Katharina Kepler is a spunky, down-to-earth, no-nonsense widowed grandmother who who has raised successful children while managing her property and livestock very well despite having an absentee husband early in life. I found her instantly loveable and funny - she’s wise, witty, and sharp for her age -- her internal reflections and observations made me chuckle at times.
The author instantly transplants the reader into Katharina's world - rural Germany in the early 1600’s. This is an age in which religious doctrine controls an impoverished, paranoid, patriarchal society -- where imaginations (steeped in superstition) are vivid; where justice for commonfolk is slow and elusive. It is a landscape that sowed greed, envy, and vengeance and reaped a myriad of unproven accusations of witchcraft against an elderly woman of means where Katharina, the accused, could lose her life and livelihood defending against such claims while the accusers (including court officials) could gain her wealth and property as retribution. She’s accused of killing livestock, causing aches and pains, issuing curses, infanticide, and murder (by death) -- many of these witnesses experienced such afflictions and offenses decades earlier! Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres and this book is an impressive combination of actual persons, imagined characters, authentic missives, courtroom testimonies, and actual events. While this could have easily morphed into a slogfest of sorts; I found this to be a delightful read that moved quickly for me. I really enjoyed how the author told the story. I also learned a bit about the era’s laws and (lack of) due process, the posture/teachings of the Church during this period, and Johannes Kepler’s famed political appointments, involvement in his mother’s trial, and hints surrounding his (at the time) seemingly underappreciated scientific contributions. The cast of characters is also well-formed and full-bodied -- motivations were clearly presented. I very much appreciated the closure she offered not only for Katharina, but also to her extended family members mentioned in the novel, including Katharina’s legal guardian, and even Chamomile, her beloved cow. A nice lagniappe for meticulous readers!
