathroom and the down stairs kitchen completely destroyed by water. Water has to get into the house some way. Since there's no electricity, it can't be an electric pump. There's no mention of a hand pump. Therefore, it has to be city water. If the water isn't turned off, the pipes freeze in the winter in Massachusettes. When they freeze, they break.Water damage is extremely expensive to repair. I doubt there would be much left of the house.

A second observation is the garden. After twenty years there would be so many weeds, the plants would probably not be rcognizable without a lot of work. I've seen gardens that were untended for five years and all you could see were thistles and tall grasses. Perhaps we're supposed to believe that Sophie put a spell on the house. Not too realistic unless this book is supposed to be a fantasy or scifi. 

About the beds, the girls apparently didn't bring sheets. Has anyone seen what happens to a bed left for twenty years in an empty house? There would be more problems than a green snake like try rats and mice. 

I'm sorry to be so critical, but the lack of attention to detail in someone who has a research profession (I read that Ms. Howe was a Ph.D. candidate.) is disturbing.

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You are right to have these questions, but I have to disagree.  All of the unrealistic things; garden, water, etc. are part of the supernatural aspect in the story.  My suspicions are there is more to it than we are privvy to at this time. 

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Well this message is twofold. I'm agreeing that the unrealistic things ARE actually a part of the story and a piece of the "magic."

And second, i'm trying to figure out how to add to someone's comment and I think I''ve actually figured it out. I'm going to post and then look to see if it works!!!

[MSReader]

I literally just got my copy a few minutes ago....will be diving in tonight and posting here asap after getting through the first 6 chapters.

With what I'm hearing, I am sure it won't take me long to do so!!! 

[libralady]

Wow!  I felt that this book would generate a lot of disussion and it looks like I was right!! 

I want to first say that I am really enjoying the book this far!  I think the cover is very clever.  As I read through the posts, I have seen quite a bit of discussion regarding the state of the house.  Could it be that the house has been "preserved in time" for a reason...to draw Connie to the Bible that would produce the key that would produce the name Deliverance Dane?  While it is hard to believe that a house could remain untouched for more than 20 years and the garden produce edible vegetables, we are talking about witchcraft here, aren't we?  Maybe there was something about the house or in the house and the garden surrounding it that kept it that way(preserved it)...something to think about, anyway. 

I have to agree with the majority when it comes to Professor Chilton.  There is something very odd here.  I guess we will find out as the book progresses. 

[DebsScott]

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biljounc63 wrote:

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PB684 wrote:

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tabcat wrote:

Any other Harry Potter fans in this group?  All of I could think of when Connie was telling Liz about mandrake was the scene in HP where the students had to put on ear protection to repot their mandrakes and the little roots came out screaming mad...LOL.

Teresa

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Yes Teresa, I am a BIG Harry Potter fan and that was exactly what I was thinking at the time. As I recall, many of the plants in Sophia's garden were mentioned in Harry Potter.

PB684

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I thought the same thing. I grow plants for a living so I pick up on the horticultural stuff that are a bit too far fetched for me to believe.  (Mainly the vegetable garden bewitched or not)

I also played a "Music from Harry Potter films" CD I got from the library to help set the mood while I was reading. It worked!

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ME! ME! (see sig line...LOL)  As soon as I opened the book and saw the drawing of the "Mandragora" or Mandrake, I had to smile. 

[MYK]

First Impression 1990 characters:      

 Connie~determined. hardworking,tired and stressed.

Manning Chilton~he does share secrets of the field with Connie. I think he is pushing her,guiding her to her full potential, that only he in his experience,would recognize.

Prof. Janine Silva~sympathetic for relieving some of Connie's anxiety.

Grace~Not the mother of the year. Trusts her daughter.

Leo~He disappeared. Where to? Is what Connie was told, the truth?

Sam~attractive,compatible,someone to talk to,share with, capable of providing much needed love and attention on an everyday level as well as feed and share Connies interests.

 1690's

Deliverance~Born bound by naturistic ways (holistic..hence the crime for the time period). Loving wife and mother.Good friend.

All the Goodys~woman who tried to help,but their so-told truth was the crime itself.

Peter Petford~sorrowful for the loss of his daughter. Someone had to pay.Unforgiving.

Appleton~ doesnt trust anyone. He knows they are all two-faced.Experienced.

Mercy~Alert,Inquisitive.

Naturally, I like Sam the best.

No difference searching for the truth with the academics and the early trial. Both were judged by words. Some defending themselves, showing thie worth. The other side, judging if they are worthy.

Connie and Liz seem to get along ok. They both seem hardworking and goal orientated.

