Hello hello!

[AnnJE]

My grandfather discovered the connection to Susannah Martin years ago and did a family tree.  We can trace his side of our family back to George Hadley, our first ancestor who came to America prior to 1630.  He married John Proctor's sister.  My grandfather, Hadley Smith, discovered the connection to Susannah Martin.  Her daughter, Jane, married George Hadley's son.   My sister and I discovered the connection to John Proctor.  That was exciting.  We were doing research at the New England Genealogical Society in Boston. 

[gringorn]

I have enjoyed your book very much.  I was wondering if you have considered writing a historical novel totally based at the time of the witch trials and mainly focusing on Deliverance and her immediate descendants?

You have a real skill for getting the reader (this one for sure) to really be there with your great descriptions of surroundings. 

Good luck and Thank you for sharing your book with the ARC forum.

Mary

[bookaddict18]

Hello! I just wanted to say first off how much I am enjoying this story. I have always been interested in the Salem Witch Trials and it's interesting to read something that focuses on one family. Connie is a wonderful character and your description of places and people is very well done.

I apologize in advance if this is a repeat question because I did not have time to go through all of the previous entries, but did you base Connie on anyone in particular? Is it some what autobiographical since you have descendants that were involved in the witch trials?

Also, I was wondering if you had any recommendations for non-fiction reads about the trials? Any that are well researched and have the most truth?

Thank you for taking your time to be with us and I hope to see more work from you in the future!

Heather 

[DSaff]

That is so interesting! Thanks for sharing

---

AnnJE wrote:
My grandfather discovered the connection to Susannah Martin years ago and did a family tree.  We can trace his side of our family back to George Hadley, our first ancestor who came to America prior to 1630.  He married John Proctor's sister.  My grandfather, Hadley Smith, discovered the connection to Susannah Martin.  Her daughter, Jane, married George Hadley's son.   My sister and I discovered the connection to John Proctor.  That was exciting.  We were doing research at the New England Genealogical Society in Boston. 

---

[Katherine_Howe]

---

ann1009961 wrote:

Hello Ms. Howe,

Thank you for the opportunity to have a "first look" at your book.  I am beginning Part II and was quite happy to see that you are already thinking of writing a sequel, as I am enjoying this story very much.  The characters seem so real and your writing is so descriptive it's like I'm actually "there."  My daughter (15 and a voracious reader) is anxiously awaiting for me to finish your book so I can pass it onto her.

I have a couple of questions.  First, who designed the cover for the ARC?  Will it be the same when the book is available to the public?  

Second, what are YOU reading right now? 

---

Hello Ann!

Thank you so much for reading. I am glad that you are enjoying it, and I hope that your daughter likes it, too. I was a big reader as a teenager, and so while writing wanted to make sure that Physick Book was the kind of novel one could feel comfortable sharing with a daughter.

Didn't they do a beautiful job with the ARC? I love this cover. I do believe that it will be the same when the book comes out in hardback. Just for fun, I posted the UK cover on the Facebook fan page, if you want to compare. Overseas Physick Book will be called The Lost Book of Salem.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Katherine-Howe/47456997235?ref=ts

 Right now I am in the thick of research for the next novel, so I am reading a lot of newspaper articles from 1915. I'm also excited to start Matthew Pearl's new novel, The Last Dickens. It's been getting great reviews.

KH

[Katherine_Howe]

I just want to thank all of you guys for saying such kind things about Physick Book. I really appreciate how supportive this community is being!

The next book will take place in the Back Bay of Boston in 1915, right at the end of the Spiritualist movement. Like Physick Book, it will center around a particular family with a slightly unusual set of talents. The main character will be a little Connie-esque, though more hemmed in by her time.

The current working title is "The Scrying Glass."

Not to worry, though - I have another Dane family story in mind. I'm delighted that so many people want to see Physick Book's story continue!

KH

[Katherine_Howe]

---

joyfull wrote:

Thank you for allowing me to read the advanced copy of your novel. I am honored. I've already told quite a few people about it. Actually, I've been bragging about my good fortune. I planning to write a review for my blog in the next few weeks. I hope that is okay?

I am amazed that this is your first novel. Where did you learn to write so well? Is it a gift or a well-trained skill?  

---

Hello Joyfull!

Thank you so much for the good wishes. I am so pleased that you have enjoyed the book. And by all means, review wherever you like!

I'm not sure how to answer the writing question (though I'm glad that you enjoy the style of the book). On the one hand, I have written since I was a little kid. A teacher introduced me to journaling when I was about 9, and I never stopped. So part of it is just doing a lot of writing, for a long time. Another big part of effective writing is being a heavy reader, I think. Then you have a chance to see how other writers handle things like voice, mood, narrative structure, and pacing. But the most important element, for me, was having the chance to teach composition while I was a graduate student. Trying to come up with ways to help other people improve their writing made me better able to work on my own. I became a better reviser, and better able to handle constructive criticism.

