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Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch

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( 12,813 ratings, 1,855 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen is set in 17th century Germany, where Katharina Kepler, the mother of the famous astronomer Johannes Kepler, finds herself accused of witchcraft. The novel brilliantly blends historical details with dark humour, exploring themes of superstition, misinformation, and the social dynamics of the time as Katharina fights to clear her name amidst the chaos and fear of witch trials.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy historical fiction that combines humour and absurdity with a deep dive into human nature. Set in 17th-century Germany, it explores themes of superstition and societal paranoia, making it both a compelling and thought-provoking read.

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Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch

‘Riveting’ Margaret Atwood ‘I loved this book intensely’ Lauren Groff Guardian

a Guardian Best Book of 2021 – ‘Riveting’ Margaret Atwood

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Riveting – Margaret Atwood

I loved this book intensely – Lauren Groff, Guardian

The plague is spreading. The hundred year war is beginning. Katharina Kepler is believed to be a witch.

Known for her herbal remedies and successful children – among them Johannes, Imperial Mathematician and author of the laws of planetary motion – Katharina’s life is changed by an accusation of witchcraft. Facing financial ruin, torture, and even execution, she tells her side of the story.

Witty, engaging, and vividly imagined, Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch draws on historical documents to illuminate a society undone by collective aggression and hysterical fear – a narrative with true resonance for today.

Darkly funny … Her prose, which recalls Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, is light, pared back, and subtly archaicFinancial Times

Superbly voiced … funnyTelegraph

A magical brew of absurdity and brutalityWashington Post

Galchen expertly weaves together a story told from multiple perspectives, showing how easy it is for a mob mentality to take hold in a climate of fear and ignorance when a woman simply exists outside of the normNew York Times

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Rivka Galchen's Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch is praised for its humour, absurdity, and historical authenticity, capturing both the period's essence and a sense of loss. Reviewers highlight its clever narrative, which explores themes of scapegoating with a light touch reminiscent of Hilary Mantel. The novel is described as a persuasive and beautiful work that combines serious themes with a playful approach, delivering a story both smart and magically engaging.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780007548750

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 19.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 210g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Rivka Galchen received her MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, having spent a year in South America working on public health issues. Her fiction and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in The Believer, Harper's, The New Yorker, Scientific American and The New York Times. This is her first novel.

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