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Katherine Howe
Katherine Howe
Katherine Howe
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Katherine Howe (born 1977) is an American novelist who lives in New England and New York City.[1] She specializes in historical novels which she uses to query ideas about "the contingent nature of reality and belief."[2] Her debut novel was the New York Times Bestseller The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (2009), related to the Salem witch trials. Its success led to her being a guest on several TV news shows, as well as "Salem: Unmasking The Devil" on the National Geographic Channel.

Key Information

She has also written The House of Velvet and Glass, Conversion, The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen (2015),[3][4] and A True Account (2023).[5] Her fiction has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Biography

[edit]

Howe was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Her mother is a longtime curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.[6][7] Howe graduated from the Kinkaid School and earned her undergraduate degree in art history and philosophy at Columbia University. She began writing fiction while doing graduate work; she earned an MA in American and New England Studies at Boston University.[2] She teaches at Cornell University.[1]

In 2016, she was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, where she was finishing a novel set "among the corsairs of the Gulf Coast that imagines Texas’s role within the broader Caribbean diaspora. It is tentatively titled The Galvez Grand. It will build on archival research about patterns of trade and settlement on Galveston Island in the 1820s while engaging with the legacy of magical realist fiction in the American Southwest and in Mexico."[2]

Howe and her husband, the economic historian Louis Hyman (author of Debtor Nation), are core members of a group informally known as the "Springfield Street Table", This batch of Cambridge-area writers and scholars gather to play poker, while trading barbs and debating culture and ideas.[8] The bestselling novelist Matthew Pearl, who also started writing fiction as a graduate student in English studies, is a core member of this group. He is sometimes credited with helping to launch Howe's literary career.[8]

Howe's ancestors settled in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the 1620s. She is related to both Elizabeth Proctor and Elizabeth Howe, women convicted of being witches during the Salem witch trials. Proctor was spared because she was pregnant at the time of her scheduled execution, and later among prisoners released. Howe was executed.[9] Another of her relatives was Edward Howe, a ship captain, and his wife Hannah Masury, who took over his ship after his death on a Pacific excursion in the 19th century. Hannah Masury is the great-aunt of Katherine Howe, and her story became the inspiration for Howe's 2023 novel A True Account, which tells the story of a woman dressing up as a cabin boy on a pirate ship, which she eventually takes command of.[5]

Bibliography

[edit]

References

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Katherine Howe

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Katherine Howe is an American historian, , and editor specializing in and nonfiction, best known for her New York Times bestselling debut novel The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (2009), which explores themes of witchcraft and inheritance tied to the . Born in , , Howe holds a BA in and from , an MA in American and studies from , where her research focused on and , and a PhD in American Studies from the University of East Anglia (2025). She has authored several novels for adults and young adults, including The House of Velvet and Glass (2012), a post-Titanic tale of spiritualism and family secrets; Conversion (2014), a YA mystery drawing parallels between modern school hysteria and historical witch hunts; and The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs (2019), a sequel to her debut delving into across generations. Howe's recent works include the historical adventure A True Account: Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the (2023), narrated from the perspective of a woman captured by pirates, and she has co-authored two #1 New York Times bestsellers with : Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty (2021) and Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune (2023), both chronicling family sagas. Additionally, she edited two volumes of primary sources on witches and pirates, and compiled The Penguin Book of Pirates (2024), reflecting her expertise in seafaring and colonial . A native Texan now residing in , , with her family, Howe is an avid sailor and has appeared on media outlets including , the , and National Geographic's Salem: Unmasking the Devil, which she hosted. Her fiction has been translated into over 20 languages, establishing her as a prominent voice in blending rigorous historical research with narrative storytelling.

Early Life and Education

Early Life

Katherine Howe was born in 1977 in Houston, Texas. She grew up in a culturally rich environment, with her mother, Katherine Susman Howe, who served as the chief curator for at the , for over four decades until her retirement in 2016, and her father, George Howe, working as a in the city. This background provided early exposure to art, history, and architecture, fostering her lifelong fascination with these subjects. Her family's modest 1940s , known as Childress, was a central part of her childhood, though it was later demolished. During her early years, Howe attended the Kinkaid School in Houston, a private institution that emphasized academic rigor. Memorable experiences included observing the eye of a hurricane pass overhead through the sliding glass doors of her home, an event that highlighted the dramatic natural forces of coastal Texas. These formative moments, combined with her surroundings in a city blending modern growth and historical layers, sparked her interest in storytelling and the interplay of past and present. Howe's initial inspirations for writing stemmed from family stories. She has noted a deep-rooted connection to her family's ancestral ties to the , including descent from figures like and , which further ignited her passion for historical narratives.

