I thought this was better than the first book, more focused, especially once it starts following the young boy on the run. Other characters grow, bonds are formed, there's a hopeful feeling you don't often find in these books. I was actually hoping I wouldn't like it because I'm short of space for books and this is a four-part series. Already ordered the other two. ( )

The Witch of Hebron by James Howard Kunstler is the second book of a dystopian trilogy and picks up right where the first book left off. After the wars had been fought there was a collapse of both government and economy, and the world has reverted back to the past. Travel is by horseback, and farming is the main occupation. But this is not a peaceful world, bandits roam the country and prey on those who are weaker and illness is a constant threat. In the small town of Union Grove in upper New York state, the townspeople and the strange religious cult that call themselves the New Faith Order are uneasily sharing the town. Jasper Copeland, the local doctor’s son, in a fit of grief over his dog’s death, has poisoned Brother Jobe’s prize stallion. Ashamed and miserable, he has run away from home. While on the road he falls into the hands of a young bandit called Billy Bones, who it turns out, is little more than a crazed killer.

While I enjoyed the story of young Jasper and his adventures on the road, I still had some major issues with how the author portrays women. For the most part women are shown to be the docile helpmate that are kept firmly under a man’s thumb or they are the wanton siren, there for men’s comfort and sexual pleasure. These people came from a world where women were gaining in equality, ran companies, held professional jobs, yet all that is neither acknowledged or is it explained how are now considered second class citizens.

The author evidently has deep ecological concerns about the direction we are heading and has created a richly imagined world but unfortunately his characters are throw-backs. The men are firmly in control and speak, dress and behave like they come from the 18th century. Whereas the women seem to have value only if they have good, child bearing hips. I have the third book of this trilogy on my shelves and I will most likely give it a try at some point, but I won’t be rushing to pick it up anytime soon. ( )

A dreamy post-apocalyptic tale, more a coming of age quasi-fantasy than anything hard edged. The dystopian (or is Union Grove a utopia?) details were interesting, though this story could have been set in 19th century America with few changes. ( )

The Witch of Hebron is the sequel to Kunstler's earlier book World Made by Hand.

The latter book was excellent, this book... not so much. I found it lacked the adventure and detail of the first. Deviating further into the supernatural certainly didn't help as it veers the book away from a future you can associate with in real life into the fantasy fiction realm which is not as enthralling.

It's an alright book, but no where near as good as the first. ( )

More trashy fun from James Howard Kunstler. Maybe MORE sexist than World Made by Hand, but then, that's a part of the near future he imagines . . . ( )