I think writing is a skill, like anything else. Maybe some people are more inclined to enjoy practicing that skill. The more one enjoys the practice, the more practice one does.

KH

[Katherine_Howe]

---

TRJ4SQ wrote:

Dear Ms. Howe, I would like to commend you on a most interesting and stimulating novel! It is one of the best pieces of historical fiction I have read in quite a while.

My apologies if this question has already been asked. I must confess that I was rather excited with the prospect of it and neglected to read the previous questions before posting.

I was wondering if the basis of the story structure is formed on Jung's Synchronicity and The Collective Unconscious Principles? If so, do his theories on Psychology & The Occult also figure in?

I look forward to your reply and as well as your next book!

---

Hello TRJ!

I am so glad that you are enjoying the story. I hope that you continue to enjoy it in Part II.

The answer to your question is a qualified yes. I began the book with a solid grounding in the colonial witchcraft history, but with less background in the history of alchemical thought and the history of science. While researching that I came across some discussions of Jung's thoughts on alchemy and its relationship to the collective unconscious. Some of that research found its way into the story.

What Jungian elements have you noticed so far?

KH

[Katherine_Howe]

---

chris227 wrote:

Hi Katherine.  First I wanted to thank you for giving us the opportunity to preview your book and for spending the next couple of weeks talking with us.  Next I want to say that I love the book so far and I will definitely be recommending it to others. 

Now for my questions, first the book is just filled with great imagery.  Are there any authors or novels that you drew inspiration from?

---

Hi Christina!

I am so glad that you are enjoying the book. Thank you for passing the word along about Physick Book!

The author I most admire, or who I find myself returning to most often, is Edith Wharton, oddly enough. Part of my admiration for her work, especially the Old New York novels (The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth), stems from the fact that Wharton was in a sense writing historical fiction. She wrote in the first decades of the twentieth century, but she was writing about the mid and late ninteenth centuries, a world that had already receded. I love her attention to detail, and her ability to make characters who are deeply flawed, and yet still identifiable and sympathetic. There is a line in the beginning of The Age of Innocence, something about the carriages all waiting outside the opera house for the whole length of the performance, because "Americans want to get away from amusement even faster than they want to get to it." Perfect. 

What are some authors that you all enjoy here in First Look?

KH

[Katherine_Howe]

---

bookaddict18 wrote:

Hello! I just wanted to say first off how much I am enjoying this story. I have always been interested in the Salem Witch Trials and it's interesting to read something that focuses on one family. Connie is a wonderful character and your description of places and people is very well done.

I apologize in advance if this is a repeat question because I did not have time to go through all of the previous entries, but did you base Connie on anyone in particular? Is it some what autobiographical since you have descendants that were involved in the witch trials?

Also, I was wondering if you had any recommendations for non-fiction reads about the trials? Any that are well researched and have the most truth?

Thank you for taking your time to be with us and I hope to see more work from you in the future!

Heather 

---

Hi Heather!

Thank you for your question. I talk about inspiration for characters in another post, though Connie did take me the longest to develop fully, perhaps because so much depends on her. In earlier drafts she had more nervous tics - for a long while I had her as a heavy smoker. But then it seemed like I was relying too much on outward behavior, and what I really needed to do was get to know her better. So I set the smoking aside and wrote out a long character outline involving her appearance, background, tastes, hangups, and so forth. While she and I definitely have a few traits in common, I think Connie is mostly just herself.

That's why she's able to beat me handily at Lexulous on Facebook.

Here are links to a few excellent resources for those who want to read more on Salem:

In the Devil's Snare is one of the best sources on Salem I have ever read. It places the panic within a broader historical context, it talks about the importance and spread of gossip (so difficult to research, and so important to this topic), and it's beautifully written:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/In-the-Devils-Snare/Mary-Beth-Norton/e/9780375706905/?itm=1

Salem Possessed is another classic history of the period, better suited for those interested in political history. A narrower focus, a shorter book, but a bit drier:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Salem-Possessed/Paul-S-Boyer/e/9780674785267/?itm=1

The Enemy Within just came out this fall, and is written by one of the foremost scholars of witchcraft in America, John Demos (he is also very nice). This book looks beyond Salem to the witch hunting mentality more generally:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Enemy-Within/John-Demos/e/9780670019991/?itm=2

And for those who want to see where Prudence came from as a character, do check out A Midwife's Tale, one of the most absorbing history books I have ever read:

 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Midwifes-Tale/Laurel-Thatcher-Ulrich/e/9780679733768/?itm=1

I hope this helps!

