Witch (1973)

Listening: Superstition

Divorcee Ellen March and her daughter Penny have been living with Ellen's widowed brother-in-law Jack Campbell and his three sons in D.C. for years. But now, with the children all but grown and Ellen's sudden awareness of her feelings for Jack making her uncomfortable, it seems like a good time to reclaim her own independence. So the little house in the backwoods of Virginia, with the way it makes her feel like she's home, is the perfect solution. But another solitary, strong woman lived in that house centuries before Ellen, and her reputation as a witch seems one locals are willing to  attribute to the new resident as well. As she wrestles with mysterious shadows and the terrifyingly troubled boy next door during an ominous heat wave, Ellen comes face to face with the most frightening thing of all--a superstitious mob.

Spoilers below

MPM was clearly on a roll when she wrote Witch, still very much feeling her older, independent heroines, still very eager to give them adventure and romance. Ellen might be a little more conservative than Jake, but she's stubborn and well-read and fiercely, furiously dedicated to liberal thinking in way I feel would shock Ruth from Ammie. Ellen might laugh at the wayward youth, but she's fond of them, and seeks out their company. Her daughter and nephews might be across the generation gap, but there's a mutual love and respect that bridges it.

Furthermore, I dig Ellen's love interest. Jack is homely, but honest, reliable, and kind. He's not MPM villain-hero level of dashing, but he's a good family man, and able to deal with the worst of situations with capable charm. The love-at-first-sight of Penny and Tim is less believable, but it has charm, and has faint overtones of the delicious Ramses/Nefret romance of later years.

The ghostly presence in Ellen's house, and the mainly guessed at story of Mary Baumgartner, doesn't play a massive role in the story, but it adds depth and context to the toxic small town atmosphere. Unusual for an MPM ghost story, research plays little role in uncovering her story--it's mostly hearsay, educated guesswork, and one spooky cat who appears at just the right time.

Speaking of which, I'm also intrigued by MPM's continuing focus on villains who psychologically manipulate those around them--Norman McKay is a villain much like Gordon Randolph. He plays on the perceptions of those around him to make himself out as a hero-martyr, and his charge Tim as a mentally ill delinquent.

This is a good one. While I found the ending a little easy (I think MPM was daydreaming a little when she turned a sullen teenager into a respectful boy scout with the mere appearance of a strong father figure), it was still satisfying.

Favorite Line: "It's only in fiction--Victorian fiction--that the love of a good woman redeems a bad man."

Rating: ****

Notes:
*Ed Salling is my favorite character in the book. His cynical, well-read, misogynist character is oddly endearing.
*Look for references to both an Emerson family, and a Peabody family! Not, alas, our Emersons and Peabody...but MPM certainly had the names on her mind!