Mind Well the Witch

Susan Netteland Gerbi
Outskirts Press (2009)
ISBN 9781432740511
Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (03/10)


The back cover of “Mind Well the Witch” says it best: ‘…a realistic, and slightly warped, glimpse of life in pre-Revolutionary New England.’ If that does not peak your interest, add humorous, witches, and dyslexic with a touch of peri-menopausal, and you will have a good idea of what this immensely enjoyable book is like.

Mindy, her mother, and her daughter live together, attending Church every Sunday while also preparing healing potions and love spells for those who request them. Their unique type of self-employment allows a precarious independence at a time when the Salem witch trials are still remembered. However, the wonderfully researched work and behaviors the women display to survive, such as the making of food and clothes and attending community gatherings, also ensures that the women are generally respected citizens of Hingham, Massachusetts. Things do have a tendency to go awry at times, though. The story is funny but it is not a comedy; there is stolen treasure but it is not an adventure tale; love and sex make an appearance but it is not really a romance novel; and someone dies but it is not just a murder mystery. What is definite is that it is an informative, well-written story that I think women readers will adore.
           
“Mind Well the Witch” is a mature tale of women’s lives based on historical research. Despite the lively tone there is an underlying tension in the book as many in the community are very aware of the abilities of these three women. Book groups should look forward to good discussions regarding witchcraft. Mindy’s family, friends, and community will also change the way readers may think about people in the mid-1700s, as Susan Netteland Gerbi is able to keep the humanity and conscious of the times evident in very real and believable characters. I really, really liked this novel.

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