Books › The devil in the shape of a woman
The devil in the shape of a woman
First published 1987 · 370 pages
A sobering, meticulously researched unmasking of the economic and social anxieties that turned colonial women into monsters.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a cold, dimly lit colonial meeting house, armed with modern sociological insight. It is a steady, deeply analytical journey that strips away the Halloween folklore of the New England witch trials to reveal the stark, oppressive reality of seventeenth-century gender dynamics. The mood is inherently somber and thought-provoking, anchored by Karlsen’s scholarly yet deeply empathetic prose. Instead of sensationalizing the accusations, the text methodically builds a devastating case about economic vulnerability, inheritance, and the systemic punishment of independent women. It will thoroughly delight feminist historians, sociology nerds, and anyone seeking a rigorous, demystifying look at how societal paranoia is weaponized against the marginalized.
- Mood
- somber
- thought-provoking
- oppressive
- reflective
- Tone
- scholarly
- analytical
- empathetic
- critical
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- systemic misogyny · economic vulnerability · religious paranoia · social control · historical silencing
- The writing
- Meticulously researched and academically rigorous, yet highly accessible and grounded in compelling human stories.
- The arc
- Begins with historical curiosity and deepens into a sobering, righteous frustration at systemic injustice.
- Who it's for
- Feminist history buffs and sociology enthusiasts who want to look past the folklore of the witch trials to understand the brutal, systemic realities of early American womanhood.
Content notes
- historical violence
- execution
- misogyny
- religious persecution
About the book
From the Publisher: Confessing to "Familiarity with the Devils," Mary Johnson, a servant, was executed by Connecticut officials in 1648. A wealthy Boston widow, Ann Hibbens, was hanged in 1656 for casting spells on her neighbors. In 1662, Ann Cole was "taken with very strange Fits" and fueled an outbreak of witchcraft accusations in Hartford a generation before the notorious events in Salem took place. More than three hundred years later the question still haunts us: Why were these and other women likely witches? Why were they vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft? In this work Carol Karlsen reveals the social construction of witchcraft in seventeenth-century New England and illuminates the larger contours of gender relations in that society.
Description from Open Library.
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