Chris Bohjalian's Blog, page 3
January 28, 2024
A new book -- and a new play.
The Princess of Las Vegas is "a wonderful book...I absolutely could not put it down."
-- Anne Lamott
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
It feels to me as if we are in the midst of a post-pandemic literary renaissance as remarkable as the one that followed the influenza pandemic after the First World War. The books I read in 2023, most of which were written in 2020 and 2021, left me inspired and awed. Many of you saw my recommendations on-line the past two years – a LOT of five-star reviews here on my Goodreads page.
I want to share with you two pieces of news.
First, I have a new play opening next month at the George Street Playhouse, where many of you saw my adaptation of Midwives in January and February of 2020, just before. . .never mind.
That new play, The Club, begins previews on February 27 and opens on March 1. Three married couples collide in a suburban living room one autumn Sunday – what they think is a refuge from the rock ‘n roll turbulence outside their neighborhood – only to discover there’s no escape from the era’s cultural upheaval. It is (I hope) rich with biting wit and startling twists as it explores racism, marriage, and the lies we tell ourselves daily. And though the play is set in 1968, it’s eerily timely.
The play is directed by the brilliant David Saint. Learn more and get your tickets here:
https://www.georgestreetplayhouse.org...
Second, my new novel, The Princess of Las Vegas, arrives in six weeks.
If you devoured Netflix’s The Crown or remain fascinated by the Royals — and Sin City — well, it might be your cup of tea. (As Kirkus wrote, "Diana goes Vegas...in Bohjalian's latest lively romp.")
A Princess Diana impersonator and her estranged sister find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of money and murder in a twisting tale of organized crime, cryptocurrency, and family secrets on the Las Vegas strip. Yes, I have always been interested in the Royals and fascinated by Las Vegas. My hope is the ingredients mesh as well as peanut butter and chocolate.
You can learn more at www.chrisbohjalian.com .
I’m right chuffed about this one, and would be gobsmacked and grateful if you preordered it wherever you buy your books.
Want personalized copies and special swag? Visit two of my local bookstores, the Vermont Book Shop or Phoenix Books. They both ship!
https://www.phoenixbooks.biz/princess...
https://www.vermontbookshop.com/book/...
As always, thank you for your faith in my work. It means more to me than you know.
Sincerely,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X
(still), Litsy, Goodreads, TikTok (very, very badly)
“Bohjalian’s lightning-speed page-turner delivers a dishy, twisty tale of suspense tempered with intriguing insights into the nature of ego, fame, and family. . .Bohjalian offers a full deck of irresistible elements in this novel of endangered Vegas royalty.” — Carol Haggas, Booklist
.
-- Anne Lamott
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
It feels to me as if we are in the midst of a post-pandemic literary renaissance as remarkable as the one that followed the influenza pandemic after the First World War. The books I read in 2023, most of which were written in 2020 and 2021, left me inspired and awed. Many of you saw my recommendations on-line the past two years – a LOT of five-star reviews here on my Goodreads page.
I want to share with you two pieces of news.
First, I have a new play opening next month at the George Street Playhouse, where many of you saw my adaptation of Midwives in January and February of 2020, just before. . .never mind.
That new play, The Club, begins previews on February 27 and opens on March 1. Three married couples collide in a suburban living room one autumn Sunday – what they think is a refuge from the rock ‘n roll turbulence outside their neighborhood – only to discover there’s no escape from the era’s cultural upheaval. It is (I hope) rich with biting wit and startling twists as it explores racism, marriage, and the lies we tell ourselves daily. And though the play is set in 1968, it’s eerily timely.
The play is directed by the brilliant David Saint. Learn more and get your tickets here:
https://www.georgestreetplayhouse.org...
Second, my new novel, The Princess of Las Vegas, arrives in six weeks.
If you devoured Netflix’s The Crown or remain fascinated by the Royals — and Sin City — well, it might be your cup of tea. (As Kirkus wrote, "Diana goes Vegas...in Bohjalian's latest lively romp.")
A Princess Diana impersonator and her estranged sister find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of money and murder in a twisting tale of organized crime, cryptocurrency, and family secrets on the Las Vegas strip. Yes, I have always been interested in the Royals and fascinated by Las Vegas. My hope is the ingredients mesh as well as peanut butter and chocolate.
You can learn more at www.chrisbohjalian.com .
I’m right chuffed about this one, and would be gobsmacked and grateful if you preordered it wherever you buy your books.
Want personalized copies and special swag? Visit two of my local bookstores, the Vermont Book Shop or Phoenix Books. They both ship!
https://www.phoenixbooks.biz/princess...
https://www.vermontbookshop.com/book/...
As always, thank you for your faith in my work. It means more to me than you know.
Sincerely,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X
(still), Litsy, Goodreads, TikTok (very, very badly)
“Bohjalian’s lightning-speed page-turner delivers a dishy, twisty tale of suspense tempered with intriguing insights into the nature of ego, fame, and family. . .Bohjalian offers a full deck of irresistible elements in this novel of endangered Vegas royalty.” — Carol Haggas, Booklist
.
December 31, 2022
This Year, Take a Deep Breath and Focus on Others
When I was a boy, my parents’ New Year’s Eve parties were not precisely chaotic studies in dissolution and debauchery, but once when I was in elementary school, I walked in on two of their married friends necking in the bathtub in an upstairs bathroom. This wouldn’t have been quite so disturbing for the three of us if the couple in the tub had been married to each other.
The parties were actually pretty standard fare for that era and that geography: the hard-drinking, hard-working, hard-playing suburbs of New York City in the 1970s. Moreover, it didn’t have to be New Year’s Eve for the parties to cross the line between boisterous and bacchanalian. They had doozies in the summer, too.
My parents loved their neighbors and they loved to entertain, but I always suspected there was something a little desperate in their friends’ behavior at those parties, especially the ones on Dec. 31. I had the sense that for many of the grownups, all that alcohol and all those cigarettes and all that forced bonhomie was a camouflage for wistfulness and regret.
The reality is that New Year’s Eve has the potential to be spectacularly depressing. Often we look back on the last year with a combination of disappointment and self-loathing. We make resolutions for the purpose of trying to will the coming year to be better — to see if we can somehow stop making the same mistakes year after year.
Consequently, I rarely make resolutions, and it’s not simply because I know I’m a lost cause. One year I resolved to stop biting my nails, but by Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I was back on the keratin. Likewise, I tend to steer clear of New Year’s Eve parties because there are too many middle-aged ghosts from my childhood at the punch bowls.
