An un-put-downable book about slavery which powerfully explores early midwifery and healing. I was equally in awe as I was horrified by the historical insights Atakora revealed about the methods employed before modern medicine.

Understandable, this is an uncomfortable read at times, but Atakora’s writing is deeply sensitive and sympathetic, making those uncomfortable moments easier to bear. The writing style has a hazy quality to it which takes a little while to adjust to, but it's so fitting of the character's perspective and understanding of the world - it just added to the immersive-ness of the book.

This sad but wonderful story made a real impact on me, from just the cover, to the whole plot.
Although it was a bit slow in the first half, it was a riveting read that I highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Varina...I never saw you coming. Not any of the times that you came across the storyline. Rue, you deserved so much more from these people who you've spent your whole life protecting and caring for alongside a mother who was revered for it. Miss May Belle, you deserved a better end than the one you got. You gave everything to that family and to those people and, in the end, it was just you and your daughter suffering through the worst moments of your life,

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What I expected: a story about women surviving in a time of uncertainty, in a time where men were the sole determiner of women's bodies and their futures, in a time where blackness was enough for you to be owned.
What I got: black women carving their own space in a world that didn't accept their methods, a life entangled with that of the white daughter of their master, blooming hope that comes with newfound freedom, and damning secrets that could change life as they know it (both before and after the War).

You don't fully get where this is going until it gets there. You think it's about being a 'witch' when your people are finding 'civilized religion', but it's not. You think it's about a little boy, born different, signalling bad omens for your community, but it's not. You think it's about Rue finding happiness after not knowing what that really meant, but it's not. You think it's about a secret held before Wartime that evolves into an equally dangerous secret after the War, but it's not.

It's about a life lived out loud when living was something you had to work towards rather than something you expected just in being alive. It's about being that solid constant even when you aren't wanted anymore because you realize that you're still needed. It's realizing that this life that you signed up for is far bigger than you in that one moment, far bigger than your personal hurts and comforts. It's about characters that are flawed, in a system that is flawed, trying to find a way to stay true to themselves even when doing so means leaving yourself open to even more hurt.

TL;DR: Read this if you want to follow flawed characters that are trying to live their lives in a dual timeline, mostly single POV narrative.

When I first read about this book I thought it was going to involve voodoo, magic, maybe healers but it isn't what I got and it left me feeling a bit deflated.

The story covers an important piece of history but for me, I just felt it dragged on and on and I really struggled to finish it. I didn't really take to Rue either.

For me, I think there was just too much going on, I felt like I needed more from the back stories because at times I just felt a bit confused.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

Afia Atakora’s ‘Conjure Women’ follows Miss Rue as she navigates her life as her village’s ‘healer’. I enjoyed the interchanged narration between the times of freedom and the war period, but on the overall, I ended up having a bit mixed feeling about the book.

There is no denying that Afia Atakora has a great style of writing – there is some magic in it itself. The story flows, the writing is almost lyrical. However, I didn’t love the main plot of the story. At moments, it felt like the story wasn’t really going anywhere, despite numerous things happening both in the past and the present of ‘Conjure Women’.

At moments creepy and fascinating, ‘Conjure Women’ has handled quite a lot of heavy topics: from slavery and (almost) witch hunt to rape and abuse. Afia Atakora hasn’t shied away from describing those matters, and making them central to the characters of ‘Conjure Women’. There have been quite a lot of uncomfortable moments in the book that may stay with the reader for a while.

It’ll be interesting to see more of Afia Atakora’s writing. While ‘Conjure Women’ hasn’t been completely a book for me, I have enjoyed the author’s style, and I’m looking forward to more of her works.

My rating: 3.5/5

A prosaic and deeply skilled work of art. The narrative is twisty and dark, and full of haunting visuals. I absolutely loved this novel and felt myself drawn into the world with frightening ease. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in books about the antebellum South and beautiful literary writing.

The book is so haunting it was difficult for me to read. I'll try to explain. There was such a presence of the atmosphere and foreboding at points that I literally put the book away and stayed away because I was too uncomfortable to find out what could or would happen next. Perhaps, there is a flaw in the back and forth narrative between the present in the story and the recollections of the protagonist and that was also one of the reasons it was difficult to finish. Rue has a secret, that is clear, however the slow unveiling of this secret may have been too slow, stymieing the momentum of the tale that wants to be told. That the residents have an admiration/ envy and hate relationship with the Conjure' women of their enslaved society is palpable; that there are issues of woman to woman jealousy and the many intimate injustices of oppressor and oppressed in all forms is distinctly drawn. This is one I will have to re-read, without the trepidation of 'what happens next' to perhaps fully appreciate. I appreciate the opportunity to read from NetGalley

Set in a community of former slaves after the American Civil War, Conjure Women deals with the clash between folk medicine/obeah and Christian teaching, as midwife Rue falls under suspicion when the children of the area begin dying. Flashbacks to the era of slavery illuminate goings-on in the narrative’s present day, and Atakora’s depiction of characters forced to make terrible choices is empathetic and moving. Lots about mother-daughter relationships, love and the vulnerability it brings, too.

