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

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

[Review from Oct 2020.]

“Mama Yaya taught me the sea, the mountains, and the hills. She taught me that everything lives, has a soul, and breathes. That everything must be respected. That man is not the master riding through his kingdom on horseback.”

This book is not just a fictionalized version of the events at Salem told from Tituba’s perspective but a brilliant, brilliant mock epic historical fantasy story, with strong feminist, supernatural, and other themes all treated with a sort of postmodern irony, based on the entire life of Tituba as imagined by author Maryse Condé. Tituba was one of the women accused, tortured, and imprisoned during the Salem witch hunts, whose life is completely reimagined, and revenged, by Condé in this incredible book.

“Tituba knows the words that cure every sickness, that heal every wound, and untie every knot. Don’t you know that?”

I really struggle with historical fiction and historical nonfiction about the history of witchhunts because I still feel like it’s *such* an important part of human history that has still not fully been understood or even properly addressed, and the repercussions of those events still echo very strongly through to today. This book comes closest to addressing the most important subjects of racism, colonialism, misogyny, patriarchy, capitalism, and religious zealotry and oppression responsible for those historical events and filling a *much* neglected gap in the literary repertoire where the genres of historical fiction and feminist literature intersect.

“Are you a witch?” he shouted. “Yes or no!”
I sighed. “Everyone gives that word a different meaning. Everyone believes he can fashion a witch to his way of thinking so that she will satisfy his ambitions, dreams, and desires…”

I have included this book on my “historical fantasy” bookshelf, but I, Tituba is really more accurately categorized as a mock epic historical fiction novel with strong supernatural themes, and I’m pretty sure that this is the only novel of that type that I have ever read. And a) it was brilliant and b) it was by far the best form for Condé’s story of the life of Tituba. I especially *loved* that Condé made this story 100% more of a tribute to the woman that Tituba is/was, and the legacy she and women like her have left to their descendants that has so often gone unrecognized beyond their own communities, and often even inappropriately uncelebrated there as well, than yet another novel focusing on the largely irrelevant minutiae surrounding the “trials” at Salem that most treatments of that time do.

[From Angela Davis’s Foreward:] “This historical novel refuses to be confined within the ideological limits of the era during which it unfolds.”

When you do read this book, I highly recommend getting the edition that has the interview with Condé at the end because I think it is very important to understand her intention with this book in order to get the full message. A lot of the reviews I’ve seen that give this book a low rating clearly did not understand the full purpose of the story and were judging it based on preconceived notions about historical fiction and historical fantasy “witch hunt” tales. Condé’s book is very philosophical and understanding the philosophy is key to fully appreciating the novel. I hope that makes sense…

“I do not belong to the civilization of the Bible and Bigotry. My people will keep my memory in their hearts and have no need of the written word. It’s in their heads. In their hearts and in their heads.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW // slavery, rape, child abuse, child murder, racism, murder, suicide, animal sacrifice, miscarriage, abortion, Christian zealotry, severe misogyny, white patriarchy, really gruesome and upsetting torture scenes, brutal antisemitism, incest

(Also, if you’re going to read Magic Lessons, which I don’t recommend, but if you are, please read this one first. Just, trust me. 😉)

Further Reading—other witch hunt books that I do recommend (in light of there being a lot out there that are *not* good…):
- The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (fictionalized story based on the Vardø Witch Hunts)
- The Familiars, by Stacey Halls (fictionalized story based on the Pendle Witch Hunts)
- Tyll, by Daniel Kehlmann (one section of the book features an excellent depiction of a witch hunt in 17th c. Germany)
- The Witches, by Stacy Schiff (nonfiction)
- The Discoverie of Witchcraft, by Reginald Scot (16th century document responding to King James I’s witchhunt mania)
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