Galchen, Rivka

In this compelling look at women’s rights and the invented crime of witchcraft, the surprise is that the perseverance of the accused shifts the focus from victimhood to basic mortality and the challenge of dealing with death and illness before a coherent understanding of disease existed. Highly recommended for fans of history, science, and the human condition.

Galchen's prose gets into the eerie, angst-filled interior monologs of young women veering toward middle age yet leavens the anxiety with wry humor. [See Prepub Alert, 12/7/13.]