Education

Katherine Howe received her degree in and from in 1999. Following her undergraduate studies, she spent two years working as a researcher at the in , where her background in informed her early explorations of cultural artifacts. She then pursued graduate education at , earning a in American and studies in 2006. During her time there, Howe's research centered on American folklore, history, and cultural , drawing from archival sources and personal genealogy related to the . This work laid the foundation for her interdisciplinary approach to historical narratives. Howe continued her academic pursuits with a PhD by Publication in from the , which she completed in 2025. Her doctoral thesis, titled "Unrecoverable Truth: in an American Context," examined how can address historiographic challenges in representing marginalized perspectives within American history. This research built upon her earlier graduate interests, integrating and to explore the limits of traditional historical methods.

Literary Career

Fiction

Katherine Howe's fiction primarily consists of historical novels that intertwine elements with real events from American history, often centering on women's experiences and traditions. Her works explore themes of , resilience, and the blurring of past and present, drawing on her academic background in history to ground fantastical narratives in meticulous research. These novels have garnered critical attention for their atmospheric storytelling and have achieved commercial success, particularly her debut, which became a national . Howe's first novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (2009), published by Voice/Hyperion, follows Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin as she discovers a mysterious key and herbal book linked to her ancestor Deliverance Dane during the of 1692. The 384-page story alternates between modern archaeology and colonial persecution, examining themes of hidden knowledge and female agency amid hysteria. It debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list and was praised for its blend of historical accuracy and suspense, though some critics noted its predictable plot twists. The book was optioned for , though no production has materialized. In The House of Velvet and Glass (2012), also from Voice/Hyperion, Howe shifts to early 20th-century , where widow Allston grapples with grief after losing her mother and sister on the Titanic. Through a mystical glass, Sibyl uncovers family secrets involving spiritualism and dens, spanning 417 pages that delve into loss, class dynamics, and the in the . Reviewers commended its evocative period details and emotional depth, with highlighting the novel's "richly textured" portrayal of society, though it received mixed feedback for pacing. The book contributed to Howe's growing reputation for immersive . Howe's young adult novel Conversion (2014), published by , reimagines mass hysteria at the elite St. Joan's Academy in —site of the original Salem trials. Senior Colleen Rowley navigates academic pressures, mysterious illnesses, and rumors in this 432-page thriller inspired by 2012 real events at similar schools. It explores adolescent anxiety, religious fervor, and historical echoes, earning praise from School Library Journal for its "taut pacing and " on teenage girlhood. The novel broadened Howe's audience to younger readers while maintaining her signature fusion of and contemporary issues. The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen (2015), another G.P. Putnam's Sons YA title, presents a time-slip romance where NYU film student Wes encounters enigmatic Annie, a girl from 19th-century New York amid the city's elite circles. Over 379 pages, the narrative weaves bohemian modern life with historical intrigue involving séances and social upheaval, touching on themes of identity and forbidden love. Critics, including Publishers Weekly, appreciated its "lively evocation of Gilded Age New York" and supernatural twists, positioning it as a compelling entry in Howe's oeuvre of temporal crossovers. Returning to adult fiction, The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs (2019), from , serves as a to The Physick Book, tracking Connie a decade later as she confronts a curse tied to while balancing academia and motherhood. This 352-page installment expands on intergenerational magic and "weather work" , set against colonial backdrops. It received positive reviews for deepening character arcs and historical nuance, with The New York Times Book Review noting its "smart, feminist take on witch lore," and achieved solid sales as a follow-up to her debut. Howe's most recent novel, A True Account: Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the , Written by Herself (2023), published by Henry Holt, frames an adventurous tale through a fictional 1720s of indentured servant Hannah Masury joining pirate crews during the . Inspired by Howe's own family ancestry, the 288-page book interlaces high-seas action with modern scholarly framing, emphasizing women's defiance and maritime folklore. Critics lauded its swashbuckling energy and authenticity, as in The Washington Post's description of it as a "rollicking, subversive pirate yarn," marking a bold evolution in her exploration of empowered female protagonists in American history.