If we are lucky, we can find a moment on the 31st to take a deep breath and sit very still. We can focus on all that is right with the world and all that is wrong — on all the ways we have striven for personal decency in our lives and, alas, on all the ways we have failed. We can recall the people we have loved who we have lost, and ponder the friends and family who deserve more attention than we give them.
And maybe those are the only resolutions that matter: the ones that focus on others.
_____________________________________
This essay appeared originally in the New York Times on December 30, 2015.
The parties were actually pretty standard fare for that era and that geography: the hard-drinking, hard-working, hard-playing suburbs of New York City in the 1970s. Moreover, it didn’t have to be New Year’s Eve for the parties to cross the line between boisterous and bacchanalian. They had doozies in the summer, too.
My parents loved their neighbors and they loved to entertain, but I always suspected there was something a little desperate in their friends’ behavior at those parties, especially the ones on Dec. 31. I had the sense that for many of the grownups, all that alcohol and all those cigarettes and all that forced bonhomie was a camouflage for wistfulness and regret.
The reality is that New Year’s Eve has the potential to be spectacularly depressing. Often we look back on the last year with a combination of disappointment and self-loathing. We make resolutions for the purpose of trying to will the coming year to be better — to see if we can somehow stop making the same mistakes year after year.
Consequently, I rarely make resolutions, and it’s not simply because I know I’m a lost cause. One year I resolved to stop biting my nails, but by Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I was back on the keratin. Likewise, I tend to steer clear of New Year’s Eve parties because there are too many middle-aged ghosts from my childhood at the punch bowls.
If we are lucky, we can find a moment on the 31st to take a deep breath and sit very still. We can focus on all that is right with the world and all that is wrong — on all the ways we have striven for personal decency in our lives and, alas, on all the ways we have failed. We can recall the people we have loved who we have lost, and ponder the friends and family who deserve more attention than we give them.
And maybe those are the only resolutions that matter: the ones that focus on others.
_____________________________________
This essay appeared originally in the New York Times on December 30, 2015.
December 2, 2022
Some books to give this holiday season!
2 December 2022
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
Chris Bohjalian here, author of (most recently) The Lioness.
Let’s begin with this: books make us better. Studies show fiction makes us more empathetic. History makes us smarter. And memoirs and poetry leave us moved.
Also? They make the PERFECT gifts.
So, here are some of my favorite novels from 2022 that I’d encourage you to give to friends and family this holiday season. You can see my reviews of them right here on Goodreads, and why I loved them so very much.
HISTORICAL FICTION
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani
LITERARY FICTION
Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Unleashed by Cai Emmons
Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra
The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
Mustique Island by Sarah McCoy
Lessons by Ian McEwan
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Mecca by Susan Straight
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
MYSTERIES AND THRILLERS
I’ll Be You by Janelle Brown
What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline
Her Last Affair by John Searles
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
A MEMOIR I DEVOURED
The Road Taken by Senator Patrick Leahy
BOOKS YOU WILL SEE IN 2023 THAT YOU SHOULD PREORDER NOW
Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott
The Lost Americans by Christopher Bollen
I Will Find You by Harlan Coben
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Small World by Laura Zigman
Now, lots of you read my new novel this year, THE LIONESS. You have my deepest thanks! You helped propel the novel onto the New York Times Bestseller list.
As always, I thank you so much for your faith in my work — and in what stories can mean to the soul. All of you are the best and I’m humbled by our literary kinship.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, Twitter, Goodreads, Hive, TikTok
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
Chris Bohjalian here, author of (most recently) The Lioness.
Let’s begin with this: books make us better. Studies show fiction makes us more empathetic. History makes us smarter. And memoirs and poetry leave us moved.
Also? They make the PERFECT gifts.
So, here are some of my favorite novels from 2022 that I’d encourage you to give to friends and family this holiday season. You can see my reviews of them right here on Goodreads, and why I loved them so very much.
HISTORICAL FICTION
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani
LITERARY FICTION
Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Unleashed by Cai Emmons
Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra
The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
Mustique Island by Sarah McCoy
Lessons by Ian McEwan
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Mecca by Susan Straight
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
MYSTERIES AND THRILLERS
I’ll Be You by Janelle Brown
What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline
Her Last Affair by John Searles
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
A MEMOIR I DEVOURED
The Road Taken by Senator Patrick Leahy
BOOKS YOU WILL SEE IN 2023 THAT YOU SHOULD PREORDER NOW
Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott
The Lost Americans by Christopher Bollen
I Will Find You by Harlan Coben
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Small World by Laura Zigman
Now, lots of you read my new novel this year, THE LIONESS. You have my deepest thanks! You helped propel the novel onto the New York Times Bestseller list.
As always, I thank you so much for your faith in my work — and in what stories can mean to the soul. All of you are the best and I’m humbled by our literary kinship.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, Twitter, Goodreads, Hive, TikTok
April 6, 2022
Pick your date to join me on THE LIONESS In-Person Safari book tour!
"Chris Bohjalian’s best book yet and that is saying a lot. Of course it’s a page-turner, with the usual Bohjalian qualities of fine writing, deep characters and insight, but this time in Africa. On Safari, with Hollywood types. I was in heaven.” — Anne Lamott, Bestselling Author of Dusk, Night, Dawn and Bird by Bird
6 April 2022
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
I have missed you the last two years.
And so I'm thrilled to share with you the news that I will get to see many of you in May. THE LIONESS roars May 10.
Behold THE LIONESS In-Person Safari Book Tour: 15 live appearances in four time zones and a pair of really fun virtual events.
https://chrisbohjalian.com/events/
You can also find the details on my Facebook page.
This is my first in-person tour since 2019, so we will have:
— The official Lake Champlain Chocolates THE LIONESS Chocolate Bar as swag. (They're scrumptious.)
— Some of your favorite writers joining me in conversation, including Janelle Brown, Katie Crouch, Fiona Davis, Emily Henry, Stephen Kiernan, Stephen Kurkjian, Paula McLain, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Lisa Scottoline, John Searles, Brendan Slocumb, and Adriana Trigiani.
And, yes, we will have books.
In its spring fiction preview, the New York Times wrote, “If you’re getting on a long flight and have no idea what to bring, Bohjalian’s novels are always a safe bet…[he] steers this runaway Land Rover of a story into some wildly entertaining territory.”
Now, if I am not coming to your city, fear not. I signed lots of books and your local bookstore might have some. Also, the Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition is gorgeous, and comes with a dozen photographs that my lovely bride took when I was researching the novel in the Serengeti.
