A review by gravedavis
I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beautiful prose and lifelike characters — I was assigned this novel for a University Literature course and ended up returning to it a year later to read it outside of academic context. Tituba's character is far from perfect, but her rawness as a human draws the reader to her story and the colonial world it is told in. I found some of the themes left room for further exploration; the commentary that is made is very explicit and leaves little space for interpretation, whereas some of the more nuanced themes felt hollow at points. That being said, Condé's writing reads like butter. It's poetic and engaging, I was so engrossed and read the book in two short sittings. Would definitely recommend, especially if you are interested in witchcraft or the colonial Americas. 
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