Non-Fiction

Katherine Howe's non-fiction work centers on edited anthologies and collaborative histories that draw heavily on primary sources to illuminate pivotal aspects of American and European history. Her editorial projects emphasize archival materials, offering readers direct access to historical voices while contextualizing them through scholarly introductions. These efforts reflect her expertise as a historian with personal connections to the subjects, including descent from individuals involved in the events she explores. In 2014, Howe edited The Penguin Book of Witches, a 320-page anthology compiling primary documents on accusations from medieval to colonial America. The collection includes transcripts, manuals for witch hunters such as King James I's 1597 Daemonologie, and accounts from the , spanning over three centuries of persecution. As a direct descendant of , executed as a witch in Salem in 1692, and another accused individual, Howe brings a familial lens to the material, highlighting the human cost of and legal overreach in her editorial notes. The book serves as an accessible primer on the evolution of witch hunts, prioritizing original texts over modern interpretation to underscore patterns of gender, power, and fear. Howe's collaborative biographies with journalist further demonstrate her approach to , blending rigorous archival research with narrative storytelling. Their 2021 book, Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, a 336-page of the , became a #1 New York Times bestseller upon release. Drawing from family letters, photographs, and estate records, the work traces Cornelius Vanderbilt's 19th-century railroad empire to the family's 20th-century dissipation amid extravagance and scandal, emphasizing themes of wealth's transience in American capitalism. Cooper's Vanderbilt lineage provided unique access to private archives, which Howe supplemented with public documents to create a balanced, evidence-based account. This partnership continued in 2023 with Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune, another 336-page #1 New York Times bestseller chronicling the Astor dynasty from John Jacob Astor's and Manhattan ventures to the family's decline. The book relies on primary sources like business ledgers, correspondence, and society diaries to depict the Astors' influence on early American and , including figures like . Howe's historical framing integrates economic data with social analysis, avoiding sensationalism in favor of documented events. The collaboration involved dividing research tasks, with Howe focusing on historical verification while Cooper contributed personal insights into dynastic legacies. Howe's most recent editorial project, The Penguin Book of Pirates (2024), extends her focus on primary-source anthologies to across three centuries and eight thousand nautical miles. This collection features trial records, sailor journals, and official dispatches on notorious , both male and female, from the to its suppression. As a descendant of a 17th-century who fought in the Atlantic, Howe infuses the volume with contextual essays that connect to broader themes of and . The book prioritizes authentic voices, such as those from Blackbeard-era captives, to demythologize pirate lore while illustrating its socioeconomic roots. Throughout her , Howe consistently employs primary documents to ground her narratives, often tying them to her ancestry for deeper authenticity. She has promoted these works through media outlets, including appearances on discussing the Astor and Vanderbilt volumes, and podcasts exploring and histories, broadening public engagement with archival scholarship.

Academic and Professional Career

Teaching and Fellowships

Katherine Howe serves as a lecturer in the Program at , where she teaches courses in and . Her classes often explore themes of early American culture, including the social dynamics that parallel historical events like the . Previously, she held instructor positions at and , delivering courses on writing, creativity, and social media that bridged academic analysis with narrative development. In 2016, Howe was selected as a fellow at Stanford University's Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, an interdisciplinary program supporting advanced research in social sciences and . During her residency, she concentrated on historical research methods, particularly archival approaches to early American social behaviors and belief systems, which informed her ongoing scholarly and creative work. This fellowship provided a dedicated space to refine techniques for integrating primary sources into narrative explorations of . In 2025, Howe earned her PhD in from the . Howe's academic roles have deeply intersected with her writing, as her instruction on American folklore and —rooted in traditions—directly shapes the thematic elements in her novels, such as portrayals of belief, accusation, and cultural panic. For instance, discussions in her Cornell courses on historical pressures faced by young women echo the interpersonal conflicts depicted in her fiction. She maintains connections with intellectual communities through the Springfield Street Table, a Cambridge-based writing and that includes scholars and authors like Matthew Pearl, where members debate cultural ideas alongside informal activities like poker. This collaborative environment fosters cross-pollination between her teaching, research, and literary output. As a recognized expert on history, Howe contributes to public understanding through affiliations with scholarly editing projects and media engagements. She has edited anthologies on and for , making historical documents accessible for broader study. Her expertise has led to appearances on platforms such as NPR's , the , the , and Smithsonian Television, where she provides insights into colonial-era , legal systems, and regional legacies. These roles underscore her commitment to disseminating rigorous historical analysis beyond the classroom.

