This book was magnificent! The author is a masterful storyteller and I'm really surprised that this is her first novel. The characters were fully developed and so was the environment in which this story took place. I found myself mesmerized by how the events unfolded. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is certainly what I would call a "must-read"!

This review was made possible thanks to Net Galley.

I thought that if I allowed myself to wait a few hours between finishing this book and reviewing it I would be able to articulate how a book could be both anti-climatic while also very engaging; however after twelve hours of letting Conjure Women stew I still pinpoint that one specific element that makes this book worth the sum of its parts, even if you leave the table hungry (Food analogy, bear with me.)

This is the debut novel of Afia Atakora and it follows the story of "Miss Rue" in a non-sequential history of the plantation she lives on before, during and after the Civil War.

Truth be told, I don't often read books set before or right after slavery because after taking African American Lit and African American Women's History in college I just couldn't stomach the material. Writing about slavery, specifically about Black women in slavery, means that one way or another you have to talk about sexual abuse and degradation...but Atakora handles it in such a way that is clear without being explicit. You know what's happening to Rue's mother and you know what's happening to other women, but you don't have pages of brutal rape scenes and for that, I am very grateful.

And what can be said of the story? Well, when it started I thought it was about one thing and as I continued to move through it I realized that it was about many things. I don't want to spoil them here (this book isn't set for publication until 2020) but I will say that for most of this novel, I never trusted Rue as a character. This isn't to say that I thought she was malevolent, or bad; it's just that something about the character's movements and point of view always felt hidden. Like underneath the lie you knew she was telling, there was many more that the story had yet to reveal.

To that point, the only disappointing thing about this story are the "secrets." I suppose due to that first "story" I expected this novel to be about Rue coming up against some supernatural force but that's not it. This is about Rue coming up against the repercussions of slavery and dealing with the power of freedom. She's "free" but won't leave her plantation....and I can't reveal all that that means here, but knowing what slavery means and meant, some of the things you find out aren't as impactful because (and I hate to say it) that's what slavery as an institution did.

It forced you to make choices you wouldn't otherwise have made, suddenly being made "free" doesn't erase what you've been brought up in or the physical, emotional and psychological prisons you've been held captive to.

I can't say much more without going into spoilers, so I'll end with this: Conjure Women is a stunning debut. There are some hiccups here and there and the end may leave readers confused or slightly unsatisfied, but on the whole, I highly recommend this book and will most definitely add it to my library.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of five

This book is definitely in the running for my favorite book of the year, hell I think it IS my favorite book of the year. Definite 5/5 from me.
Thank you to Netgalley for hooking me up with an ARC of this great novel, that I don't know I would have heard of otherwise.

'Conjure Women' follows Rue throughout her childhood and adulthood, seeing her mother being a healer and her own later attempts at trying to be the new healer. Of course nothing is easy and plot happens.

There are a few chapters that are told from her mother's perspective, but they are few in number. The chapters do alternate with one in the past and one in the 'present' of Post-Civil War. The past sections do slowly catch up to the 'present' and the closer it gets the more you're able to see just how things got this way. Rue feels like she is losing the ability to work miracles and there is outside pressure that might make everyone lose their new homes once again.

This is more literary than fantasy, and while magic does exist in this book I think it definitely swings more towards the folk magic direction than what most people think of when they think of magic. It didn't affect my rating, but I feel like I should clarify that for people looking at reviews.

Our MC, Rue, is delightfully complex and she feels like a real person put into page form. Her relationships both in her childhood and adulthood feel the same. They all have ups and downs, and both feel like they could be part of a real relationship. The timeline of events also makes sense and marches at such a pace that I never found myself confused about the way things happened, besides when it was intentional for you to be a bit lost. (Mostly when it comes to reveals that happen in the second half)

The book is plotted so well that the twists just keep getting revealed and you're slowly piecing together the story or what happened, and what is going to happen after. The only dull moment might be towards the beginning, but I wouldn't even count that as slow. There is enough intrigue built up right away that you want to find out more, and more secrets just keep coming and before I knew it I was totally sucked in.

This was an incredible read and I just finished it today and I already want to read it all over again.

Could not put this book down.Stark and gritty details of slavery before and after The Civil War.
Some of it almost painful to read but you just can’t stop.
The story is about Rue and about her mother Maybelle,Maybelle is a healer on a plantation to the slaves and after her death Rue carried on that tradition.There is a dash of the mystical in their healing.
This is a book to savor.I’m a speed reader and I read at a pretty fast clip but even I had to slow down and enjoy every word.
Thankyou Netgalley and Random House for this ARC

This is a very female-led book. It's very outspoken, with intense themes going on throughout nearly the entirety of the book. The writing is a bit "difficult" for lack of a better term. Sometimes I found myself having to reread sections as I didn't know what I just read. I want to say that this is magical realism, as there's something mystical also at play as we follow the story but not outright magical. It's a very good story, but I found myself having to space this out. I couldn't keep myself engaged for very long periods of time as it's very dense. If you want a quick read, this book definitely isn't it. If you want to take your time and really digest all the information, then this may be a good pick.