Connie seems to fear attachement. She tries not to love Arlo. But she cant not love him. Like the relationship with her mother.

Connie's having some ESP moments. (Booksmart and spirituality are very different)

Sam enlightens Connie by telling her it may have been something like a different religion. That it was very possible it was not just a belief. Sam showed her the block that he discovered when working in the compost pile, with the stickperson drawn on it..It was very real and possibly dangerous.

[PB684]

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krb2g wrote: 

 As far as the believeability of the house being habitable, I don't necessarily object to that so much (Connie could have had the water turned on before she went out there, for example; she could have brought sheets without the text needing to say so)--it's the fact that her mother needs her to sell this house (which has been sitting there for two decades) *RIGHT NOW* at just the time she's looking for a dissertation topic, etc. This coincidence certainly doesn't ruin the book for me; it's just a moment when I hear the wheels creaking behind the scenes a little bit.

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I think the fact that Connie was looking for a topic to write her dissertation on may be the exact reason Grace tells her to sell the house. I'm sure she knew that Connie would find the bible and key with Deliverance's name and be unable to ignore it...and in the process find out something about herself and her family.

PB684

[canterbear]

The book arrived today. I started reading and I Love this book!!

 Its well written, great description and filled with wonderful mystery.

 I am enjoying every page.

 Thanks for bringing this book to us.

[Bdowntheshore]

Connie seems to be too accepting of the condition of the house.  Is this not the house her mother grew up in?  Yet she never questions her mother.  She is also too subservient to Professor Chilton;  why does she show him the slip of Paper rather than use her own intellect to research the information?  I'd like Connie to be more pro-active than reactive.

[Lizamanuch]

I was drawn to the book because of the subject (The Salem Witch Trials) and was pleasantly surprised at how Katherine Howe wove factual information into her fictious story. 

Professor Chilton seems to me to be a suspicious character and I some how think that he has more to gain by Connie's dissertaion than just academics.   I got the impression that he is fully aware of Connie's family ties and is attempting to use that knowledge for his own gain.  I could be completely off base, but that is what came to mind while I was reading.

I believe that Arlo is Connie's familiar and love that a dog similar to Arlo, or even Arlo himself is also the familar to Deliverance Dane.  It was an interesting way to weave the past with the present.

The fact that Connie's daydreams become more vivid as she arrives at her Granna's house was a fantastic way to show that Connie has a bit of untapped family ability herself. 

I haven't been able to put this book down and am interested in finding out the path of Deliverance and her family and how Connie's relationship with Sam, her mother, and Professor Chilton are all affected by the revalation of Deliverance's past and the key.

[daylilies1126]

I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters.  It sets up the action, and gives you a great reference point for what is going on.  I liked the scenes from the past and the way that they are integrated into the present.  The structure of the novel made me want to continue to read.  Though the first couple of chapters were a bit slow, after that the reading went quickly, and you were able to understand why the first couple of chapters existed.

This is the first book that I have really read about the Puritans in early colonial America, and though I am a huge fan of historical fiction, I really didn't know much about it.   This was an eye opening experience, especially in the first couple of chapters. 

The grandmother's house had an interesting place in the beginning of the story, and begged more questions, than it answered.

[blkeyesuzi]

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aprilh wrote:

Did anyone else get the feeling that Professor Chilton is up to something? Something about the way he kept smiling at Connie in their meeting when she showed him the paper with Deliverance Dane's name written on it struck me as odd. I'm not sure if he's just a little condescending to her or if there is something more. I think my suspicions were also heightened when Connie overheard him yelling on the phone. When she asked him about his project for the Colonial Association, he just played it off saying there was more time for that later and started smiling at her again. Interesting how at the end of the meeting the only word she could use to describe his smile to herself was "hungry".

The descriptions in this book are wonderful. They are so vivid, they make you feel as if you are really there. I'm loving this book so far. Very well written!

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Now that you mention it..I guess it DID feel like professor Chilton was up to something.  I was just put off by the scene and couldn't figure out his angry outburst and then the secrecy.  Once I read that passage, I had negative reaction to the professor, but then there was no further mention of him.  Soooo I totally forgot about him until now.  I guess he really is up to something.  

Your observation brings a whole new mystery to the next bit of reading I'll be doing.  Thanks for bringing it to my attention and reminding me.  It will be very interesting to see if anything comes of it.

[blkeyesuzi]

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DSaff wrote:

Did anyone else find a correlation between Arlo and the dog that attented Martha's death? Both dogs seem to be an extension of their mistress. I loved how Arlo "found" Connie, and their relationship is neat to watch. He is her companion and confidant. Could the dog at the beginning be a kindred spirit? I am looking forward to your thoughts!