Awards and Recognition

Katherine Howe's debut novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (2009), achieved #2 status on the New York Times bestseller list, marking her entry into national prominence as a historical fiction author. Subsequent works, including Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty (2021, co-authored with Anderson Cooper) and Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune (2023, also co-authored with Cooper), both reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller lists in nonfiction and business categories, respectively, underscoring her versatility across genres. Her novel A True Account: Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates (2023) further solidified her status as a New York Times bestselling author. In 2015, Howe received the Massachusetts Book Award in the young adult category for Conversion, recognizing her contributions to historical fiction for younger readers. Her editorial work, including The Penguin Book of Witches (2014) and The Penguin Book of Pirates (2024), has been praised for compiling primary sources that enhance scholarly and public understanding of early American folklore and . Howe has garnered significant media recognition, appearing on programs such as , , NPR's , the , the , Smithsonian TV, and the to discuss topics like trials and . She hosted the series Salem: Unmasking the Devil, further elevating her profile in historical programming. Through her works, Howe has influenced popular perceptions of American history, particularly by blending rigorous on events like the and Gilded Age dynasties with accessible narratives, with her fiction translated into over 20 languages to reach global audiences.

Personal Life

Family and Ancestry

Katherine Howe married Louis Roland Hyman, an economic historian and author of Debtor Nation: The History of America in Debt and Bankruptcy, on June 28, 2003, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The couple divides their time between homes in New England and the Washington, D.C. area, where Hyman serves as the Dorothy Ross Professor of Political Economy in History at Johns Hopkins University. Howe and Hyman have children, and the demands of family life have significantly influenced her writing process, requiring her to adapt her schedule around parenting responsibilities while maintaining her productivity as a novelist and historian. Howe's ancestry is deeply rooted in American history, particularly events that have inspired her literary works. She is a direct descendant of , who was executed during the 1692 , and , who was accused but ultimately survived after her execution was reprieved. This lineage directly informed her debut novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which explores themes of and early American folklore. Additionally, her great-aunt Hannah Masury, a 19th-century ship captain's wife who took command of a vessel after her husband's death during a Pacific voyage, served as the primary inspiration for Howe's 2023 novel A True Account: Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself. Howe is also a descendant of a 19th-century in her family who engaged in battles against pirates on the high seas, a connection highlighted in her editorial work on The Penguin Book of Pirates. Howe's family cultural ties trace back to her Houston upbringing, where she was born and raised as the daughter of Katherine S. Howe, a prominent and director of the Rienzi house at the , for over four decades, who died in 2023, and George E. Howe, a businessman. Her mother's career in curating European and American fostered Howe's early fascination with and artifacts, shaping her interest in genealogical research and historical narrative.

Interests and Influences

Katherine Howe is an avid who owns a and frequently participates in events along the coast, including the race to . Her maritime experiences inform her pirate-themed works, such as her historical novel A True Account, drawing on her deep knowledge of and seafaring . This passion also ties briefly to her ancestry as a direct descendant of a nineteenth-century who battled pirates in the early 1800s. Beyond sailing, Howe enjoys putting hot sauce on everything, reflecting her roots, and has a keen interest in , particularly historic houses in and Marblehead, where she imagines the lives of past inhabitants. She is drawn to and , incorporating paranormal elements like spiritualism and into her writing to explore evolving systems, as seen in her enthusiasm for making stories "more fun" through such motifs. Howe also participates in writing communities, including the Springfield Street Table, a group of Cambridge-area writers who gather to play poker. Howe's intellectual influences include 19th-century and primary historical documents, evident in her editing of volumes on witches and pirates that compile firsthand accounts spanning centuries. She draws inspiration from ghost stories and , particularly through her research on trials and archival sources during her PhD studies in American and Studies at , and she completed a PhD in at the in 2025. Notably, her procrastination on completing her PhD dissertation at led her to write her debut novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, as a diversion from her thesis on North American , ultimately becoming a New York Times bestseller. As a native Houstonian now based in , Howe balances her pursuits of writing, teaching, and family life, often reflecting a Texan perspective on broader themes of American identity in her historical explorations.