And if you want a personalized copy? Call the Vermont Book Shop at (802) 388-2061. Before you place your order, simply write in your personalization request under “Order Comments” at the bottom of the order form. It works like a charm. If you have questions, their email is orders@vermontbookshop.com.
I hope to meet many of you on the road.
In the meantime? Thank you so much for your faith in what words and reading and books can mean to the soul.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
6 April 2022
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
I have missed you the last two years.
And so I'm thrilled to share with you the news that I will get to see many of you in May. THE LIONESS roars May 10.
Behold THE LIONESS In-Person Safari Book Tour: 15 live appearances in four time zones and a pair of really fun virtual events.
https://chrisbohjalian.com/events/
You can also find the details on my Facebook page.
This is my first in-person tour since 2019, so we will have:
— The official Lake Champlain Chocolates THE LIONESS Chocolate Bar as swag. (They're scrumptious.)
— Some of your favorite writers joining me in conversation, including Janelle Brown, Katie Crouch, Fiona Davis, Emily Henry, Stephen Kiernan, Stephen Kurkjian, Paula McLain, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Lisa Scottoline, John Searles, Brendan Slocumb, and Adriana Trigiani.
And, yes, we will have books.
In its spring fiction preview, the New York Times wrote, “If you’re getting on a long flight and have no idea what to bring, Bohjalian’s novels are always a safe bet…[he] steers this runaway Land Rover of a story into some wildly entertaining territory.”
Now, if I am not coming to your city, fear not. I signed lots of books and your local bookstore might have some. Also, the Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition is gorgeous, and comes with a dozen photographs that my lovely bride took when I was researching the novel in the Serengeti.
And if you want a personalized copy? Call the Vermont Book Shop at (802) 388-2061. Before you place your order, simply write in your personalization request under “Order Comments” at the bottom of the order form. It works like a charm. If you have questions, their email is orders@vermontbookshop.com.
I hope to meet many of you on the road.
In the meantime? Thank you so much for your faith in what words and reading and books can mean to the soul.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
December 2, 2021
Chocolate and Books
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who are Friends,
I have some more news, but I don’t want to bury the lead:
CHOCOLATE.
Doubleday and I are excited to announce an ongoing partnership with Lake Champlain Chocolates — and to celebrate it, Doubleday Books has created a holiday giveaway revolving around
CHOCOLATE AND BOOKS.
From today through December 12, enter for the chance to win a vast selection of chocolate treats paired with some of my favorite books I’ve written. Doubleday recommends choosing one of these reads as your next book club pick and sharing the chocolate bounty with the entire group — an idea I endorse because, well, I love Lake Champlain Chocolates.
Want to enter? Click here:
https://sweeps.penguinrandomhouse.com...
Also, I am thrilled to share the news that HOUR OF WITCH is a finalist here on Goodreads in their Choice Awards in Best Historical Fiction. You can vote again in this new round right here:
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
Thank you, as always, for your faith in my work. I am so grateful to all of you.
All the best,
Chris B.
I have some more news, but I don’t want to bury the lead:
CHOCOLATE.
Doubleday and I are excited to announce an ongoing partnership with Lake Champlain Chocolates — and to celebrate it, Doubleday Books has created a holiday giveaway revolving around
CHOCOLATE AND BOOKS.
From today through December 12, enter for the chance to win a vast selection of chocolate treats paired with some of my favorite books I’ve written. Doubleday recommends choosing one of these reads as your next book club pick and sharing the chocolate bounty with the entire group — an idea I endorse because, well, I love Lake Champlain Chocolates.
Want to enter? Click here:
https://sweeps.penguinrandomhouse.com...
Also, I am thrilled to share the news that HOUR OF WITCH is a finalist here on Goodreads in their Choice Awards in Best Historical Fiction. You can vote again in this new round right here:
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
Thank you, as always, for your faith in my work. I am so grateful to all of you.
All the best,
Chris B.
November 24, 2021
The Holiday Season and Books
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who are Friends,
So, we have almost made it through 2021 — a year that may have been imperfect, but was certainly an improvement over 2020 (known officially in my house as The Year that Satan Spawned).
Happiest of Thanksgiving to all of you.
Looking for books for holiday gifts? These were some of my favorites from 2021:
- For history buffs: Lisa Scottoline’s ETERNAL or Carol Edgarian’s VERA or Christina Baker Kline’s THE EXILES
- For history buffs who savor a truly epic historical journey: Honoree Fanonne Jeffers’s THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B. DuBOIS
- For people in need of a hug: Todd Doughty’s LITTLE PIECES OF HOPE
- For people who love dread (like me): Megan Abbot’s THE TURNOUT
- For anyone who loves a love story: Sally Rooney’s BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU
- For anyone who has ever really loved a dog: Jenna Blum’s WOODROW ON THE BENCH
- For anyone who is old enough to remember a world before Facebook: Pamela Paul’s 100 THINGS WE’VE LOST TO THE INTERNET
- For someone who wants a really surprising narrator: Will Leitch’s HOW LUCKY
- For anyone who craves a sweeping family drama and spectacular prose: Jonathan Franzen’s CROSSROADS
- For anyone who craves a sweeping family crime drama and spectacular prose: Colson Whitehead’s HARLEM SHUFFLE
- For those who savor irony in their storytelling: Viet Nguyen’s THE COMMITTED
- For people who could use a literary road pic: Amor Towles’s THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY
- For anyone who could use a little magic: Alice Hoffman’s THE BOOK OF MAGIC
- For anyone who could use a laugh: Seth Rogan’s YEARBOOK
- For anyone could use a lawyer...in their fiction: Gin Phillips's FAMILY LAW
- For people who wants to know more about Syria and the Armenian Genocide: Khatchig Mouradian’s THE RESISTANCE NETWORK
- For book lovers, pure and simple: Tina Jordan and Noor Qasim’s THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW — 125 YEARS OF LITERARY HISTORY
Many of you are voting right now for your favorite books in the Goodreads Choice Awards. My most recent novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, is a nominee in the Historical Fiction Category. I am honored by the company. If you enjoyed the novel, you can vote for it here (and, of course, we’re still friends if you vote for any of these other extraordinary novels):
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
Now, the last bit of news? Well, yes, I do have a new novel arriving in six months. THE LIONESS roars on May 10, 2022. The year is 1964: a luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood star and her entourage in an historical thriller that Library Journal has already said is “Bohjalian doing what he does best: surprising us. For suspense readers, as well as those who love historical fiction, plus literary readers with a desire for adventure and great language.” (Thank you, Library Journal!) Imagine Death on the Nile meets Out of Africa. Want to learn more about it? Click here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Over the coming months, I’ll share with you more news about
- The Lioness
- Season two of The Flight Attendant on HBO Max
- The paperback of Hour of the Witch
- My cats and my dog — which I know is THE most important news I can share
- Chocolate. Not kidding. Big news coming about chocolate.