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I think this is the first book I've read that dwells on life immediately after the abolition of slavery in America.⁣
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It also made me think of the concept of “bottom power”; the belief that women have power because they can offer sexual favours. Considering that it takes two to tango, it's one of the most irritating things I've heard of. ⁣
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Here, the women — Miss May Belle, Rue and Varina— all appear powerful until something happens to each one and you realise that they are as vulnerable as everyone around them. ⁣
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I loved this book but I found it a bit challenging. There are books that are genre bending and it's great when carried out masterfully and confusing when it's not. ⁣
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It's supposed to be a kind of Magical realism but only when the author felt like it suits her story. Then the ending just left me confused. ⁣
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Otherwise, it's a great debut. Very ambitious, well researched and a great reflection on how freedom can be a burden especially when you suddenly decide to “free” people without creating access to systems where they can thrive.

Afia Atakora’s debut novel “Conjure Women” takes place on a Southern plantation and focuses on the life of Rue, a girl born into slavery. She’s the daughter of the community’s much-respected midwife and conjure woman Miss May Belle. Though she passes much of her knowledge to her daughter, changing circumstances mean that Rue’s craft is under suspicion especially when a new born boy with startlingly black eyes is believed to be a curse or haint Rue has brought upon them: “They had been waiting on reprisal, reprisal for freedom, for the joy of being free, and when that reprisal wasn’t fast coming, they’d settled on the notion that punishment was finally come in the black eyes of a wrong-looking child.” The narrative occurs in two alternating timelines before and after the Civil War - ‘SlaveryTime’ and ‘FreedomTime’. This builds a lot of tension in the story as many mysteries build and shocking revelations occur. It was gripping and I was drawn into the psychological complexity of the characters as the intricacies of their relationships unfold.

There’s a curious doubling between Rue and Varina, the red-haired daughter of the plantation owner. Varina often plays with Rue but there is no question that Varina is the young mistress who is privileged and ultimately destined to own Rue. This creates a power play between the girls and though they seem to share an intimacy Rue is strongly reminded at one point that they can never be friends. Miss May Belle sews a flip doll that is a white girl on one side and a black girl when inverted and this emphasizes the girls’ connection to each other as well as the way they are like two sides of the same coin. As the war progresses and dramatic events occur Rue finds herself empowered in a way she wasn’t before. While they may be forced to be at odds with each other because of the circumstances, each girl is subject to different abuse and the natural kinship they’d might otherwise find with each other is disrupted by racial injustice. But this is just one of many relationships which are twisted by the gross imbalance of power. Atakora movingly explores these dynamics through the lives of her characters.

Miss May Belle and Rue’s power may be based in superstitious belief but this grants them a power they wouldn’t otherwise have. Yet what’s fascinating is the way they use their understanding of the circumstances to bring about change rather than through any conjuring spells. Miss May Belle understands that “Faith in magic was far more potent than magic itself”. Atakora shows how Christian belief comes to take precedence over the community’s belief in conjuring in the form of Bruh Abel who comes to preach to them. This novel gave me a new perspective on the mechanics of faith as well as a new point of view on the after-effects of the Civil War. It was also a great pleasure to read for its evocative language and the building suspense as the story plays out to a moving conclusion. An overall vivid, enthralling tale.

“Freedom seemed to them to be as useless as the currency of a nation that didn’t exist anymore.”
Following two generations of women healers, Conjure Women takes place in the Deep South and is told in alternating perspectives both before and after the American Civil War.
When the Civil War passes, Rue has taken on her mother’s role as healer and conjure woman. Although the white folk are mostly gone, the freed slaves continue to live in the old plantation with the outside world largely unaware of their existence. After delivering a baby with pale skin and black eyes, Rue is treated with increasing suspicion-which escalates when a strange sickness visits the children of the community.

