A review by nfekete
The Magic of Marie Laveau: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans by Denise Alvarado
3.0
I'm a little torn about what to rate this book.
First, a note about what it is. It begins as a (fascinating) history of what we know (and, in many cases, don't know) about Marie Laveau. The rest of the book is a kind of how-to on becoming what the author calls a "Laveau devotee."
I wish the author had divided this into two works. I'm fascinated by the Laveau biographical information and in the history of New Orleans her life reveals. I'm also interested in better understanding voodoo and other conjure. However, the back half of this book really dragged for me. Too many lists of spells, workings, etc.
I'm torn about the rating because if you are the (very) specific audience for this book - I'm sure it's great for you. For me, it wasn't really what I wanted.
That said, I do want to comment on the book's conclusion, which was a moving, beautiful discussion of why indigenous stories are important, why it's so vital they are told in their own voices, and why all of us should consider writing our own stories and traditions. Alvarado's description of that and of Laveau's significance alone were worth the price of admission.
**I should also note that I read this as an audiobook, which I do not think is a great format for this book.
First, a note about what it is. It begins as a (fascinating) history of what we know (and, in many cases, don't know) about Marie Laveau. The rest of the book is a kind of how-to on becoming what the author calls a "Laveau devotee."
I wish the author had divided this into two works. I'm fascinated by the Laveau biographical information and in the history of New Orleans her life reveals. I'm also interested in better understanding voodoo and other conjure. However, the back half of this book really dragged for me. Too many lists of spells, workings, etc.
I'm torn about the rating because if you are the (very) specific audience for this book - I'm sure it's great for you. For me, it wasn't really what I wanted.
That said, I do want to comment on the book's conclusion, which was a moving, beautiful discussion of why indigenous stories are important, why it's so vital they are told in their own voices, and why all of us should consider writing our own stories and traditions. Alvarado's description of that and of Laveau's significance alone were worth the price of admission.
**I should also note that I read this as an audiobook, which I do not think is a great format for this book.