In the meantime? Eat chocolate. Read books. And please know how much I thank you all for your faith in my work — and in what words and reading and books can mean to the soul.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, Twitter, Goodreads, TikTok (once in a while)
So, we have almost made it through 2021 — a year that may have been imperfect, but was certainly an improvement over 2020 (known officially in my house as The Year that Satan Spawned).
Happiest of Thanksgiving to all of you.
Looking for books for holiday gifts? These were some of my favorites from 2021:
- For history buffs: Lisa Scottoline’s ETERNAL or Carol Edgarian’s VERA or Christina Baker Kline’s THE EXILES
- For history buffs who savor a truly epic historical journey: Honoree Fanonne Jeffers’s THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B. DuBOIS
- For people in need of a hug: Todd Doughty’s LITTLE PIECES OF HOPE
- For people who love dread (like me): Megan Abbot’s THE TURNOUT
- For anyone who loves a love story: Sally Rooney’s BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU
- For anyone who has ever really loved a dog: Jenna Blum’s WOODROW ON THE BENCH
- For anyone who is old enough to remember a world before Facebook: Pamela Paul’s 100 THINGS WE’VE LOST TO THE INTERNET
- For someone who wants a really surprising narrator: Will Leitch’s HOW LUCKY
- For anyone who craves a sweeping family drama and spectacular prose: Jonathan Franzen’s CROSSROADS
- For anyone who craves a sweeping family crime drama and spectacular prose: Colson Whitehead’s HARLEM SHUFFLE
- For those who savor irony in their storytelling: Viet Nguyen’s THE COMMITTED
- For people who could use a literary road pic: Amor Towles’s THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY
- For anyone who could use a little magic: Alice Hoffman’s THE BOOK OF MAGIC
- For anyone who could use a laugh: Seth Rogan’s YEARBOOK
- For anyone could use a lawyer...in their fiction: Gin Phillips's FAMILY LAW
- For people who wants to know more about Syria and the Armenian Genocide: Khatchig Mouradian’s THE RESISTANCE NETWORK
- For book lovers, pure and simple: Tina Jordan and Noor Qasim’s THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW — 125 YEARS OF LITERARY HISTORY
Many of you are voting right now for your favorite books in the Goodreads Choice Awards. My most recent novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, is a nominee in the Historical Fiction Category. I am honored by the company. If you enjoyed the novel, you can vote for it here (and, of course, we’re still friends if you vote for any of these other extraordinary novels):
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
Now, the last bit of news? Well, yes, I do have a new novel arriving in six months. THE LIONESS roars on May 10, 2022. The year is 1964: a luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood star and her entourage in an historical thriller that Library Journal has already said is “Bohjalian doing what he does best: surprising us. For suspense readers, as well as those who love historical fiction, plus literary readers with a desire for adventure and great language.” (Thank you, Library Journal!) Imagine Death on the Nile meets Out of Africa. Want to learn more about it? Click here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Over the coming months, I’ll share with you more news about
- The Lioness
- Season two of The Flight Attendant on HBO Max
- The paperback of Hour of the Witch
- My cats and my dog — which I know is THE most important news I can share
- Chocolate. Not kidding. Big news coming about chocolate.
In the meantime? Eat chocolate. Read books. And please know how much I thank you all for your faith in my work — and in what words and reading and books can mean to the soul.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, Twitter, Goodreads, TikTok (once in a while)
May 8, 2021
Reviews of HOUR OF THE WITCH
So grateful to so many book critics across America. Thank you for your faith in Mary Deerfield and HOUR OF THE WITCH! Here are some of their thoughts about the novel. Happy Mother's Day!
“Hour of the Witch is historical fiction at its best… Insightful and empathetic… Thick with details as chowder is with clams… handled with great skill and delicacy. The book is a thriller in structure, and a real page-turner, the ending both unexpected and satisfying." -- Diana Gabaldon, the Washington Post Book World
“[A] knotty dilemma lies at the heart of what is, at a deeper level, a novel of psychological suspense. Can one know if one is, indeed, damned?...In Bohjalian’s deft portrayal, Mary chafes at her societal and marital confines...[Shows] how timeless some battles —and some heroines — are." -- Clea Simon, the Boston Globe
“Absolutely riveting historical fiction that reads like the most pageturning of thrillers, driven by its compelling heroine Mary Deerfield, a young wife who finds the physical and moral courage to stand up for herself in a time when women could be hung as witches... Hour of the Witch is a woman’s story, a romance, a history lesson, and a legal thriller, all of a piece. I haven’t read a novel like it in recent memory, and I doubt that I will for years to come." -- Lisa Scottoline
“Bohjalian blends historical fiction with a thrilling courtroom drama. . . A fascinating and immersive read. . . What makes this novel remarkable and compulsively readable is Bohjalian’s uncanny ability to capture the Puritan perspective. . . Hour of the Witch is at once brilliantly idiosyncratic while also recognizable. This genre-defying thriller is sure to become a staple of book clubs and a favorite of historical mystery fans." -- Elyse Discher, BookPage
“Bohjalian’s historical novel is full of twists and turns. Though not a typical suspense novel, the story has many of the page-turning plot lines of a thriller, and is sure to keep readers enthralled. Though it’s set in the 1600s, Mary’s story resonates today, as it addresses the role religious and societal expectations can play in the lives of individuals. A must-read and highly recommended." -- Library Journal
"Throughout Bohjalian’s prolific career, he has rewarded readers with indelibly drawn female protagonists, and the formidable yet vulnerable Mary Deerfield is a worthy addition to the canon. Conjuring up specters of #MeToo recriminations and social media shaming, there are twenty-first-century parallels to Bohjalian’s atmospheric Puritan milieu, and his trademark extensive research pays off in this authentic portrait of courage in the face of society’s worst impulses. Bohjalian is a perennial favorite, and this Salem Witch Hunt drama has a special magnetism.”—Carol, Haggas, Booklist, starred review
"A rich and terrifying story... Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian is a grab-you-by-the-throat suspense read that both historical fiction fans and thriller lovers will devour.”—Kristyn Kusek Lewis, Real Simple
"No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and literary legend Chris Bohjalian returns with a story about Mary Deerfield, a suspected witch in 1662 Boston who, while wrestling with her own internal demons and disastrous marriage, raises suspicion that the demons aren't just in her own mind.”—Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
"Part thriller and part courtroom drama...HOUR OF THE WITCH is smartly wrapped in large ideas, like how women must subversively navigate a society in which they have little power, and what a justice system looks like when yoked to a fervent set of religious beliefs...Decades before the infamous Salem witch hysteria, Bohjalian shows just how easily these particular seeds of distrust can be sown.”—Carol Iaciofano Aucoin, WBUR
"Centuries after the Salem witch trials, this misogynist trope just won't die. Hour of the Witch is set well in the past, but its witch-accusation drama feels contemporary enough to drive home how far Americans still have to go in dismantling the patriarchy….Thrilling...Moments of suspense make for gratifying white-knuckled reading.” -- Kristen Ravin, Seven Days
