Cover of Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch

Book · 2021 · New York Times reviewed

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch

by Rivka Galchen · Recommended by 1 person on 1 podcast

Why people recommend it

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch is a historical novel by Rivka Galchen that offers a fictionalized account of the persecution of Katharina Kepler, the mother of astronomer Johannes Kepler, during a seventeenth-century witchcraft trial. On an episode of The Book Review titled S.A. Cosby on Razorblade Tears, published on July 18, 2024, Jennifer Szalai discussed the publication. Jennifer Szalai shared that she had started reading the book recently and was very much enjoying it, noting that the narrative is a fictionalized version of the real-life historical story surrounding Johannes Kepler's mother. The praise from the critic highlighted the engaging nature of the plot and the author's ability to breathe life into a historical miscarriage of justice with wit and literary flair. The mention served to draw listener attention to a compelling contemporary novel that blends historical research with narrative invention to explore themes of scapegoating, superstition, family loyalty, and intellectual curiosity during a turbulent era.

Who recommended it

Jennifer Szalai — 1 mention
Recommended
“but I started reading recently a book that I'm very much enjoying by Rifka gin it's a novel called everyone knows your mother is a witch and it's actually a fictionalized version of the story of Johan Kepler's mother”

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