Scan barcode
A review by jmc513
Ashes and Stones: A Scottish Journey in Search of Witches and Witness by Allyson Shaw
4.0
I picked up this book in an impulsive visit to a London bookstore, without much information, other than the promise of a historic account of the Scottish witch-hunts. Not knowing much about either Scottish history, or the history of witchcraft, I was guilty of the same witch-tourism the author denounces. Expecting something closer to a chronic about these stories, the book’s critique of the enduring violence against the victims of the hunts, humanising them through a very personal memoir, took me by surprise.
Despite the unexpected turn, I welcomed the perspective Shaw’s generous account provided, even though I disconnected from the form the narrative took. Reading Ashes and Stones gifted me knowledge and invited me to revise my own complicity in sustaining this violence. I was also shocked when holding this history agains the ongoing scapegoating against immigrants, and the continuing genocide perpetrated by the sons of the white men that persecuted these women, now directed at other people they deem inferior and want to eradicate.
Despite the unexpected turn, I welcomed the perspective Shaw’s generous account provided, even though I disconnected from the form the narrative took. Reading Ashes and Stones gifted me knowledge and invited me to revise my own complicity in sustaining this violence. I was also shocked when holding this history agains the ongoing scapegoating against immigrants, and the continuing genocide perpetrated by the sons of the white men that persecuted these women, now directed at other people they deem inferior and want to eradicate.