Book Review: The Widow of Hartforde

Reviewed by Amy Brozio-Andrews

In this rip-roaring yarn of Colonial New England, a young couple finds themselves in the crosshairs of supernatural trouble.

Rebecca Easton is struggling in her new life as a preacher’s wife in a Connecticut colony in 1661. And strange creature she sees at the edge of the woods isn’t helping.

Her husband Caleb gets her a dog, hoping that a companion will make their remote outpost of South Puritan, beyond Hartforde, less lonely. After all, they just arrived from England, and he’s confident things will turn around for her soon. But Rebecca will never feel lonelier than the day she speaks up about the beast she saw.

It happens during the midnight trial of a local woman accused of witchcraft. Judge Madden travels throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut Colonies to identify and adjudicate cases of suspected witchcraft. His arrival stirs excitement and the church is full when an old widow is tried for witchery. But Widow Goodness spins a tale of a demon in the woods that makes even the most skeptical townsperson blanch. The judge declares her guilty and sentences her to be hanged.

With hopes of sparing the widow’s life, Rebecca reveals to the court that she’s seen the beast too, causing an uproar and drawing the suspicions of the judge. He orders her out into the woods with a search party: find the beast by sunrise or risk being the next woman accused of witchcraft. Suddenly, Rebecca is on a breakneck journey through darkness.

Reverend Caleb, meanwhile, is ordered to accompany the judge to Widow Goodness’s hanging at dawn in the center of Hartforde. What he learns about how the Judge runs things in this new land shakes him to the core. Rebecca’s not the only one suddenly fighting for her life, and if the judge isn’t stopped, this spark of witch hunting could become a conflagration that consumes New England’s women.

Full of cinematic flair, this is a fast-paced read with twists and chills. New England’s rich history of witch trials is put to great use here, and J.F. Baker leans into it with creativity and canny twists. The book is one to be devoured in as few sittings as possible.

Baker’s writing is laser-focused with tight plotting; however, characters are never sacrificed to the story. They are given the opportunity to come alive with personality that jumps off the page. All Rebecca wants is to be a good reverend’s wife, but she’s also not going to let man or beast get in the way of protecting her husband. Caleb’s devotion to Rebecca is equally intense, and he’s persistent in getting to the bottom of whatever the judge is up to. And the judge’s ruthlessness is a terrific foil for Rebecca and Caleb’s pure love and devotion.

From the South Puritan church to the Hartforde gallows and ancient forests around them both, Rebecca and Caleb’s supporting characters—animal and human—keep the pace, advance the plot, and pull at readers’ heartstrings at just the right times. For sure, there are a couple of points in the story where it’s hard to keep a dry eye. The writer envelops Rebecca and Caleb’s companions in such loving and careful respect, the reader feels strong loyalty to them too.

The stellar ending is unforgettable, searing the tale in my memory and leaving me breathless for Baker’s next work.

Thank you for reading Amy Brozio-Andrews’s book review of The Widow of Hartforde by J.F. Baker! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post Book Review: The Widow of Hartforde appeared first on Independent Book Review.