Synopses & Reviews
Conjure Women is a sweeping story that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. Spanning eras and generations, it tells of the lives of three unforgettable women: Miss May Belle, a wise healing woman; her precocious and observant daughter Rue, who is reluctant to follow in her mother's footsteps as a midwife; and their master's daughter Varina. The secrets and bonds among these women and their community come to a head at the beginning of a war and at the birth of an accursed child, who sets the townspeople alight with fear and a spreading superstition that threatens their newly won, tenuous freedom.
Magnificently written, brilliantly researched, richly imagined, Conjure Women moves back and forth in time to tell the haunting story of Rue, Varina, and May Belle, their passions and friendships, and the lengths they will go to save themselves and those they love.
Review
"[A] haunting, promising
debut....Through complex characters and bewitching prose, Atakora
offers a stirring portrait of the power conferred between the enslaved
women. [A] powerful tale of moral ambiguity amid inarguable injustice."
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"An engrossing debut...Atakora structures a plot with plenty of satisfying twists. Life in the
immediate aftermath of slavery is powerfully rendered in this impressive
first novel."
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
“Deftly interwoven and emotionally involving...Atakora effectively handles the before-during-and-after structure, enriching her story....Highly recommended.” Library Journal (Starred Review)
About the Author
Afia Atakora was born in the United Kingdom and raised in New Jersey, where she now lives. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA from Columbia University, where she was the recipient of the De Alba Fellowship. Her fiction has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and she was a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers.
Rhianna Walton on PowellsBooks.Blog
The following 10 books came out earlier this year and, for the most part, were eclipsed by the coronavirus. Now that our attention is back in the stacks, put one on your summer reading list. You won’t be disappointed...
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