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.