4 out of 5 stars
Set in 1689 in New England, this historical fiction work centers around Ruth Miner, a young woman accused of witchcraft following the tragic murder of her parents. She stows away on a ship to escape her town’s barbaric plans for her. Owen, a handsome sailor of French ancestry who Ruth has known since childhood, is also a passenger on the ship.
The book seems well-researched. Angstman uses a broad vocabulary, brutal descriptions, and colloquialisms (i.e. God’s teeth!) to immerse you in the time period. While I’m not sure I followed all of the political dynamics at play in the book, the characters were phenomenal.
Ruth is an unforgettable strong woman with the independence of Kya Clark from “Where the Crawdads Sing” and the fortitude of Demelza from the “Poldark” series. I wanted to know whether Ruth survived and, if so, how she conquered the challenges she faced as an orphaned young woman in a harsh, patriarchal environment. I recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction or stories about strong women.
Thank you to the Leah Angstman and Regal House for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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