A review by pagesofpins
Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
3.0
A book of poems told from the point of view of three of the girls who accused so many of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusatts: the girl who is ignored and unloved by her family, the beautiful servant girl who finds safety using their lies, and the girl desperately and jealously in love with a man whose eyes are always roving.
With the recent trend of novels in poetry, I'm always a bit skeptical of authors who have chose this medium--are they making good use of it, or is it done in the place of originality? Not only does the author make good use of language capture the trauma and hopelessness of the lives of these girls, but impressibly juggles three first person narratives in poetry while keeping each voice distinct.
I liked how she dug into history to find plausible reasons each girl would lie. They all have no voice and no power until they seize on this idea, and when they all do it together they create a group that is strong and united against all the things that used to hurt them. Mercy witnessed the brutal murder of her parents and has lived as a servant ever since, being pawed at by men and harshly beaten until she becomes a "seer", and therefore an almost holy object in her community. Margaret finds a way to have power over the women her betrothed is eyeing, and escape from her horrible stepmother. Ann is the queen bee, who finally has the attention of her parents, the respect of the servant she worships, and the ear of the community.
The balance of power is interesting to watch as the girls handle various crises that may unmask their lies. Friendships are broken and mended as they rely on each other through different hardships. Different girls take the lead as they are forced to escalate things in order to keep their story going. When is it too late to tell the truth?
Book Quote:
"My hands quiver as the old
and bedridden. Give me
the strength to lead,
for I fear otherwise
we may hang
ourselves." Mercy (256) (at a witch hanging)
With the recent trend of novels in poetry, I'm always a bit skeptical of authors who have chose this medium--are they making good use of it, or is it done in the place of originality? Not only does the author make good use of language capture the trauma and hopelessness of the lives of these girls, but impressibly juggles three first person narratives in poetry while keeping each voice distinct.
I liked how she dug into history to find plausible reasons each girl would lie. They all have no voice and no power until they seize on this idea, and when they all do it together they create a group that is strong and united against all the things that used to hurt them. Mercy witnessed the brutal murder of her parents and has lived as a servant ever since, being pawed at by men and harshly beaten until she becomes a "seer", and therefore an almost holy object in her community. Margaret finds a way to have power over the women her betrothed is eyeing, and escape from her horrible stepmother. Ann is the queen bee, who finally has the attention of her parents, the respect of the servant she worships, and the ear of the community.
The balance of power is interesting to watch as the girls handle various crises that may unmask their lies. Friendships are broken and mended as they rely on each other through different hardships. Different girls take the lead as they are forced to escalate things in order to keep their story going. When is it too late to tell the truth?
Book Quote:
"My hands quiver as the old
and bedridden. Give me
the strength to lead,
for I fear otherwise
we may hang
ourselves." Mercy (256) (at a witch hanging)