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A review by ka_cam
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
One for the fans of women-centered us civil war era historical fiction. I thought it took some fairly common themes (violence of slavery esp related to the family, the South during the civil war, relations between enslaved Black women/children and white women/children in enslaver families, women healers as suspect for witchcraft, womens agency and lack thereof in reproductive health and pregnancy, etc) and wove them together in compelling ways. I found Rue an interesting and believable narrator and thought the author did a wonderful job building out her perspective. Some of the romance was a bit random, and I felt the last 10-20% of the book became more scattered and rushed due to the increase in twists and narrator voices late in the book.
Graphic: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Torture, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Incest, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Addition content warnings: Lynching, KKK-style violence; also much of the above content warnings apply to/involve enslaved people and/or children