"A carefully-plotted journey. . .In addition to spinning the tale of a strong woman in difficult times, Bohjalian’s meticulous research transports readers back to the early years of America and all the work and hardships of daily life. . .And for Mary, living in fear that even an innocent action could be interpreted in the worst way and lead to the ultimate punishment.” -- Amanda St. Amand, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Bohjalian takes readers on a treacherous journey through 17th-century Puritan New England, when a woman proclaiming her rights could end up hanging from a noose.” -- K.L. Romo, The Big Thrill
"In 1660s Boston, blue-eyed, porcelain-delicate Mary Deerfield is determined to escape her marriage after her husband, the cruel and controlling Thomas Deerfield, shoves a fork through her hand in a drunken rage. Yet unfortunate incidents—a screaming maid, a boy’s death after Mary treats him with herbs—leaves her longing not just for freedom but for her life; she could be condemned to the gallows as a witch. Another surprise read from the fabulously protean, New York Times best-selling Bohjalian.” -- Library Journal
"A probing page-turner about society's scapegoats and how elusive justice can be.” -- AARP
"[Horror] books needn’t be set in the present in order to have contemporary resonance. Hour of the Witch, a horror-inflected thriller by Chris Bohjalian... [is] a ‘cry against the paternalistic culture and the persecution of outsiders’—in other words, very 2020." -- Publishers Weekly
"Illustrates how rough justice can get when religion and institutional sexism are in the mix." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Immediately engrossing. . . [Mary Deerfield] is a woman we can root for. . . Bohjalian’s smart stylistic choices ensure that the reader is well and truly transported back to 17th-century Puritan New England, and Hour of the Witch is a finely-wrought and emotionally-charged historical drama." -- Addison Independent
"Well-researched and chilling." -- Jane Ammeson, The Times of Northwest Indiana
“Hour of the Witch is historical fiction at its best… Insightful and empathetic… Thick with details as chowder is with clams… handled with great skill and delicacy. The book is a thriller in structure, and a real page-turner, the ending both unexpected and satisfying." -- Diana Gabaldon, the Washington Post Book World
“[A] knotty dilemma lies at the heart of what is, at a deeper level, a novel of psychological suspense. Can one know if one is, indeed, damned?...In Bohjalian’s deft portrayal, Mary chafes at her societal and marital confines...[Shows] how timeless some battles —and some heroines — are." -- Clea Simon, the Boston Globe
“Absolutely riveting historical fiction that reads like the most pageturning of thrillers, driven by its compelling heroine Mary Deerfield, a young wife who finds the physical and moral courage to stand up for herself in a time when women could be hung as witches... Hour of the Witch is a woman’s story, a romance, a history lesson, and a legal thriller, all of a piece. I haven’t read a novel like it in recent memory, and I doubt that I will for years to come." -- Lisa Scottoline
“Bohjalian blends historical fiction with a thrilling courtroom drama. . . A fascinating and immersive read. . . What makes this novel remarkable and compulsively readable is Bohjalian’s uncanny ability to capture the Puritan perspective. . . Hour of the Witch is at once brilliantly idiosyncratic while also recognizable. This genre-defying thriller is sure to become a staple of book clubs and a favorite of historical mystery fans." -- Elyse Discher, BookPage
“Bohjalian’s historical novel is full of twists and turns. Though not a typical suspense novel, the story has many of the page-turning plot lines of a thriller, and is sure to keep readers enthralled. Though it’s set in the 1600s, Mary’s story resonates today, as it addresses the role religious and societal expectations can play in the lives of individuals. A must-read and highly recommended." -- Library Journal
"Throughout Bohjalian’s prolific career, he has rewarded readers with indelibly drawn female protagonists, and the formidable yet vulnerable Mary Deerfield is a worthy addition to the canon. Conjuring up specters of #MeToo recriminations and social media shaming, there are twenty-first-century parallels to Bohjalian’s atmospheric Puritan milieu, and his trademark extensive research pays off in this authentic portrait of courage in the face of society’s worst impulses. Bohjalian is a perennial favorite, and this Salem Witch Hunt drama has a special magnetism.”—Carol, Haggas, Booklist, starred review
"A rich and terrifying story... Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian is a grab-you-by-the-throat suspense read that both historical fiction fans and thriller lovers will devour.”—Kristyn Kusek Lewis, Real Simple
"No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and literary legend Chris Bohjalian returns with a story about Mary Deerfield, a suspected witch in 1662 Boston who, while wrestling with her own internal demons and disastrous marriage, raises suspicion that the demons aren't just in her own mind.”—Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
"Part thriller and part courtroom drama...HOUR OF THE WITCH is smartly wrapped in large ideas, like how women must subversively navigate a society in which they have little power, and what a justice system looks like when yoked to a fervent set of religious beliefs...Decades before the infamous Salem witch hysteria, Bohjalian shows just how easily these particular seeds of distrust can be sown.”—Carol Iaciofano Aucoin, WBUR
"Centuries after the Salem witch trials, this misogynist trope just won't die. Hour of the Witch is set well in the past, but its witch-accusation drama feels contemporary enough to drive home how far Americans still have to go in dismantling the patriarchy….Thrilling...Moments of suspense make for gratifying white-knuckled reading.” -- Kristen Ravin, Seven Days
"A carefully-plotted journey. . .In addition to spinning the tale of a strong woman in difficult times, Bohjalian’s meticulous research transports readers back to the early years of America and all the work and hardships of daily life. . .And for Mary, living in fear that even an innocent action could be interpreted in the worst way and lead to the ultimate punishment.” -- Amanda St. Amand, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Bohjalian takes readers on a treacherous journey through 17th-century Puritan New England, when a woman proclaiming her rights could end up hanging from a noose.” -- K.L. Romo, The Big Thrill
"In 1660s Boston, blue-eyed, porcelain-delicate Mary Deerfield is determined to escape her marriage after her husband, the cruel and controlling Thomas Deerfield, shoves a fork through her hand in a drunken rage. Yet unfortunate incidents—a screaming maid, a boy’s death after Mary treats him with herbs—leaves her longing not just for freedom but for her life; she could be condemned to the gallows as a witch. Another surprise read from the fabulously protean, New York Times best-selling Bohjalian.” -- Library Journal
"A probing page-turner about society's scapegoats and how elusive justice can be.” -- AARP
"[Horror] books needn’t be set in the present in order to have contemporary resonance. Hour of the Witch, a horror-inflected thriller by Chris Bohjalian... [is] a ‘cry against the paternalistic culture and the persecution of outsiders’—in other words, very 2020." -- Publishers Weekly
"Illustrates how rough justice can get when religion and institutional sexism are in the mix." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Immediately engrossing. . . [Mary Deerfield] is a woman we can root for. . . Bohjalian’s smart stylistic choices ensure that the reader is well and truly transported back to 17th-century Puritan New England, and Hour of the Witch is a finely-wrought and emotionally-charged historical drama." -- Addison Independent
"Well-researched and chilling." -- Jane Ammeson, The Times of Northwest Indiana
May 4, 2021
The HOUR OF THE WITCH has tolled!
