Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch

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In 1618, amid the spreading plague and the onset of the Thirty Years' War in the German duchy of Wurttemberg, fear and suspicion permeate the Holy Roman Empire. In the town of Leonberg, Katharina Kepler, an illiterate widow known for her herbal remedies and the accomplishments of her children, faces accusations of witchcraft. Her son, Johannes, the Imperial Mathematician famed for his laws of planetary motion, draws envy from the community. Katharina's meddling in local affairs does not help her case when the unstable Ursula Reinbold, whom Katharina dubs the Werewolf, claims that a bitter drink from Katharina has made her ill. As Katharina confronts the threat of financial ruin, torture, and execution, she confides in her neighbor Simon, a reclusive widower with his own secrets. Using real historical documents, Rivka Galchen weaves a narrative rich with imagination, humor, and intellectual vigor. This novel explores how a community succumbs to collective aggression and fear, reflecting on the impact of superstition and the state on individuals and families. Galchen's work resonates with contemporary themes, illuminating a society unraveling under the weight of historical turmoil.