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and don't forget the dog Mercy finds in the garden while she's picking peas.  

[blkeyesuzi]

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rkubie wrote:

What are your first impressions of of each of the characters, in the 1690s and in the 1990s? Who are you most drawn to or turned off by in these opening scenes? Why?

How does the idea of looking for the "truth" differ between these two worlds, the early courtroom and the modern academic examination? Does anything strike you as similar between those two scenes?

What are these "vivid daydreams" that Connie is having?

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Normally, I find it awkward to read a novel that bounces between eras, however this novel managed to do it seamlessly. 

The opening scenes were well-done and pulled me into the story, but I did find the premise leading Connie to her grandmother's house a little weak. She never knew anything about the house and really never asks any questions about why it was such a secret. I understand that Grace may have had problems with her mother, but why does this fall on Connie to do everything right now?  It all happened too easily.  One minute, Connie is completely dedicated to her education and the next, it seems to take a backseat. I'd have been a little put off...but that's me LOL...perhaps the answers come later.

As I read about the qualifying examination, I kept thinking about how it almost appeared to be a cross-examination on the witness stand.  Connie was at the mercy (no pun intended) of the professors in that they could make or break whether she passed or failed.  Her future was in their hands at that moment. She had studied everything she could think of and the rest was up to which questions the professors asked and whether she could answer to their safisfaction.  I did like the fact that Connie had professor Silva rooting for her.

So far, it seems like Connie's vivid daydreams are some ancient memory that Connie has inherited.  She seems to be seeing into the past, but what she sees is very familiar to her, almost intimate. Does she have special powers, like Deliverance and her daughter Mercy?  I'm not sure at this point, but it seems that she does.

I'm not sure whether to suspend belief and approach the story in this manner, or believe that there is a rational explaination for the "super" powers.  I haven't decided yet.

[blkeyesuzi]

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amajor wrote:

You guys have already hit on a lot of the points, and I wanted to say that I also felt that Connie is kind of stuck up, and I don't think that her and I would be friends in real life.

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I must have missed something.  Several people have mentioned that they don't like Connie and/or she is "stuck up".  I like Connie's character and I really don't see any indication that she is conceited.  What I see is actually an introvert who may be a little shy, as indicated by her tendency to play with her braids when she gets bewildered.  

At first I pictured Connie completely different from what the author described.  The braids threw me off...  It sounds like she's maybe a bit free-spirited like her mother, rather than being a formal, stiff, or business-like Harvard grad, as I had originally pictured her.

[AshALee]

I struggled through Part I of this book. Except for the interludes.  Those I devoured quickly.  It was very interesting but I just found it hard to enjoy or root for Connie initially.  She seemed too serious and one dimensional.  And the switching between what Connie was saying and the phonetic spelling of Chilton's and the counter girl's accent was distracting.

That all changed for me when she met Sam, and I couldn't get through the book fast enough.

[blkeyesuzi]

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nfam wrote:

 I also didn't like the fact that Connie enjoyed terrorizing her thesis advisee. I found that totally distasteful. Hopefully this opening scene is a prelude to showing how much Connie grows during the course of the summer.

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I completely missed this part.  I need to go back and read a bit slower.  Can you elaborate more on how Connie terrorized her advisee?  I honestly didn't pick up on this.  I'll go back and read to look for it.  I'd also like to hear more about what people think of Connie.  I think I have a completely different picture of her in my mind. More input from others would be a great help to me.

[thewanderingjew]

I read a lot of posts that questioned the "goings on" in Granna's house since its condition wasn't as bad as it should have been or Connie and Liz didn't react appropriately to what they found and they just kind of accepted what they discovered at face value. At first, I thought, hmmm, that is true. There were a lot of contradictions. 

Then I thought about the Salem witch trials  and about witch hunts in general and I decided that they also defied good judgment and were filled with contradictions! Maybe we see what we want to see at any given time, regardless of whether or not it defies reality or common sense.

twj

[blkeyesuzi]

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Eckwell wrote:
I totally agree with you on the stiffness of the binding.  I fought with the book the entire time I was reading it!

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I have to agree, as well.  I also think that the extra flap is nice, but it would work better if it were altered slightly so that the end flap fits completely into the book when it's not being used. All that would be necessary is to make the very top flap narrower where it overlaps the top pages. The way it is now, it either doesn't lay flat or it sticks out beyond the book when flattened.  Either way, it gets damaged and in the way while I read the book.

I love the design and the heavy pages.  I think it would be better in hard back.  The flap is a great idea, just needs a few bugs worked out.