Conjure Women is an entertaining and well researched debut novel. The multiple perspectives explore the vital yet painful topics of racism, slavery, gender, social class and war in the Deep South during that period of American history. I really enjoyed the shifting timelines of before, during and after the war as it allowed key information to be revealed at just the right moments of the novel and it added more depth and complexity to the plot. I also enjoyed the magic elements and how they were used to heal, cure, curse, birth and wound; as well as how this was contrasted with the religious aspects set out in the novel.
Full of imagery, emotion and magic. I found Conjure Women to be a captivating and wholly original. Afia Atakora, with her debut novel, has proven herself to be a remarkable talent.

Conjure women is a magical realism/historical fiction novel set in multiple timelines before and after the civil war. It’s set on a Southern plantation and centres on Conjure Woman Miss May Belle and her Daughter Rue. A conjure woman’s role includes healing, midwifery and a hefty dose of magic or “hoodoo”.

Afia Atakora’s prose is beautiful and draws you into this world so full of both cruelty and love. It shows what the life was like for these slaves before and after becoming free. What does free really mean? Can you really be free if you have no assets and nowhere to go? The novel also looks at the role of women in society, from the magical to the mundane. Well worth a read!

Historical fiction debut by a Black American author. US fiction and I, we have a tricky relationship in recent years and this book was no different. A dual timeline narrative set before slavery ended and after the civil war, we follow the story of a Black healer. From the blurb, I expected a dark story full of mystery and weirdness, whilst this was more of a character study and a “location piece”. The author is great at invoking a sense of place. And the last third of the book was very strong. So I am looking forward to see what the author will do next. Most people who read this book absolutely loved it. For me, it was fine. A good read but I expected something different (because wrong marketing).

Absolutely loved this. Took my time reading it because I was so captivated by the descriptions and voices of the characters, particularly Rue (of course!)
Just beautiful and thought provoking. This is one of those books that reminds you why you love reading.

'Didn't everything over and over surface and come again?'
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I need to start with saying how much I LOVED this book. This has been my favourite read of 2020 so far.
I was very lucky to be approved to read this book via Harper Collins on NetGalley.
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There are a few plots running through the book, centred around Rue as the main protagonist.
Themes include history, enslavement, love, family, magic/superstition, religion, culture, and feminism, and it was such a rich tapestry of story telling.
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Rue as a character is very relatable. Part of the story depicts her childhood, and other parts depict her experiences as an adult. In both settings there are secrets and things she seeks to understand that she doesn't come to fully comprehend.
In this sense it is a coming of age story, the same as anyone else's, despite the circumstances and some of the horror that she lives through.
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There are several strong female characters in the book, and elements of ignorance and privilege are highlighted in how the characters live their lives. Especially in the similarities and differences that run parallel in Rue and Varina's lives.

'It had not occurred to Rue that Varina didn't know about the blood the way she did. She herself could not remember the first time she's understood that being a woman meant being bloodied, but then she could not remember the first time she spoke, or the first time she knew herself for herself - some knowing just felt like it had always been.'

Both are trapped in their circumstances, and while at times the nature of their relationship is in question, they take care of each other in numerous ways.
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A key obvious element of the book deals with racism. Not just the references to the KKK and the violence, but also in the microaggressions which has never felt more relevant.

'Varina had never had to know anything up there in the House; she could close the blinds if she didn't like what she was seeing, could turn away in her featherbed.'
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The complexities of love, particularly in relation to family and children, are well woven through the relationships depicted in this story.
The relationship between May Belle and Rue is complicated as mother and daughter; and it doesn't always feel like a particularly loving and nurturing relationship.
The relationship between Ma Doe and all the children, including her feelings towards Varina, are also an interesting reflection of love, despite the hurt that is caused.
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I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others. I would also re-read it at a point in the future.

In the post civil war era, where a small black community has settled after being 'freed' and the slave owner's mansion burned down, a sickness is sweeping Rue's community. As the local healing woman, daughter of a woman who was believed to practice witchcraft, Rue becomes a scapegoat. Alongside her a child, Bean, born white to a black mother, who the village has always been wary of, doesn't get sick. As sickness and religious fervour weep the small community, Rue must do what she can to protect Bean, and her secret.

This richly imagined history follows Rue, through both the post-war era and prior to this through flashbacks, threading a complex tale of her life as a slave, and after this, as a 'free' woman. If you think this will follow the same tropes as other narratives of slavery, think again. Atakora weaves complex ideas of race and identity into this truly wonderful novel, which has layer upon layer to uncover.

