Conjure Women: A Novel

I loved this story. When I caught a tidbit about a character's circumstances I wanted to know more and I hoped that I would find out how that situation worked out. I am not a fan of the stories that jump timelines and/or characters and/or places, but Afia made it work in a way that did not disappoint.

This book, both warm and eerie, invites us into the life of healer (witch?) Miss Rue, enslaved and then free, as the antebellum south crumbles and whatever-comes-next is sown and reaped. It is a ghostly novel that keeps threatening (promising) magical realism, but never quite crosses that line. The story remains incredibly real—and no wonder, as Atakora did extensive research on actual slave narratives as the foundation of her novel. It is an awful, hopeful tale of a community moving from the horrors of slavery into the new terrors of freedom, and the complex web of secrets and lies woven to protect themselves and one another. An incredible debut novel; I look forward to more from Atakora.