Part I, Chapters 7 - 14

[DSaff]

I like Sam too, and wonder if he is a protector of hers as I think Arlo is. His timing is pretty good. hmmm

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Raskls wrote:

Sam was bothering me for a minute, how he showed up at the swimming site and her house (how did he find it if she never told him and no one else could find it).  At first I was a little worried he was stalking her or up to something, but I really like him again now, and I think it’s my romantic side that wants him to be a good person.

 

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[libralady]

About Professor Chilton - my feelings about him have not changed.  I did not like him before and I definitely do not like him now.  I don't think he can be trusted and when Connie was having drinks with Janine Silva, I think she realizes that he is up to something.

I agree with some earlier posts that the "book of receipts" is probably more like a book of spells.  In pgs. 104-105 (earlier chapter) there is a reference to Deliverance " pulling a "heavy book from the bottom shelf of the cupboard."  She pages through the book until she finds what she is looking for.  She hunts for dried herbs that she throws into the fire along with the bottle of calf urine and "as she did this she murmured some inaudible words under her breath"  This sounds like a spell.  Deliverance and Mercy probably used the book to "do their work."  I think Purdence sees it as unecessary in her life.  On pg. 184, she says, "I've no more use for it."

[DSaff]

Did anyone else find significance in Connie's fixing the horseshoe on pgs. 196-197? I loved the way she picked up the nail, clenched her jaw and pushed the horseshoe into alignment. Then she stepped back to admire it and uttered "Blessed be" to Arlo. Salem and some of its people are growing on her and this seems like a step to bring better luck.

[CathyB]

I didn't like Chilton at the beginning and still do not. His behavior still feels very suspicious.

The 'receipt' book will of course be the the Phsyick Book of Deliverance Dane - her recipes for spells & tinctures. To date, what we know about the Dane women descendants is that they were all 'healers' in some way.

Although Prudence is also 'gifted' she has seen heartache associated with this book. Namely, the death of her grandfather, her father and possibly her husband. She is under the belief that the book is the direct cause of death for the men who marry into this line of women. She does not want this fate to befall her husband and hopes that getting rid of the book will put an end to the tragedy that has occurred to the men. Prudence seems as though she has no ambition. She plods through each day without joy and seems satisfied with their monotony.

I think that the symbol on the front door is some type of 'charm'. I think it is meant to protect those who dwell within the house and to keep out any 'evil' forces. As to who put it there, I think that was Grace. The symbol mysteriously occurred after Connie told Grace about Chilton. Grace did not seem happy about him and told Connie to 'tread lightly'.

Sam helps Connie with her research by not letting her give up and to take time for herself. I'm not sure if Sam is a romantic or not.

CathyB

Message Edited by CathyB on 04-06-2009 07:52 PM

[Mommy-Read-Wri…]

This section opens with Connie telling Chilton of her source, and by the end of it, we know that Chilton is furious with Connie for not finding the "receipt" book. Have your feelings for Chilton changed?

My feelings for Chilton haven't changed that much.  I still find him condescending and untrustworthy.  He's still calling Connie 'my girl' which is also disrespectful in my opinion.  I also think he's coming a bit unhinged in regard to his own work and reputation.  ANd while he is Connie's mentor - I keep thinking he's going to try to take all of the credit for her hard work.  I loke Chilton less now than before.

What is the "receipt" book? How has it been used by this line of women? What does it mean to Prudence? 

I believe the 'receipt' book - or 'Almanack' as Prudence referred to it - is indeed some sort of spell book.  I also think it probably holds advice on midwifery and other medical knowledge that may have been considered withcraft during Deliverance's time.

Connie's research turns up Prudence's journal to give us another glimpse into the lives of Mercy, Prudence, and Patty. Do you have a sense of what Prudence was like?

It seems that Prudence fit her name pretty well.  She seems as if she was very straight-laced but quite concerned about her family.  She was weary of the almanack and all the bad she thought came with it.  She seemed relieved to be rid of it, actually.