"Number one New York Times bestselling author and literary legend Chris Bohjalian returns with a story about Mary Deerfield, a suspected witch in 1662 Boston who, while wrestling with her own internal demons and disastrous marriage, raises suspicions that the demons aren’t just in her own mind.”
—Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
Thou art receiving this epistle because thou hast expressed interest in news of Mary Deerfield, the Boston goodwife who has attempted to escape her marriage most toxic — and around whom swirl allegations that she has made a pact with the Devil.
Well, the wait is over. The novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, is on sale today.
And I bring thee news that —when I heard — caused me to raise high my tankard of ale: Barnes & Noble has selected HOUR OF THE WITCH as their May Book Club Pick and produced a special edition that is most comely. It has a Reading Group Guide and an interview with me. I am most grateful. Learn more about the #BNBookClub here:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/book...
But, of course, thou canst find the novel wherever there are books. It is also:
An Indie Next Pick for May 2021
A Read It Forward Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Book of 2021
This novel of historical suspense was inspired by the first divorce in North America for domestic violence, and, yes, one of the first witch hunts in New England, a moment in time when Satan was as real as your neighbor. It's the nexus of adultery, divorce, and. . .witchcraft. For a tale set in 1662, it is unexpectedly timely. Thou canst learn more about it here:
https://chrisbohjalian.com/hour-of-th...
As the brilliant writer behind the Outlander series, Diana Gabaldon, wrote in her review in the Washington Post, “Bohjalian is not only a talented storyteller; he understands women, and it shows in the insightful and empathetic way in which he tells their stories…The book is a thriller in structure, and a real page-turner, the ending both unexpected and satisfying."
And thou canst learn of the books that broke my heart as a boy, and the way I colored upon my mother’s first edition classic novels as a child here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/bo...
The book tour is virtual. But every event will be most convivial, a conversation between me and some of thy favorite authors. Among them?
Cristina Alger
Lisa Scottoline
Wally Lamb
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Jeniffer Thompson
Brunonia Barry
Adriana Trigiani
Jennifer McMahon
Gin Phillips
Amor Towles Jenna Blum
Alice Hoffman
Sheila O’Connor
Jodi Picoult
and - wait for it -
Kaley Cuoco
Thou canst find links to all of the conversations on my Facebook page or on my website.
I thank thee so much for thy faith in my work. Fingers crossed thou art never disappointed.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, Twitter, Goodreads
PS: Yes, that is me on the cover of the new issue of Writer’s Digest. I am gobsmacked and grateful. In it I reveal a lot about my process. . .and what I think propels my better work.
—Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
Thou art receiving this epistle because thou hast expressed interest in news of Mary Deerfield, the Boston goodwife who has attempted to escape her marriage most toxic — and around whom swirl allegations that she has made a pact with the Devil.
Well, the wait is over. The novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, is on sale today.
And I bring thee news that —when I heard — caused me to raise high my tankard of ale: Barnes & Noble has selected HOUR OF THE WITCH as their May Book Club Pick and produced a special edition that is most comely. It has a Reading Group Guide and an interview with me. I am most grateful. Learn more about the #BNBookClub here:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/book...
But, of course, thou canst find the novel wherever there are books. It is also:
An Indie Next Pick for May 2021
A Read It Forward Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Book of 2021
This novel of historical suspense was inspired by the first divorce in North America for domestic violence, and, yes, one of the first witch hunts in New England, a moment in time when Satan was as real as your neighbor. It's the nexus of adultery, divorce, and. . .witchcraft. For a tale set in 1662, it is unexpectedly timely. Thou canst learn more about it here:
https://chrisbohjalian.com/hour-of-th...
As the brilliant writer behind the Outlander series, Diana Gabaldon, wrote in her review in the Washington Post, “Bohjalian is not only a talented storyteller; he understands women, and it shows in the insightful and empathetic way in which he tells their stories…The book is a thriller in structure, and a real page-turner, the ending both unexpected and satisfying."
And thou canst learn of the books that broke my heart as a boy, and the way I colored upon my mother’s first edition classic novels as a child here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/bo...
The book tour is virtual. But every event will be most convivial, a conversation between me and some of thy favorite authors. Among them?
Cristina Alger
Lisa Scottoline
Wally Lamb
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Jeniffer Thompson
Brunonia Barry
Adriana Trigiani
Jennifer McMahon
Gin Phillips
Amor Towles Jenna Blum
Alice Hoffman
Sheila O’Connor
Jodi Picoult
and - wait for it -
Kaley Cuoco
Thou canst find links to all of the conversations on my Facebook page or on my website.
I thank thee so much for thy faith in my work. Fingers crossed thou art never disappointed.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, Twitter, Goodreads
PS: Yes, that is me on the cover of the new issue of Writer’s Digest. I am gobsmacked and grateful. In it I reveal a lot about my process. . .and what I think propels my better work.
April 20, 2021
The HOUR OF THE WITCH tolls in two weeks: May 4
"Bohjalian’s historical novel is full of twists and turns. Though set in the 1600s, Mary’s story resonates today. . .A must-read and highly recommended.”
