First published 2021
Mary Deerfield lives trapped in colonial Boston, married to Thomas Deerfield, a brutal man who beats her when drunk. At twenty-four, she possesses porcelain skin and delft blue eyes that might have attracted many suitors in England. Here in the New World, she serves as the second wife to a powerful but cruel husband. When Thomas drives a three-tined fork into her hand during one of his rages, Mary decides she must divorce him to survive. The Puritan community watches every neighbor for signs of the devil. Mary harbors secret desires and struggles with the hypocrisy she sees among the colony's men. Soon suspicious objects appear buried in her garden. A boy she treated with herbal remedies dies. Their servant girl flees the house screaming. Mary faces accusations of witchcraft. She must fight to escape both her violent marriage and the gallows that await accused witches.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, strong-female-lead
Setting: Boston, New World, Puritan
Period: Colonial
406 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, violence