How close is Connie's understanding of these women's lives, compared to our own? How does it feel to have more information than Connie does?

We definitely know more about these women than Connie.    It doesn't seem so unusual to me as we are reading a mystery but I am surprised Connie hasn't pieced more of it together at this point.  Is she so set on academia and not being at all like Grace that she can't see some of what seems to be right in front of her?

What is the symbol on the front door, and how do you believe it got there? (This question is for those who haven't read past chapter 14!)

Although I believe the symbol has something to do with witch craft - I have no idea what.

Connie and Sam's relationship continues to grow. How is Sam helping Connie's research? Is Sam a romantic?

I think Sam is good for Connie in that he is showing an interest in her research and trying to help her look at things from a different perspective.  I also think he helps her to relax and just be herself, too.  And yes, I definitely think he's a romantic.  He kissed her in the church steeple at sunset, after all.

Over all, I am really still enjoying this book.  Sometimes I wonder how Connie doesn't see something I think is obvious (like Prudence calling the book the Almanack in her journal) but I'm all right with the way the story is coming together.  I'm quite anxious to read the rest of the book!

[CathyB]

Nice idea DSaff. I didn't put two and two together to realize the significance of the blue meteor light! I Love that idea .

The question remains as to who sent it. In a previous post, I said Grace was responsible for the symbol - I still think that is true.

CathyB

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DSaff wrote:

I think I dislike Chilton even more than before. His anger towards Connie, and the threat to cut her funding make him a bully. He is not pushing her to excel at her work, but rather to achieve what he wants. He definitely wants her work to prove his ideas. I really want Connie to stand up to him.

I find Prudence to be an orderly, methodical woman. Her entries get right to the point without any extra fluff (though some would have been nice). I think she is a caring woman, but find her lack of words, especially on wintry days, hold me back from really getting to know her.  Prudence truly seems like a name that fits her.

It doesn't seem that Connie truly understands the type of lives these women lived. None of us truly do, but can learn more through reading journals. She wants more information from the papers and journal, more about what was going on. I keep thinking, come on Connie, figure it out. But then, we have the Interludes.

The door - I think the symbol was burned by the blue light she thought was from a meteor (pg. 171). The perfect circle leads me to believe that it was done supernaturally, and the timing is right. I looked up the words and they seem to denote a helper of God. So, I wonder if this is a sign of protection rather than something bad. I could be way off base, but think there are forces on both sides of finding The Physick Book!

I really like Sam. He appears whenever she needs him, whether she knows it or not. He encourages her without overt pressure, and helps her step away from her research when needed. She is very comfortable with him when out of her space (swimming), but becomes uncomfortable in pj's when at home. There seems to be a relationship brewing and I continue to wonder what part Sam plays in her research.

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[Danimal79]

I posted about this earlier but the more I think about it, the more I think the burned symbol is meant to help Connie rather than harm her (and the more I think Grace is connected to the symbol).  

I also think, in general, Grace is a lot more aware of things (in Connie's life) than she appears to be...  

[nicole21WA]

Initially I thought Chilton was just trying to push Connie to do her best work, but now I wonder if he doesn't have something sinister going on with his own work.  I think Chilton could have some witchcraft ties of his own, but perhaps is not a "good" witch as Deliverance and her descendants appear to be.  I'm interested to find out if he creates any problems for Connie as her research continues.

[Sassy398]

No reason for changing the attitude about chilton..do think  he's

up to something, not sure what? 

Connie is very much alike to the personality to Prudence, and maybe that's why Katherine

chose the name Prudence???

One or the other reason for the symbols placed on the front door...it's either evil or good,

no inbetween. Which I have a feeling these symbols were placed by Grace or Chilton.

Sam is being a very big help for Connie,plus it helps that his interests is the same as Connie's.   Sam is definately Connie's knight in shining armor.