Have any of you been reading The Crucible alongside Physick Book?

KH

[dhaupt]

Ms Howe, First let me say thank you for writing this amazing work of fiction with a fair amount of fact thrown in. I have finished the book and have enjoyed it immensely and have already contacted my library district to be sure your book gets put on our shelves for all of our members to enjoy and I will be "pushing it" to every one I know to purchase a copy.

My question for you is, being a descendant of both a survivor and a victim is a unique perspective for you, did this influence you in your choice of career's? And also did your family growing up add to your knowledge of this or did you become interested on your own? 

Message Edited by dhaupt on 04-09-2009 04:22 PM

[DSaff]

Katherine, I saw both  book covers (and titles) on your Facebook page the other day and wondered why they are different. Are the U.S. and European markets that different? I absolutely love the book and cover. Now I want to get the other version as well!

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Katherine_Howe wrote:

---

Didn't they do a beautiful job with the ARC? I love this cover. I do believe that it will be the same when the book comes out in hardback. Just for fun, I posted the UK cover on the Facebook fan page, if you want to compare. Overseas Physick Book will be called The Lost Book of Salem.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Katherine-Howe/47456997235?ref=ts

KH

---

Message Edited by DSaff on 04-09-2009 05:36 PM

[DSaff]

I read The Crucible and watched the movie last weekend. It was interesting to see some of the same people and events in your book. The story of Salem is a very powerful one, and you have done a wonderful job of melding it into your book.

---

Katherine_Howe wrote:

---

Have any of you been reading The Crucible alongside Physick Book?

KH

---

[januttall]

---

Katherine_Howe wrote:

I just want to thank all of you guys for saying such kind things about Physick Book. I really appreciate how supportive this community is being!

The next book will take place in the Back Bay of Boston in 1915, right at the end of the Spiritualist movement. Like Physick Book, it will center around a particular family with a slightly unusual set of talents. The main character will be a little Connie-esque, though more hemmed in by her time.

The current working title is "The Scrying Glass."

Not to worry, though - I have another Dane family story in mind. I'm delighted that so many people want to see Physick Book's story continue!

KH

---

Do you have ANY idea what the launch date will be for the book currently known as "The Scrying Glass"?  I can't wait for its debut .  Not only have I become one of your biggest fans, I spent my first years in MA living in Back Bay and am already looking forward to a really good read set in familiar territory ('though I imagine it was quite different in 1915).

Thanks again for taking the time to answer so many questions about the work you have done as well as providing some insight into what lies ahead!

Julie

[ladybug74]

I don't have a question, but I just wanted to comment to Ms. Howe that I absolutely love this book so far! I have stopped after the reading material for this week because I was afraid to get ahead and accidentally spoil the book for someone else. So far it is GREAT, though!

When you get ready to write your next book, I will be sure to read it!

[ladybug74]

Kudos to you for adopting a homeless dog. One of my dogs is a mixed breed that was about to go to the pound before I asked if I could have him instead. He is one of the best, smartest dogs I've ever known. He actually plays hide & seek with my 9-yr.-old daughter, among other things. My dog, who was almost a shelter dog, is a permanent member of our family now.

---

Katherine_Howe wrote: 

Arlo, as you surmised, draws a lot of his traits from the dog in my life: his size seems to change according to his mood, he is simultaneously incredibly brave and a complete wimp, and he somehow manages to be everywhere in the house at once.

I found him on a website that specializes in magical dogs, called Petfinder.org

http://www.petfinder.com//index.html

---

[ladybug74]

My husband just started gardening last year, though he has owned our house for about 18 years. He bought a used tiller to turn and loosen the soil for his garden and has found some interesting things buried in our back yard. There have been pieces of glass that were definitely old and interesting, as well as other miscellaneous items. 

The interesting thing to me was that I had already suggested to him that I thought there may have been an old house here before he built this house. He wasn't sure what was on this land before, but I found the bottom edge of a rock wall around the front and side of our house and just recently discovered when they started doing some work in their yard that the front part also extends across our neighbor's front yard. 

I love discovering things like that..... It makes me wish I could go back in time to see what used to be on our property.

We live in a town that is well-known for tomatoes. In fact, we have an annual tomato festival to celebrate. 

http://www.slocombal.com/festivals/tomato_festival/slocombal_tomato_festival.html

Besides tomatoes, my husband has found that another thing that seems to absolutely flourish in our yard is sunflowers. We had some HUGE ones last year! We pulled the seeds off when they dried to put in our bird feeders and to feed to my daugher's pet hamster.

---

Katherine_Howe wrote: 

I gather there are a number of gardeners here in First Look. Any especially unusual garden stories you all can share?