Spellbinding is not a cliche with this novel, which is haunted by 'haints' of the past, not to mention the present. Rue's mother Miss May Belle is a character you won't soon forget, and her presence can be felt on every page. Conjure Women centres on motherhood and inheritance, asking big questions about what those things mean, and how easily these simple ideas can be complicated. Of course this novel is also saturated with pain and loss, not shying away from the brutality of the time. Some of it is difficult to read, but it is very necessary to even begin to understand this period of history.

There will not be a moment that you aren't racing through this book to find out what happens, eagerly seeking explanations. Atakora's plotting is masterful, and she creates a perfect balance of intrigue and suspense that propels you forward. Reading this book is sure to leave you wanting more and we can only hope, with such an astounding debut, that Atakora will have more wonderful stories to come.

This is an absolutely beautiful book, just full of warmth and love.

It’s the story of Rue, her mother Miss May Belle, and the slave masters daughter, Varina. Rue takes over from the mother as the conjure woman, ie the woman the slaves go to when they are sick, or need other medicines, etc.

The arrival of Bruh Able, bringing god to the slaves turns everyone against Rue, especially with the birth of a strange child.

It’s not quite as simple as this though, there are threads interwoven between the slaves and the masters, and Varina. Friendships, secrets, love, and pain.

It’s an absolutely beautiful book, beautifully written and I just adored every moment of it. This will stay with me a long time.

My thanks to Netgalley, and 4th Estate and William Collin for the copy.

Conjure Women by Afia Akatore

Conjure Women is an incredibly powerful debut from Afia Akatore. Alternating between two timelines; pre and post Civil War, set on a plantation in the Deep South, this is the story of three women and their intertwining lives.
Miss May Belle, the healer, Rue, her daughter and Varina, the slave owner’s daughter.

The story begins with Rue attending a birth of a baby who is born in a caul with white, scaled skin. Differences for which both he and Rue are in danger of becoming outcast from the community.

The novel explores human relationships, misogyny, racism, the passing on of ancestral knowledge and the tragedy, injustice and horror of slavery.

During ‘freedomtime’ the emancipated slaves continue to live on the plantation and whilst they are no longer directly ruled by whites men they are certainly not free. The white legacy of suspicion, imposition of their religion, poverty and fear remains and sadly we are still seeing the effects of this today.

The friendship and power dynamic between Rue and Varina was particularly interesting. I loved the depth and power that the female characters were written with. I especially loved Rue’s explanation of periods to Varina. “There’s no shame. It’s beautiful.”

This book has been a thought provoking read. It’s led me to research Britain’s post in slavery, to question what freedom looks like and added fuel to my desire for equality and activism.

I feel touched by this book, the mysticism and depth of storytelling. These characters will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to @netgalley and @4thestate for my e-copy.

One thing I enjoy in timeslip fiction is spotting the links between the different characters and settings. This book excelled at throwing me hints all the way through and then finally tying everything together towards the end. Narrated by the spirit of an enslaved woman who died in London’s docklands as she tried to make her way to freedom, the bulk of this story takes place in the latter part of the twentieth century, across three continents, following the lives of two main characters, as they slowly work their way from poverty to success and towards each other.

Michael is a teenager when his family is ripped apart by an unexpected act of violence. Trying to hold things together and to ensure that his younger sister is able to fulfill her dreams of becoming a doctor, even as he drops out of education, Michael finds himself caught up in the Brixton riots and witnesses police racism and brutality for the first time. Following both Michael and Marcia, alongside our narrator we see a wide range of different lives of black Londoners, as they struggle to better themselves, and for the most part succeed,

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, our narrator is watching over another impoverished youngster, Ngazi. She moved to the city to work for a rich family, but also encounters unforeseen violence before making her way to England, where she takes on whatever work presents itself to her. Like Michael and his family, Ngazi also finds a way to make a success of her life, and her path and his eventually cross. Watching over them, our narrator mourns her lover, Wind, a freed African who tried to help her reach safety in England, and her two children: one left behind in Africa when she was first captured by slavers and the other snatched from her in England when she was recaptured for the final time.

Although I guessed early on how the various plot threads were likely to join up, the beauty of this book lay in the way the stories were told and in the deep insights we were given into the various characters’ lives and surroundings. It was also enlightening to be able to compare and contrast the experiences of the various characters and the ways in which their societies worked against them because of factors outside their control. Another author I shall be looking out for again in the future.

Afia Atakora’s ‘Conjure Women’ is a powerful and raw story that is rooted in the important history & culture of plantation slaves in the time preceding the American Civil War, as well as after. A complex and immersive book, Conjure Women is beautifully written, and I almost struggle to believe that this is a debut novel - it is almost flawless. This is one of those books I will struggle to forget!
I absolutely recommend!