I really enjoyed Ulinka Rublack's The Astronomer and the Witch. I teach about Johannes Kepler in my Astronomy classes and this book provided me with much more detail about his life and that of his mother, who was accused of being a witch. I'm glad to know the real story about Kepler and his family life. It's a good read.

FYI, the book isn't heavy on Kepler's astronomical discoveries, but really much more focuses on this trial, his family life, how it all fit in with his ideas and how people lived at that time.

An engrossing work of historical scholarship that reminds me a bit of The Return of Martin Guerre. The events of this book revolve around the trial of Katharina Kepler as a witch, and the efforts of her famous son, the astronomer Johannes Kepler, to defend her. From this account, you learn something of what it was like to live in a 17th century German village, the lives of the citizens and the context of religious, political and intellectual upheavals that shaped the world Katharina and Johannes. You learn about the extended and complex legal process of a witch trial, the use of evidence and the role of torture. Above all, the author delves into the legal records and Kepler's writings to illuminate how the astronomers experience of scientific argumentation and his ideas of human development and theology informed his legal defense of his mother.

i had to read this book for class and it was actually very interesting. i had no idea Kepler’s mother was accused of witchcraft.