A review by 2treads
Witches by Brenda Lozano

dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A journalist's mission to write about the murder of a trans woman becomes a journey to facing her trauma and the violence that many women face whether passive or aggressive. Paloma is a curandera, a healer who uses nature and her ancestral connection to heal those who come to her. When she is murdered, Zoe, an investigative journalist travels to San Felipe to record her story.

Through Feliciana, Zoe not only learns of the power of the curanderos/as, Paloma's support, love, and ultimate choice but also shares her family history and the stories of her mother and sister.

What Lozano has done here is to show the parallels between women's lives and the shared experiences across time and place, whether it be facing discrimination and violence for being trans or queer, being assaulted in safe spaces, or choosing one's identity over one's purpose, women are equally vulnerable and powerful. And sharing our stories only helps in amplifying that power.
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