Germany, 1615. The mother of the famous astronomer Johannes Kepler is accused of witchcraft. Against the fascinating backdrop of a world in transition between magic and natural science, Rublack compellingly and movingly describes how the accusation of witchcraft tore families apart. The discovery of the elliptical orbits of the planets made Johannes Kepler a co-founder of modern science. Ulinka Rublack unfolds, based on a unique set of sources, a much lesser-known episode in Kepler's biography: In 1615, his widowed mother is accused and charged with witchcraft. At the height of his career, Kepler takes on her defense in court and fights for her acquittal. What does the accusation of witchcraft mean for the accused and their relatives in a world where popular belief and science coexist? So poignant.