The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane Discussion

A crime lost to time. A secret buried deep. One book unlocks an unimaginable truth. A novel about a contemporary family connection to the Salem witch trials and a physick book containing secrets and lost knowledge.

The Afternoon Book Club (ABC) met Tuesday afternoon, April 16, for an interesting discussion of April’s book selection, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. Assorted witch hats were available for club members who forgot to bring their own! The group generally agreed that the novel was an interesting read. Everyone had positive comments. One said that it was "wordy" in the beginning but then became more complex as the story moved along in the second half. The tie between actual historical characters and the author’s own personal connection to them enhanced the believability of the fictional story.

An interview with author Katherine Howe in the Boston Globe, “Boston’s Weirder Past,” was discussed in relation to the novel. The author said that her intention in The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane was to show that almost all of the people involved in the Salem story, town officials and residents believed that witchcraft was real and what it looks like if having a witch trial was a reasonable thing to do. The author’s latest book The House of Velvet and Glass tells the story of a Boston family and their involvement in spiritualism after the sinking of the Titanic. One hundred years ago, interest in the paranormal was mainstream in Boston. Meeting times for séances appeared in the newspapers right along church service times.

The discussion continued with comments about local connections and personal stories about ghosts and haunted locations in Halifax. Many of these stories were familiar to members. Some spoke about premonitions as well. It was decided that spiritual beliefs will always be recognized and present in society.

One of several favorite quotes from the book discussed by ABC members was the following:

“But, remember, just because you don’t believe in something doesn’t mean it isn’t real.”

Have you read The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane? Please feel free to share your comments!