"Witches of Pennsylvania" is like a prequel to "The Witch of the Monongahela," also by Thomas White. We open with colonial Pennsylvania as a safe haven for religious freedom. German immigrants flooded through Philadelphia, moving west and settling in an area that eventually became known as Dutch Country. They brought a variety of folk magic with them, which evolved into "braucherei". But only certain individuals could possess such powers. These were powwowers, faith healers or hex doctors. Their common enemy of course was the witch, who drew power, "hexerei," from the Devil. A witch could be a man or woman, tormenting animals and neighbors alike. White explores many cases of witchcraft throughout Pennsylvania, including the infamous Hex Murders and Moll Derry, aka The Witch of the Monongahela.

White's narrative voice is clear, respectful, delivering tales exactly as he found them and you can definitely discern his passion for the subject. I gotta say, I've learned so much about what makes my state unique! ( )

A really interesting book on the history of witchcraft and folk magic of Pennsylvania. This is a short (read it in about 1 hr) but really fun read. I never knew that my home state had a history of witchcraft. ( )