[thewanderingjew]

After reading many of the posts I decided to look some things up and I thought some of you might be interested in these websites:

http://bluemoonwicca.org/classes.html
http://www.spelwerx.com/color_correspondences.html

twj

[belle1976]

I think Chilton has ties to Connie or her family sometime in the past.  Perhaps he is a distant relative to Peter Petford or Major Samuel Appleton.  This is personal for him, not just because of his career, but also because it is his background.  I think he is connected to these people and is trying to prove that witchcraft was present and real, that their actions in the past were not unjustly accusing/sentencing the innocent. During her oral exams he posed the question “Have you not considered the distinct possibility that the accused were simply guilty of witchcraft?”

 

My other thought is that he knows that there is something that she can do to help with his alchemy theories and assist him in repairing his prestige and reputation.  I am wondering if he believes this recipe book can help with this.  I am thinking back to the chapter when Deliverance was making the physick for Sarah.  She dropped a few metal pins into the glass bottle, tossed it into the fire and then added the herbs to the fire (pg. 105)

 

I really have no idea what the symbol on the door is or where it came from.  I wondered if it was Connie’s mom, and was meant to be a protection. 

 

I have mixed feelings about Connie and Sam.  I think Sam is a likeable character but I have yet to understand how he fits.  I really struggled with the end of chapter 7, where they were in the water together.  I thought it was weird, and it didn’t really seem like the same Connie. 

 

One thing I noticed, in Prudence’s Diary there was a comment that the she saved the endive from the garden.  When Liz and Connie first came to the house Liz found the tomatoes and endive for dinner.  Maybe just coincidence……

 

The other thing I noticed from Prudence’s Diary was the comment that Peter Peford died in 1741.  The first interlude was 1681.  So he would have been well over 60 years old when he died.  I am not an expert on the life span in the 1700’s, but that seems well over what I would expect the average to be. 

[krittlin]

This section opens with Connie telling Chilton of her source, and by the end of it, we know that Chilton is furious with Connie for not finding the "receipt" book. Have your feelings for Chilton changed?

I've always thought Chilton is creepy, but at this point I started to suspect there is something wrong with him.  Why would he be so furious unless he wants the book for his own purposes?  I don't understand why Connie doesn't question his motives more thoroughly. 

What is the "receipt" book? How has it been used by this line of women? What does it mean to Prudence?

Obviously the book is their book of spells written by generations of women in Connie's family.  I think each generation uses the book and adds their "improvements" and new additions.  I think the book represents everything Prudence hates about her family's life.  I think she blames the book for the death of the men and the hatred of the town folk.  I think she feels if she gets rid of the book she can have the life she wants or at least a better life for her daughter.

Connie's research turns up Prudence's journal to give us another glimpse into the lives of Mercy, Prudence, and Patty. Do you have a sense of what Prudence was like?

I think Prudence's journal give a very clear picture of her personality.  I'm sure Katherine Howe named her Prudence for a reason.

[Thayer]

As we (over?)  analyze every nuance of this book, it gave me pause to see noted in regard to Prudence's diary (p. 158) "this distant daughter of Puritans would not have had the cultural knowledge necessary to reflect in print on her inner life..."

[thewanderingjew]

What is the "receipt" book? How has it been used by this line of women? What does it mean to Prudence?

Prudence blames the book, and perhaps her ancestors, for the life of disgrace she is forced to live. She attributes magical powers to the book and hopes that by ridding the family of it she may save her husband from the early death the men preceding him, seem to have suffered. She views it as almost a curse to have in one's possession. I agree with the other posters that it is probably a book of recipes for potions to cure and heal people. Perhaps it even contains some magical incantations and spells for the same purpose. From what we have read it appears to have been compiled over several generations and handed down to the daughters. I was surprised that she sold it while her mother was still alive but it was obvious that she was angry about her lot in life and blamed her family for the position she found herself. She was also in desperate financial straits.

[thewanderingjew]

Connie's research turns up Prudence's journal to give us another glimpse into the lives of Mercy, Prudence, and Patty. Do you have a sense of what Prudence was like?

