The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

By: Katherine Howe

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Connie is looking forward to starting work on her graduate thesis over the summer, when her mother asks her to sell an abandoned house once owned by her grandmother in Salem, Mass. Relunctantly, Connie moves to the small town and inhabits the crumbling, ancient house, trying to restore it to a semblance of order.

Curious things start to happen when Connie finds the name "Deliverance Dane" on a yellowed scrap of paper inside an old Bible, and begins to have visions of a long ago woman condemned for practicing "physick," or herbal healing, on her neighbors in 1690s Salem.

Interspersed with modern-day sections are chapters on the actual witch trials, revealing the fascinating story of Deliverance Dane and how she got caught up in the tragic events. Connie meets an intriguing young steeplejack named Sam, who's also interested in the history of the area. But just as Connie starts to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding Deliverance's identity, Sam has a horrifying accident, and Connie has to figure out a way to save him that involves an ancient and mystical cure. And to do that, she needs to locate the actual "physick book" once owned by Deliverance Dane herself.

Immediately compelling, with powerful historic insight and detail, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is that rare find - a literary first novel with a very commercial premise and pacing.

©2009 Katherine Howe (P)2009 Hyperion

Critic reviews

"In all, a keen and magical historical mystery laced with romance and sly digs at society's persistent underestimation of women." ( Booklist)

Entertaining and informative.

Enjoyed this book. Having gone through the rigors of getting a PhD myself I related to the character Connie. I also loved the dogs!

Storyline was intriguing

If you love books about books or generation ties, I think you’ll enjoy this one.
I really liked the characters and how the author includes a historical end note

solid!

I quite enjoyed listening to this book and being transported into the world that the author creates. It's not perfect, and some of the characters were not especially believable, but I highly recommend it if you're looking for something in the vein of "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation". (To be fair, the quality of the writing in "The Physick Book" is about 10 times better than "Pink Carnation", but the parts set in the past in "Pink Carnation" are about 10 times more engaging.)

Good idea bad execution

The idea for this novel was good it's the way it is carried out that is a problem.The parallel story lines opened the story to a lot of repetition which quickly bothered me as I listened to this audiobook.The writer Kathrine Howe is also overdescribes when it really isn't necessary . I didn't really like the lead character Connie either . She was as other reviewers have wrote is dumb for a PHD candiate. For me honestly there were no characters that I cared about .It made it hard for me to get through the book.The author did a through job of researching the history of the witch trails that you can hear throughout the only really interesting story of the colonial witches.The endings for both stories were somewhat predictable. Overall this book is just okay ,nothing too exciting or mentally demanding.

Hurray!

This is the first intelligent historical thriller I've encountered since The Historian. I couldn't stop listening. My one qualm was with the narrator, who, like so many other narrators and actors, seems to think that everyone from Massachusetts sounds like a Kennedy or even better, like they are from Maine. While this annoyed me, it wasn't enough to keep me from thoroughly enjoying the story.

New Englanders Must!

Wonderfully written and very well performed. This book is very enjoyable as well as having a more than realistic historic appeal.

The Best Book I Read This Year!

This book was probably one of the best books, if not the best book, I read all year. I LOVED everything about it, from the rich history in the lives of those living during the Salem Witch Trials, to the historical relevance that was imparted on those living today. It was educational, entertaining, and so enthralling! I'd recommend it for anyone who loves magical realism, historical fiction, mystery and plot twists, and learning a little something from their entertainment.

Slow start, but ultimately enjoyable

It starts out slow, but builds nicely. A good alternative historical work, massaging a bit of fantasy among facts. My only disappointment was that the author developed so few characters, that when the villain is revealed, it's no surprise, nor are his motives at all a mystery to the reader.

Audiobook notes: the reader was well suited to the text. I enjoyed her performance.

Best and original story.

I loved the college backdrop of the beginning story. The main character has a professor on her research doing what professors do best..clear you towards what they want to know about.

Intriguing!

This was a great story to read after visiting Salem. I also appreciated the author’s connections to the elements of her story.