Read Runners discussion

The year is 1699, the location Carolinas, the plot - a woman has been accused of witchcraft and has been sentenced to death by burning. Enters Mathew Corbett, who during the course of the trial falls in love with Rachel Howarth, the woman accused of witchcraft and more importantly believes her to be innocent and starts investigating. Does he succeed? Or does he fail in his endeavour to save Rachel. Read along with us and find out.

Note: This is a buddy read between some members of the group. All are welcome to join in and discuss with the members. However, this is not the official HF read for April.

Use spoiler tags where necessary for a spoiler free discussion.

Baap reh baap.
Another book which I wanted to read.
What shall I do now????????
If I start this one too, it'd be a case of finger in too many pies. :/

@Smitha: Hahahaha...read it when you have time. Book is not going anywhere.:)

True that
.But rational thinking is lost when one sees others are reading and discussing the books one is interested in.

@Smith...I've started...not read much...Sri will start soon too. What say?

I may start too :P

PSmith wrote: "I may start too :P"

Wooooooooot!

Hahaha Smitha! I totally get you!

I will be starting this one towards the end of this month. Will finish the other one first before starting this, so don't worry. I just need to finish this before the 15th of next month! :)

I too will follow your footsteps :P

Srividya wrote: "Hahaha Smitha! I totally get you!

I will be starting this one towards the end of this month. Will finish the other one first before starting this, so don't worry. I just need to finish this before..."

For a challenge?

Yes Manu..for a challenge! :)

Come on you guys... start this already. Writing style is excellent, the mystery is engaging, characters are erie ... all in all a very good book.

I may.

April 1st Akshay. I promise!

Srividya wrote: "April 1st Akshay. I promise!"

Nope... you read The Poet :P

Hahaha I will be reading The Poet in April as well. I need to finish this one as well as The Poet in April. :P :P

Starting today as my April is going to be dominated by chunksters.

PSmith wrote: "Starting today as my April is going to be dominated by chunksters."

Yay!!! Good luck.:)

finished chapter 1.
phantasmagorical -beautiful word with exotic meaning.
Well into chapter 2 -I think I am going to love this book, though it's a tad too early to tell.

Smitha: which chapter?

Am in to chapter 5. And I am faintly reminded of Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, though the story lines differ.

PSmith wrote: "Am in to chapter 5. And I am faintly reminded of Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, though the story lines differ."

witch thing is common but there was no one who was investigating the case. there story was first person narration and here we have many POVs.

so whom/what you like so far?

Manju,
(view spoiler)[ Am on page 72 and am uncontrollable with laughter on seeing Bidwell gasp at the 'mudpie who calls himself a magistrate '
Too early to tell, so far I like Mathew the best. Though the magistrate too seems a decent fellow. Too early to comment upon Bidwell and Winston. (hide spoiler)]

20 % through. It's very interesting.
(view spoiler)[
reached the part where Matthew is given flogging as punishment. I like characters like Mathew -not muscular and heroic, rather those who keep their wits with them and solve problems by thinking over, rather than by sheer physical means. Woodward is a very good father figures and protector. Am liking their combination. So far, Bidwell too seems to be a straight guy.
(hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[so have you read about how he spent his time in prison?

I too like Matthew for his intelligence. He always keeps thinking and trying to see the difference between what people are telling and what actually happened.

But I most enjoyed his Q&A sessions. How he put his question, knew what to ask. His questions though at first wrre confusing but made sense in the end.

Bidwell is a good man and I like how he trust Matthew and believe in him. (hide spoiler)]

What you think of Rachel and other secondary characters?

(view spoiler)[ Funny, I was a bit peeved by Matthew. I liked that he wanted to find the truth and prove Rachel innocent but I didn't like how he always poked his nose in other people's private affairs and when they were not forthcoming, he always assumed that they were hiding something and doing something wrong without any proof. (hide spoiler)]

@Akshay:

(view spoiler)[I don't blame him for doubting everyone as everyone was hiding something. Their secrets though not necessarily connected to Rachel but they made them suspicious for Matthew. As an investigator it was his duty to pay close attention to everything that was happening in the town. (hide spoiler)]

@Manju, have met Rachel only once so far. So too early for me to form a character sketch though she seems a bold lady to me.
(view spoiler)[ Regarding Matthew, I agree with Manju as of now. I liked his meddling and interrogations. Shall read further and see whether my opinion changes. (hide spoiler)]

Phantasm -an oft repeated word in this book.
Meaning - illusion / apparition

Smitha is it first book of you by MacCammon? you liking writing?

I had read Boy's life a long time ago and had liked it.
In recent years, yes.
Loving it. I think this would be 'read at a stretch 'type of book to me-so irresistible that I concentrate only on this one till I finish.