[ladybug74]

Edited to add: I have already found my answer about the book that is on your facebook page. It is the UK version of this book. I will still look forward to reading the others that you are working on when they are published.

I notice that you didn't mention the name of the sequel here and assume that there must be a reason--like maybe you are not allowed to. I checked out your facebook page and saw the covers for The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and another book that sounds related, according to its title. Is this the sequel that you mentioned? Do you have any idea yet when the new book will be published? I (for one) will be anxiously waiting to read it!

---

Katherine_Howe wrote:

The book that I am currently working on is going to be set in Boston in 1915 - similar in tone, style, and mood, but with a different set of characters. However, like some of you, I feel like we haven't learned all there is to learn about the Dane/Goodwin family, and so I have a direct Physick Book sequel percolating. To stay up to speed on both projects, visit me on Facebook, or sign up to the Physick Book mailing list, connieandarlo@gmail.com.

KH

 http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Katherine-Howe/47456997235

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Message Edited by ladybug74 on 04-09-2009 07:38 PM

[ladybug74]

I just thought of something when I read this post that I had not thought of before now. I recently went through a notebook of recipes (for cooking) that my deceased grandmother hand-wrote and flipped through a bunch of pages at the back that I thought were blank. I've had this book in my possession for about 7 years and just recently discovered a section in the back of hand-written home remedies. I thought this was the coolest thing and had actually planned to make photcopies for some of my relatives. The way that I felt about finding this must have been simliar to how Connie felt as she discovered more and more things about her ancestors. Of course, ours are old Southern home remedies, as opposed to New England home remedies. It would be interesting to look for similarities and/or differences between them.

---

Katherine_Howe wrote:

It is true as far as I know. But as you point out, describing the difference between a so-called spell book and a book of home remedies and even food recipes is difficult to impossible. That difficulty is one of the ideas that I found so attractive for the plot of Physick Book. 

There are definitely extant colonial books of herbal remedies and suchlike. I even stumbled upon a fun modern compendium of some of these things, which I believe was called "The Compleat New England Hus-wife." Includes a recipe for a "sallet swung in a collinder."

I found the book at a local gift shop in Salem, but here's the full title in case any of you want to hunt it down.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Compleat-New-England-Huswife-Englands/dp/1889193216

[biljounc63]

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Deltadawn wrote:

Hi Katherine,

I would like to add my thanks to you and your publisher for making your wonderful novel available to us at the Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club. It is truly a great opportunity to have a chance to read this fabulous novel, discuss it here, and correspond with you.  I am enjoying the book immensely and have difficulty putting it down - and having read your reply to biljounc63, I am even more intrigued!

Best regards and thanks again!

Dawn

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Katherine_Howe wrote:

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biljounc63 wrote:

HI Katherine,

I am enjoying your book and am glad to be part of this program.

I am reading the book according the the club schedule so my question may be answered later in the book. I know that this book is a work of fiction. I am from the western part of the MA. Many of us are having an issue with the state or Granna's garden having vegetables (tomatoes etc.) ready for harvest in a garden that had been abandoned for 20 years in early June on MA. This is so far from being plausible that I shook my head as I read it. It was just too perfect to have dinner just waiting to be harvested on the first night at the house Was this done on purpose or was it part of your plan for the mysterious house that time seems to have forgotten?   

---

Hi biljounc63!

I am glad that you are enjoying the book so far, and hope that you continue to enjoy it as it unfolds into Part II.

It seems like the question of the garden at the Milk Street house has been the subject of some controversy. Here are a couple of thoughts.

Whenever I am reading a novel, I try to pay close attention to how the author manipulates details. Usually if something really jumps out at me in a novel, some sort of startling or telling detail, I will pay closer attention to it on the grounds that it might have something important to tell me. Maybe it is meant to elucidate a particular aspect of a character's personality, or maybe it's supposed to clue me into a coming turn in the plot. It's true that there are a lot of things "wrong" at Granna's house. It's also true that the kinds of things that are off kilter there are not necessarily the kinds of things that two bookish, dorm-dwelling city girls would immediately notice. Or perhaps they would sense that something was sort of off, but they wouldn't be able to put their fingers on it exactly.

If we assume that the "offness" of the Milk Street house is supposed to stand out to a reader, if not quite to Connie and Liz, then what do you think those wrong-seeming details are trying to say?

KH

---

---

Katherine,

Thanks for taking the time and answering our questions so thoroughly. I really feel like you are connecting with the readers. Thanks again. I have been involved with other First Look books and can honestly say that your interaction with the readers has been most enjoyable. We seem to connect with you and you to us as well. Best of luck to you in this and your future projects.

Thanks again.

Message Edited by biljounc63 on 04-09-2009 07:36 PM