—Library Journal
An Indie Next Pick for May 2021
A Read It Forward Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Book of 2021
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
If you see me doing the Ed Grimley Happy Dance this coming Friday, it’s because that day I will receive my second shot. Hope!
Here are three more facts about the Puritans you might not have known:
1) Hartford was hanging women as witches 30 years before Salem;
2) In 1656, the Governor of Massachusetts had his own sister-in-law hanged as a witch;
3) Witchcraft and adultery were both capital crimes — though no one was ever executed for adultery. Witchcraft? THAT was another story.
All of this figures prominently in my next novel.
The HOUR OF THE WITCH tolls on May 4 - only two weeks from now. It’s a novel of historical suspense set in 1662 Boston and inspired by the first divorce in North America for domestic violence — and, yes, it’s a novel about one of the first real witch hunts in New England, a moment in time when Satan was as real as your neighbor. It's the nexus of adultery, divorce, and. . .witchcraft. For a tale set in 1662, it is unexpectedly timely.
The book tour will be virtual. We’re all a little tired of that. So, to make this more fun, every event will be a conversation between me and some of your favorite authors. Among them?
Cristina Alger
Patti Callahan
Wally Lamb
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Jeniffer Thompson
Lisa Scottoline
Brunonia Barry
Christal Frost
Jennifer McMahon
Gin Phillips
Amor Towles
Jenna Blum
Alice Hoffman
Sheila O’Connor
Jodi Picoult
Adriana Trigiani
and - wait for it -
Kaley Cuoco
Yup, THE flight attendant and brilliant star of the HBO Max TV series will be popping into one of the events. You can find links to all of the conversations on my Facebook page or on my website.
Want to preorder HOUR OF THE WITCH? So easy. Call or visit your local bookstore or click here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...
Thanks so much for your faith in my work. Fingers crossed I never disappoint you.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, Twitter, Goodreads
—Library Journal
An Indie Next Pick for May 2021
A Read It Forward Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2021
A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Book of 2021
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
If you see me doing the Ed Grimley Happy Dance this coming Friday, it’s because that day I will receive my second shot. Hope!
Here are three more facts about the Puritans you might not have known:
1) Hartford was hanging women as witches 30 years before Salem;
2) In 1656, the Governor of Massachusetts had his own sister-in-law hanged as a witch;
3) Witchcraft and adultery were both capital crimes — though no one was ever executed for adultery. Witchcraft? THAT was another story.
All of this figures prominently in my next novel.
The HOUR OF THE WITCH tolls on May 4 - only two weeks from now. It’s a novel of historical suspense set in 1662 Boston and inspired by the first divorce in North America for domestic violence — and, yes, it’s a novel about one of the first real witch hunts in New England, a moment in time when Satan was as real as your neighbor. It's the nexus of adultery, divorce, and. . .witchcraft. For a tale set in 1662, it is unexpectedly timely.
The book tour will be virtual. We’re all a little tired of that. So, to make this more fun, every event will be a conversation between me and some of your favorite authors. Among them?
Cristina Alger
Patti Callahan
Wally Lamb
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Jeniffer Thompson
Lisa Scottoline
Brunonia Barry
Christal Frost
Jennifer McMahon
Gin Phillips
Amor Towles
Jenna Blum
Alice Hoffman
Sheila O’Connor
Jodi Picoult
Adriana Trigiani
and - wait for it -
Kaley Cuoco
Yup, THE flight attendant and brilliant star of the HBO Max TV series will be popping into one of the events. You can find links to all of the conversations on my Facebook page or on my website.
Want to preorder HOUR OF THE WITCH? So easy. Call or visit your local bookstore or click here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...
Thanks so much for your faith in my work. Fingers crossed I never disappoint you.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, Twitter, Goodreads
April 17, 2021
The prologue to HOUR OF THE WITCH
Greetings,
This is fun. Here it is, in its entirety, the prologue to HOUR OF THE WITCH. The novel arrives everywhere May 4, and you can learn more about it right here on Goodreads or on my website (www.chrisbohjalian.com) or on any of the online bookstores.
Thank you, as always, for your faith in my work. Hoping you enjoy these opening pages -- and, yes, the novel.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
++++++++++
It was always possible that the Devil was present. Certainly, God was watching. And their Savior.
And so they were never completely alone. Not even when they might wander out toward the mudflats or the salt marshes which, because they all but disappeared at high tide, they called the Back Bay, or they happened to scale the Trimountain—three separate hills, really, Cotton and Sentry and Beacon—they had virtually flattened as they moved the earth to create the jetties and wharves and foundations for the warehouses. Not even along the narrow neck that led to the mainland, or when they were in the woods (most definitely not when they were in the woods) on the far side of the slender spit.
They knew there was something with them when they were otherwise alone in their small, dark houses—the windows sometimes mere slits and often shuttered against the wind and the cold—and a man could write in his diary (his ledger, in essence, in which he would catalog the day’s events and his state of mind in an effort to gauge whether he was among the elect), or a woman could scribble a few lines of poetry about the trees or the rivers or those astonishing sand dunes that rolled in the night like sea waves.
Sometimes the presence was frightening, especially if there were other indications that the Devil was at hand. But then there were those moments when it was comforting, and they, mere sheep to their divinity, felt the company of their shepherd. It was soothing, reassuring, breathtakingly beautiful.
Either way, more times than not, the women and men took consolation in the notion that there were explanations for a world that was so clearly inexplicable—and, usually, inexplicable in ways that were horrifying: a shallop with a dozen oarsmen disappearing beneath the water somewhere between the piers and the massive, anchored ship with its barrels of seasonings, its containers of gunpowder, its crates of pewter and porcelain and pillowbeers. That shallop vanished completely. One moment, sailors on the docks in the harbor could see it plainly. But then the clouds rolled in and the rains began, and the boat never emerged from the froth and the foam, and the bodies never were found.
Never.
Or that farmer who was gored through the stomach by a bull and took three days, every moment of which he was in agony, to die in his bedstead. How do you explain that? By the end of the ordeal, the feathers and cornhusks in the great bag beneath him were as red as the linen in which they were wrapped. Never had it taken a man so long to bleed out.
Three days. A number of biblical import.
But, still. Still.
How do you explain a husband who will break his wife’s leg with a fireplace poker, and then chain her around the waist to the plow so she can’t leave his property? And who then goes away? The woman waited a full day before she began to cry out.
How do you explain hurricanes that suck whole wharves into the sea, fires that spread from the hearth to the house and leave behind nothing but two blackened chimneys, how do you explain droughts and famines and floods? How do you explain babies who die and children who die and, yes, even old people who die?