References

  1. https://www.katherinehowe.com/
  2. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/105367/katherine-howe/
  3. https://www.shelf-awareness.com/maxshelf/2019-02-06/katherine_howe:_bewitching_history.html
  4. https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/graduation-2025-katherine-howe
  5. https://www.katherinehowe.com/books
  6. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/78976-witch-historian-spotlight-on-katherine-howe.html
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2023/10/08/hardcover-nonfiction/
  8. https://www.facebook.com/katherinebhowe/
  9. https://www.booknotification.com/authors/katherine-howe/
  10. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/29/style/weddings-celebrations-katherine-howe-louis-hyman.html
  11. https://www.mfah.org/press/katherine-s-howe-retire-after-41-years-museum-fine-arts-houston
  12. https://katherinebhowe.substack.com/p/going-home
  13. https://kinkaid.lyrasistechnology.org/agents/people/266
  14. https://yesterdaysisland.com/the-magical-realism-of-katherine-howe/
  15. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conversion-katherine-howe/1117163777
  16. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2009/bewitching/
  17. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/306131/the-penguin-book-of-witches-by-edited-by-katherine-howe/
  18. https://www.npr.org/2014/10/05/343150584/this-book-of-witches-casts-a-fascinating-sobering-spell
  19. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/vanderbilt-anderson-cooperkatherine-howe?variant=41158117091042
  20. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/713637/the-penguin-book-of-pirates-by-edited-by-katherine-howe/
  21. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/book-excerpt-astor-by-anderson-cooper-and-katherine-howe/
  22. https://lithub.com/katherine-howe-on-the-joy-of-writing-pirates/
  23. https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2014/07/salem-student-pressures-inspire-howes-conversion
  24. https://www.nshoremag.com/community-news/2017-salem-lit-fest/
  25. https://casbs.stanford.edu/news/casbs-announces-class-2015-16
  26. https://salemlitfest.org/2017-authors/
  27. https://entertainmentrealm.com/2009/10/14/interview-with-author-katherine-howe/
  28. https://www.katherinehowe.com/the-penguin-book-of-witches
  29. https://www.katherinehowe.com/media
  30. https://oneworld-publications.com/contributor/katherine-howe/
  31. https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/marblehead-reporter/2015/11/04/marblehead-author-wins-book-award/33160497007/
  32. https://history.jhu.edu/directory/louis-r-hyman/
  33. https://www.newportthisweek.com/articles/howe-book-provides-history-lesson-on-pirates/
  34. https://newporthistory.org/event/katherine-howe-and-the-penguin-book-of-pirates-book-launch/
  35. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/houstonchronicle/name/katherine-howe-obituary?id=52158166
  36. https://www.pittsburghbookfestival.org/2024authors
  37. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/27/pistol-high-seas-heroine-pirate-cabin-boy-true-account-katherine-howe
  38. https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/katherine-howe-on-the-golden-age-of-piracy
  39. https://www.katherinehowe.com/penguinbookofpirates
  40. https://www.bu.edu/bostonia/summer-2012/katherine-howe-a-passion-for-architecture-history-magic/
  41. https://uvadoc.uva.es/bitstream/handle/10324/25747/TFG_F_2017_142.pdf?sequence=1
  42. https://www.vol1brooklyn.com/2014/12/02/katherine-howe-on-witchcraft-archives-and-historical-judgment/
  43. https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/procrastinator-finds-solace-via-mega-achiever/A7kVnnXkHuOwbogSlfg0xO/
  44. https://blcklst.com/profile/katherine-howe
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