Prudence seems very disciplined and very unhappy with her lot in life. She can't get out from under her heritage and failed in her attempt to clear her mother's name, which she had hoped would open the doors of respectability to her family. I think it is her failure in that endeavor which leads her to want to rid herself of the "receipt book" and all it symbolizes.

[thewanderingjew]

What is the symbol on the front door, and how do you believe it got there? (This question is for those who haven't read past chapter 14!). 

I think it is a form of a pentacle of some kind. From everything I looked up it could be a  symbol used for protection. Since the method of burning such a perfect symbol is uncommon and difficult, I would have to agree with the other posters that it probably has some supernatural implications.

[thewanderingjew]

Connie and Sam's relationship continues to grow. How is Sam helping Connie's research? Is Sam a romantic?

I found the relationship with Sam a bit contrived. How likely would it be for Connie to actually stumble upon a "painter/restorer who is not only interested in what she does and has a similar educational background, but also is of the right age and temperament? That said, I enjoy the parts of the book he enters because I know something interesting will follow.

[thewanderingjew]

I am enjoying the book but I am having a hard time understanding the relationship between Connie and her mom and even Connie and the other characters. She seems so naive at times and yet she has been so independent most of her life that I feel she should be more worldy and intuitive, maybe even just more aware than she sometimes seems. She always seems to be at sea about something and never fully comprehends her situation. Her character doesn't seem real to me yet.

It is just that on the one hand she seems sophisticated and on the other childlike. She doesn't seem to handle relationships in a mature fashion. She seems a bit socially inept. I find it hard to figure out how she could have figured out how to get the kind of education she did and still be so limited in most other situations.

Although her advisor, Chilton, seems to be treating her oddly, she doesn't really attribute anything sinister to his behavior, even after speaking with Janine which should have made her ultra suspicious. I think he is fighting for his life and reputation and using Connie to bolster his career. If not that, I think he might be a bit unstable. I don't like him nor do I trust him yet Connie tends to give everyone and everything the benefit of the doubt. I think she would be better off erring on the side of caution in all things rather than throwing caution to the wind which is what I feel she does when she goes off to her grannas and then dates Sam and seemingly underestimates Chilton's motives and then takes the police reassurances at face value. I guess that leads me back to the feeling I have that she is unrealistically naive.

[Readingrat]

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rkubie wrote:

This section opens with Connie telling Chilton of her source, and by the end of it, we know that Chilton is furious with Connie for not finding the "receipt" book. Have your feelings for Chilton changed?

What is the "receipt" book? How has it been used by this line of women? What does it mean to Prudence? 

 

What is the symbol on the front door, and how do you believe it got there? (This question is for those who haven't read past chapter 14!)

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I still feel that Chilton is up to no good but my theory has changed.  In the first section I had the feeling that Chilton was going to try to pass Connie's work off as his own.  But now, after hearing about his Philosopher's Stone debacle, I think he is sorely invested in Connie's sucess as a way to justify his own ideas and rebuild his reputation

Prudence obviously views her grandmother's/mother's receipt book as a reminder of the witch accusations.  She seems to feel that getting rid of it will get rid of the ancient stigma.

I'm still curious about the symbol on the front door.

My only complaint so far is the same as mentioned earlier in another comment.  Connie, a person who is making the study of this time period her life's work, seems to have so little information on the time period at her immediate disposal, and she doesn't seem to be all that quick at drawing the necessary connections when she discovers a new piece of information.  I find that it sort of diminishes my own light bulb moment when I have to wait a couple of chapters for our protagonist to catch up (unless it's used as a way to build suspense of course).

[USwede16]

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rkubie wrote:

This section opens with Connie telling Chilton of her source, and by the end of it, we know that Chilton is furious with Connie for not finding the "receipt" book. Have your feelings for Chilton changed?

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My feelings for Chilton haven't changed for the better. I never cared for his character and always found his actions rather shady however after reading these chapters my dislike for him has only grown. I cannot help but find him as being untrustworthy. Connie shouldn't trust him with her research and should start turning to Janine if she needs help. I still have the feeling that Chilton is using Connie to take credit for her work.