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chattycathy55's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very powerful book. From the perspectives of a mother and a daughter both of whom are healers. The mothers story is told while they are slaves and the daughters after the civil war ends. Their white owner who is the same age as rue the daughter is also brought it. It brings to the life the concept of caste as the whites woman Varina loves rue but also posses her. The traumas are many and painful to read. It also paints a picture of a brief time after the civil war when blacks were not slaves and there were no whites around to torture them.
eleanorfranzen's review against another edition
4.0
(4.5; RTC)
Set in a community of former slaves after the American Civil War, Conjure Women deals with the clash between folk medicine/obeah and Christian teaching, as midwife Rue falls under suspicion when the children of the area begin dying. Flashbacks to the era of slavery illuminate goings-on in the narrative’s present day, and Atakora’s depiction of characters forced to make terrible choices is empathetic and moving. Lots about mother-daughter relationships, love and the vulnerability it brings, too.
Set in a community of former slaves after the American Civil War, Conjure Women deals with the clash between folk medicine/obeah and Christian teaching, as midwife Rue falls under suspicion when the children of the area begin dying. Flashbacks to the era of slavery illuminate goings-on in the narrative’s present day, and Atakora’s depiction of characters forced to make terrible choices is empathetic and moving. Lots about mother-daughter relationships, love and the vulnerability it brings, too.
lisanreads's review against another edition
4.0
I read half of this last year but had to return it before finishing. It's a powerful debut.
_fu's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the first and last quarters of the book, but dragged quite a bit through the middle half.
marylou_w's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book to be well written — the way the words blended together had a very calming, story teller vibe to them that was pleasant to read. I also found the story itself interesting, although I had so many questions throughout the book and feel that I still have some after reading.
However, I did feel like this book felt longer than it was. I felt like when I read 50 pages, I had really read 100. I’m not sure if that’s a reflection on the pacing of the novel, but it sure felt weird.
I also constantly felt like this book had no real plot. To me, the plot felt like just the story of the lives of slaves from slavery, to freedom, to what comes next. And while it was interesting, and at times heartbreaking, the lack of clear direction on where the story was going really got to me.
Overall, I did enjoy all of the twists and turns this story took me through, and a lot of things happened that I wasn’t expecting. I don’t regret reading this novel at all, but it wasn’t exactly what I had anticipated.
However, I did feel like this book felt longer than it was. I felt like when I read 50 pages, I had really read 100. I’m not sure if that’s a reflection on the pacing of the novel, but it sure felt weird.
I also constantly felt like this book had no real plot. To me, the plot felt like just the story of the lives of slaves from slavery, to freedom, to what comes next. And while it was interesting, and at times heartbreaking, the lack of clear direction on where the story was going really got to me.
Overall, I did enjoy all of the twists and turns this story took me through, and a lot of things happened that I wasn’t expecting. I don’t regret reading this novel at all, but it wasn’t exactly what I had anticipated.
inkinherveins's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to this on audiobook. It’s well-narrated and a fascinating and well-written book.
inuyasha's review against another edition
4.0
i find it really difficult to review books like this that are so clearly about cultural and generational trauma and pain. i will say that I'm angry at myself for getting this from the library and not buying it because this is one of those rare books that actually make me want to actively annotate, to highlight quotes and sticky-tab and come back to it over and over. there is so much happening in this book, both literally and figuratively between the lines, and i don't think one read of it really got me everything that there was to receive. not a full five stars because despite the language itself not being dense, i had a really difficult time getting through this and it took longer than normal for me - i kept having to re-read passages to understand fully what was happening.
whitcam430's review against another edition
5.0
This was another hard but good read. Also a great debut novel.
ashsca's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book, but I didn’t. I had a hard time finishing it. It was beautifully written and researched, but I struggled to stay interested.