The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

This book was a good one to read, especially with Halloween coming up. It’s about the Salem Witch Trials and the idea that maybe real magic isn’t as hokus pokus and abracadabra as we think (well, actually, maybe a little MORE abracadabra than we think). It’s about Connie Goodwin, a stressed out graduate student recently accepted into the PhD program she always hoped for. Shortly after her acceptance, Connie’s wacky and hugely misunderstood mother tells her that her grandmother’s long abandoned house has accumulated a hefty amount of unpaid property taxes and that it needs to be sold to pay the bill. Connie grudgingly makes a promise to her mother that she will spend her summer cleaning up the old house and making it sellable after its many years of neglect. Things start to get spooky when Connie discovers that the women in her life, past and present, weren’t always what they seemed to be and that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. The book goes back and forth between the present day and 15th/16th century Salem to tell the story of a large group of women who were fatally misunderstood. It talks about the perils of being a successful woman, past and present. It also talks about religion as a scapegoat, which is often something that comes up when discussing the Salem Witch Trials. What makes this book even better is the author’s own family connection to Elizabeth Proctor and Elizabeth Howe; two women who experienced the Salem Witch Trials. Elizabeth Howe, sadly, did not survive them, which makes this story hit home as she is a character in the book. Also, the author’s own background in American and New England Studies offers authenticity to the more historical aspects of the book. I was particularly fond of the background information that the author provides at the end of the book because it legitimizes a lot of what she is saying and makes you realize how much of the book really is non-fiction. While the real magic bits are a bit much for me, it does make you wonder if there is more than meets the eye. This is a great new read and I look forward to more books by Elizabeth Howe.

Rating 4/5

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

This novel was an exceptional read; both intimate and horrifying. Any book that is difficult to put down automatically get’s the thumbs up. It grabbed and held my attention in the first 10 pages, something even good books fail to do in the first 100. It is the first McCarthy novel that I have read and I enjoyed it more than I expected. It is the ominous and somewhat perilous journey of a father and son clinging to the hope that there is some good left in a raped and ravaged world. The story is about their continued journey down “the road” to find some sort of salvation in what used to be the United States but is now a cannibalistic, violent, and desperate, society of outlaws, nomads, rapists, murderers, and thieves. At times, The Road’s disturbing imagery is difficult to stomach, although McCarthy never goes as far as it seems he will. This probably works in his favour since at several points in the book I almost put it down because I became so afraid of what would happen next. An author who can inject a reader emotionally like that is certainly not lacking in his craft. A tool that McCarthy uses throughout the book to do this is false foreshadowing; planting seeds for things the reader assumes will happen, but never do. This adds to the suspense and fear that McCarthy creates for his audience. It also contributes to the fear of the unknown, which is a major consideration of this story. The plot doesn’t really thicken, which adds to the simplicity and nothingness that the book is supposed to make the reader feel. This book conveys more emotion than any other book I have ever read. McCarthy forces the reader to experience fear, sadness, and desperation alongside the main characters. There are a few things I didn’t like. The dialogue is difficult to follow at times and can be repetitive. Also, the use of proper names is nearly non-existent, but this seems to serve a purpose. For example, the father and son (as well as the few other characters that come along in the story) have descriptive terms to identify them rather than names; i.e. the man and the boy. The few proper names that are found are mostly brand names. One example of this is Coca Cola, when they find one last can of Coke inside a beaten vending machine in a long abandoned and pillaged grocery store. Much of the book is description as McCarthy isn’t just telling a story of loss, but also painting a picture about what post-apocalyptic America may look like. My interpretation of this book, aside from the message that the world is consuming itself to the point of complete extermination, is the true terror in the unknown. It is about the terror of being alone. It is also about the necessary attachment to god and faith when there is nothing else left to believe in. The Road is also an interpretation of raw human nature at the most desperate and destitute of times. The Road is definitely a new addition to some old favourites in post-apocalyptic literature. I look forward to reading more of McCarthy’s work down the road.

Rating 5/5