Katherine Howe is the descendant of two women accused of witchcraft in Salem Village back in 1692, so maybe it was only natural that Howe's first novel would deal with witchcraft. Connie Goodwin is a grad student preparing to write her dissertation. When her mother calls from Santa Fe and asks her to go to a nearby town and get her grandmother's house ready for sale, Connie is reluctant but obedient. The house is old, hasn't been occupied for years, and is full of mysteries, not so much for the reader as for Connie, whose mother accuses her of not being able to see what's right in front of her face. The reader's going to spot a lot of things long before Connie does.
In the house, Connie finds a clue to a long lost "physick book" of an accused witch, Deliverance Dane. No such book is known to have existed, and if Connie can find it, her career will be made. But what about all those herbs in her grandmother's house? And the strange symbol that mysteriously burns itself into her door? And what about Connie herself, who seems to be developing strange powers?
The book is in part a detective story, as Connie searches for the lost physick book. It's also a romance and a fantasy, as well as a historical novel, as Howe switches the narrative from 1692 to 1991 and back again. It's a smooth blend, and the book's getting a huge push from the publisher. I suspect it will be a hit, though I found it a bit too long and Connie way too naive.
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