PSmith wrote: "I had read Boy's life a long time ago and had liked it.
In recent years, yes.
Loving it. I think this would be 'read at a stretch 'type of book to me-so irresistible that I concentrate only on this..."

I agree this is kind of book that hold your attention till the very end. lots of surprises.:)

What I don't understand about Rachel, even at page 300
(view spoiler)[ Why is she so stubborn as not to recite the Lord's prayer? It would go in her favour to some extent, if she does so.
I like her, but don't understand her stubbornness. She seems to have no survival instinct, but for the fact that she's enduring the prison and rats for more than 2 months without breaking down.
(hide spoiler)]

@Smitha:

(view spoiler)[because she thinks that its useless. People have their mind set on that she is a witch. So even if she recites the Lord's prayer, they would think that her master, Satan, has helped her in this.

I absolutely adored her throughout the book for her sheer willpower. (hide spoiler)]

I have reached the part of rat catching in the prison and am retching with disgust. ..double yuck.

Reached the part where the title of the book is explained. I was wondering who's the nightbird, and why so...
It is an interesting game, to guess at the significance of the title of a book. Most are self explanatory, but a few have to be threshed out.

PSmith wrote: "Reached the part where the title of the book is explained. I was wondering who's the nightbird, and why so...
It is an interesting game, to guess at the significance of the title of a book. Most a..."

finding out why the book is named so is one of my favorite part of reading.;)

Yes, quite interesting and somehow more the challenge, more the satisfaction.

PSmith wrote: "Yes, quite interesting and somehow more the challenge, more the satisfaction."

absolutely right.:)

Now about the book:

what you think of Woodward's illness and doctor? you met Preacher? if yes what you think of him?

(view spoiler)[
His illness seems genuine. Looks like bacterial throat infection of severe kind, known as quinsy.
I initially liked the surgeon, but now am suspicious of him. He is not ethical in letting the magistrate work with such a severe illness.
The preacher is getting on my nerves. He is just a crude version of modern day chor spiritual leaders who get caught. I severely wish that he gets his comeuppance.
Am coming to like Rachel more and more. initially I thought her to to be unnecessarily stubborn, but now I am seeing her vulnerable yet brave side and her sharp intelligence and ability to think through things. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[yeah, I hate what the old man has to go through in the name of the treatment.

I agree he seems genuine at first but later on I too started doubting him. specially on one of the occasion when gives in to Bidwell's request/threat.

I hated that preacher, more than him the people specially Bidwell who trusted him. May be Bidwell just wanted to get over with this whole issue of Witch and Satan but still I hated him for letting the preacher stay in Fount Royal.

told you she is a brave woman.

What you think of all the trials and the tales told during them? (hide spoiler)]

Regarding the trials and tales, I will answer after completion, as I am not very sure now.
Am at 75% - the stage where I am so impatient that I resolve to finish the book ASAP.

@ Manju, Finished. Was a satisfactory read. Am happy.
(view spoiler)[
I didn;t get it, what you mean by tales and trials.
I liked it that Woodward did try to give a relatively fair trial to Rachel, though I was pretty sure, it would not help to save her. I really thought Matthew will do some last minute detection and avoid Rachel going to the stakes, but was a bit surprised when he decided to escape. I thought it foolhardy and was almost sure of a bad ending. But things turned out okay towards the end. The Red Indian incident seem a bit over glorified. Red Indians are never thought of as normal people . They are made to seem as aliens or animals. Perhaps they were like that. I am quite ignorant of their history. My only knowledge is based upon this book and Lonesome Dove. And a few childhood stories with pictuers of exotic figures with feathers in their caps..
(hide spoiler)]

@Smitha:

(view spoiler)[I by tales and trials I meant the stories told by witnesses. what you think of them? Like Matthew I found girl's story genuine and other two flimsy.

true. Woodward tried his best but I think somewhere he got scared for Matthew and wanted the trial to get over as soon as possible so that he could be in Charlestown with Matthew, away from this cursed town and the witch. it was his illness that made him stay there. what you think about it?

Agreed. for me that part Indian part was exaggerated. I felt bored by all that, specially Matthew's vivid dreams about Rachel (though it was reality but still).

what you think of Winston? and how the mystery was solved in the end?

(hide spoiler)]

@Akshay: where are you?

I finished more than two weeks ago :)

Akshay wrote: "I finished more than two weeks ago :)"

i know but what about the discussion?

What about it ?

Akshay wrote: "What about it ?"

are you going to join the discussion?

Isn't it over :P

Akshay wrote: "Isn't it over :P"

when??:P