Never did they ask the question Why me? In truth, they never even asked the more reasonable question Why anyone?
Because they knew. They knew what was out there in the wilds, and what was inside them that was, arguably, wilder still. Though good works could not in themselves change a thing—original sin was no fiction, predestination no fable—they might be a sign. A good sign. Sanctification followed justification.
And as for divorce . . . it happened. Rarely. But it did. It was possible. At least it was supposed to be. Mediation was always better than litigation, because this was, after all, a community of saints. At least that was the plan. There were the tangible grounds: Desertion. Destitution. Bigamy. Adultery (which was indeed a capital crime because of the Lord God’s edicts in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, though no adulterer ever was actually hanged). Impotence. Cruelty.
It was a violent world, but still you weren’t supposed to strike your spouse.
At least not without provocation.
Mary Deerfield knew all this, she knew it because God had given her an excellent mind—despite what her husband, Thomas, would tell her. And though brains hadn’t helped Anne Hutchinson (Winthrop himself opined that her problem was that she meddled too much by trying to think like a man), and in later years brains most definitely would not help the score of women who would be hanged as witches in Salem, she knew intellectually she had done nothing wrong and didn’t deserve to be hit like a brute animal. She wouldn’t stand for it. It seemed that her mother and father, bless them, wouldn’t demand that she stand for it, either.
The issue, of course, would not merely be his violence, nor would it boil down to a debate over what she said versus what he said. The wrack of their marriage was not solely his cruelty, and the divorce petition would be grounded by snares beyond her ken. Here, she realized, there were times when she would have been better off if she could have been alone but for the angels or her God, and—conversely—there were times when she would have given a very great deal for a witness that was human.
Because even for a mind as sharp as Mary Deerfield’s, it was the recognition of her own mean desires and roiling demons where things began to grow muddy.
This is fun. Here it is, in its entirety, the prologue to HOUR OF THE WITCH. The novel arrives everywhere May 4, and you can learn more about it right here on Goodreads or on my website (www.chrisbohjalian.com) or on any of the online bookstores.
Thank you, as always, for your faith in my work. Hoping you enjoy these opening pages -- and, yes, the novel.
All the best,
Chris B.
www.ChrisBohjalian.com
++++++++++
It was always possible that the Devil was present. Certainly, God was watching. And their Savior.
And so they were never completely alone. Not even when they might wander out toward the mudflats or the salt marshes which, because they all but disappeared at high tide, they called the Back Bay, or they happened to scale the Trimountain—three separate hills, really, Cotton and Sentry and Beacon—they had virtually flattened as they moved the earth to create the jetties and wharves and foundations for the warehouses. Not even along the narrow neck that led to the mainland, or when they were in the woods (most definitely not when they were in the woods) on the far side of the slender spit.
They knew there was something with them when they were otherwise alone in their small, dark houses—the windows sometimes mere slits and often shuttered against the wind and the cold—and a man could write in his diary (his ledger, in essence, in which he would catalog the day’s events and his state of mind in an effort to gauge whether he was among the elect), or a woman could scribble a few lines of poetry about the trees or the rivers or those astonishing sand dunes that rolled in the night like sea waves.
Sometimes the presence was frightening, especially if there were other indications that the Devil was at hand. But then there were those moments when it was comforting, and they, mere sheep to their divinity, felt the company of their shepherd. It was soothing, reassuring, breathtakingly beautiful.
Either way, more times than not, the women and men took consolation in the notion that there were explanations for a world that was so clearly inexplicable—and, usually, inexplicable in ways that were horrifying: a shallop with a dozen oarsmen disappearing beneath the water somewhere between the piers and the massive, anchored ship with its barrels of seasonings, its containers of gunpowder, its crates of pewter and porcelain and pillowbeers. That shallop vanished completely. One moment, sailors on the docks in the harbor could see it plainly. But then the clouds rolled in and the rains began, and the boat never emerged from the froth and the foam, and the bodies never were found.
Never.
Or that farmer who was gored through the stomach by a bull and took three days, every moment of which he was in agony, to die in his bedstead. How do you explain that? By the end of the ordeal, the feathers and cornhusks in the great bag beneath him were as red as the linen in which they were wrapped. Never had it taken a man so long to bleed out.
Three days. A number of biblical import.
But, still. Still.
How do you explain a husband who will break his wife’s leg with a fireplace poker, and then chain her around the waist to the plow so she can’t leave his property? And who then goes away? The woman waited a full day before she began to cry out.
How do you explain hurricanes that suck whole wharves into the sea, fires that spread from the hearth to the house and leave behind nothing but two blackened chimneys, how do you explain droughts and famines and floods? How do you explain babies who die and children who die and, yes, even old people who die?
Never did they ask the question Why me? In truth, they never even asked the more reasonable question Why anyone?
Because they knew. They knew what was out there in the wilds, and what was inside them that was, arguably, wilder still. Though good works could not in themselves change a thing—original sin was no fiction, predestination no fable—they might be a sign. A good sign. Sanctification followed justification.
And as for divorce . . . it happened. Rarely. But it did. It was possible. At least it was supposed to be. Mediation was always better than litigation, because this was, after all, a community of saints. At least that was the plan. There were the tangible grounds: Desertion. Destitution. Bigamy. Adultery (which was indeed a capital crime because of the Lord God’s edicts in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, though no adulterer ever was actually hanged). Impotence. Cruelty.
It was a violent world, but still you weren’t supposed to strike your spouse.
At least not without provocation.
Mary Deerfield knew all this, she knew it because God had given her an excellent mind—despite what her husband, Thomas, would tell her. And though brains hadn’t helped Anne Hutchinson (Winthrop himself opined that her problem was that she meddled too much by trying to think like a man), and in later years brains most definitely would not help the score of women who would be hanged as witches in Salem, she knew intellectually she had done nothing wrong and didn’t deserve to be hit like a brute animal. She wouldn’t stand for it. It seemed that her mother and father, bless them, wouldn’t demand that she stand for it, either.
The issue, of course, would not merely be his violence, nor would it boil down to a debate over what she said versus what he said. The wrack of their marriage was not solely his cruelty, and the divorce petition would be grounded by snares beyond her ken. Here, she realized, there were times when she would have been better off if she could have been alone but for the angels or her God, and—conversely—there were times when she would have given a very great deal for a witness that was human.
Because even for a mind as sharp as Mary Deerfield’s, it was the recognition of her own mean desires and roiling demons where things began to grow muddy.
