About the Author

Katherine Howe's ancestors settled Essex County, Mass. in the 1620s, and stayed there through the twentieth century. Family members included Elizabeth Proctor, who survived the Salem witch trials, and Elizabeth Howe, who did not. Katherine Howe got a Ph.D. in American and New England Studies at Boston University, which included a research seminar on New England witchcraft. The idea for this novel developed while she was studying for her Ph.D. exams, walking her dog through the woods between Marblehead and Salem. She lives in Marblehead, MA with her husband and assorted animals.

Reviews

"A fresh present-day story infused with an original take on popular history. Forget broomsticks and pointy hats: here are witches that could well be walking among us today. This debut novel flows with poetic charm and eloquence that achieves high literary merit while concocting a gripping supernatural puzzler. Katherine Howe's talent is spellbinding." -- Matthew Pearl

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is the best historical fiction I've read in years, hands-down. The scenes set during the 1692 Salem witch trials are gripping, with meticulous period detail. The author does an amazing balancing act between the Colonial storyline and the incredibly compelling present-day plot--when you finish one section, you want to race ahead to the next. It's been a thrill to work with such a talented author." -- Leslie Wells

Howe's novel moves back and forth between the summer of 1991 in Salem, Mass., and the 17th-century witch trial era, as college student Connie Goodwin chances upon a mysterious book written by the elusive Deliverance Dane. The characters are thin and the plot predictable, but Katherine Kellgren does her best with the material. Her voice is pleasing, her pacing and emphasis good, her diction clear but conversational. Most of her characters are distinguishable and reasonably represented, but the exaggerated British accent she adopts for the villain makes him more comical than terrifying. A Hyperion/Voice hardcover (Reviews, May 25). (June) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

"A fresh present-day story infused with an original take on popular history. Forget broomsticks and pointy hats: here are witches that could well be walking among us today. This debut novel flows with poetic charm and eloquence that achieves high literary merit while concocting a gripping supernatural puzzler. Katherine Howe's talent is spellbinding." -- Matthew Pearl
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is the best historical fiction I've read in years, hands-down. The scenes set during the 1692 Salem witch trials are gripping, with meticulous period detail. The author does an amazing balancing act between the Colonial storyline and the incredibly compelling present-day plot--when you finish one section, you want to race ahead to the next. It's been a thrill to work with such a talented author." -- Leslie Wells