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora is a haunting and mesmerizing historical fiction set in the South during the Civil War Era.

The novel focusses on Miss May Belle and her daughter Miss Rue in rotating chapters thus also exposing the reader to two generations of African American Women during their years as slaves on a plantation, as well as the years immediately following encompassing the aftermath of “freedom”.

There were several things that I loved about this novel.
1. I loved the alternate viewpoint of Rue and her mother and the Author’s stunning ability to interweave different two different characters and life stories in two different time frames in what seems to be in a random pattern, but in fact is purposefully laid out to slowly unfold therefore, allowing the reader to piece together the intricate puzzle into a glorious masterpiece.
2. I loved the imagery, culture, and the dialect. I literally felt as if I was there. The rich and exquisite culture of Rue’s village was breathtaking.
3. The strength and heart that was needed to do justice to innocent lives permanently affected. It was hard to read some of the things that happened, but it is important to bring these trials to light and keep them on remembrance. I thank the Author for this privilege.

This is a stunning novel and I loved every moment of it.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this great ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I almost feel I should apologize I found the language had to follow and I suspect it was due to a lack of knowledge both of historical context and the intensely strong subject matter. If you like stories with strong ,intense female characters this is the read for you. There is a sense of the mystical and scary throughout this tale. At its apex is the everyday life of slaves and all they did to survive. I confess it was the acceptance that I found hard to swallow but I was reading with a twenty-first century mind peeking in on people who didn’t need protecting just wanted to be allowed to get through their day. I was thankful for the experience in the end .

When I first completed CONJURE WOMEN, I rated the book 2 stars because I struggled to get through the book. The flow of the book seemed stunted with unexpected scene changes and oh so many characters. I understood the flashback between the mother Mae Bell and daughter Rue, But, when their individual tale, Rue may be at home talking to the minister and the next sentence, she is in the church talking to Varina with no explanation as to how that scene changed.

Two days later and I am still thinking about the characters and how the story was spun to come around full circle for all of the characters. If I am still engaged with the characterization, knowing I will never forget any of them, that’s a 5-star book. Only taking off the one star due to the cadence of the writing.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Conjure Women is Atakora's debut novel and includes elements of plantation and slavery life as well as magic, healing and all things in between. We are first introduced to Rue, who is a midwife/healer in a small town that mainly consists of recently freed slaves after the end of the Civil War. Throughout the story we gain a better understanding of Rue's life after the war and before the war with her mother who was also a midwife and healer. During her life after the war, Rue helps to deliver a little boy whom she names Bean. The town becomes convinced that Bean is cured and connects that back to Rue who in turn needs to earn back the faith and trust of the town.

Atakora masterfully transports the reader to pre and post Civill War times and holds nothing back when describing the harsh life of those during the Civil War. the stories of Rue and her mother May Belle were entrancing and I found myself not only getting lost within their stories and hardships, but I found myself investing in everyone else in the town. My heart broke for Bean. This was a bit of a heavy read, and while it wasn't a page turner in the way a good mastery or thriller is, it was enough for me to want to keep reading and know what happened next. This is a powerfully good read and I can not wait for 2020 so I can have in on my shelf!

Outstanding and beguiling debut novel! Atakora has pulled out all the stops in the engaging tale of life on a plantation, slavery, the Civil War, healing, magic, relationships, betrayal, and everything in between. I took my time reading this - rather than plow through it, I read a few chapters at at time - for this is a book to be savored, a unique delicacy that doesn’t come around too often. The plot centers around a mother and daughter, conjurers both, creating potions to birth, curse, wound, heal people and the community of a variety of maladies, real and/or imagined. The characters were well developed, the plot held my attention, and great narration (occasionally it was hard to know who was narrating at first). While some material may be disturbing, the author takes no prisoners in researching and describing a harsh life during the Civil War and the lives that revolved around it, for better or worse. I’ve read many books on the history of both the Civil War and slavery, but this book is unlike any I’ve read. Kudos to Atakora, and I look forward to reading more from this fabulous author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A novel about slavery, magic, and the south after the war rolled up in one story, beautifully written. . Once you start reading about Rue and conjuring you're in for a magical ride. I highly recommend

I really enjoyed the blend of historical fiction and magical elements within this story that Atakira was able to weave together into a sort of magical realism that was powerful. The overall writing and use of dialect was strong and helped create vivid and lifelike characters. Some of the subject matter can be a bit heavy, but should not deter readers from this story.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the allowing me to read this book!

I found Conjure Women to be an interesting read, and an in-depth look into slave midwives and healers during the years leading up to, and after the American Civil War. While I have read many books about the Civil War and slavery, I found this book to be original and something I have never read about before. I was drawn into the characters and their back stories and how their lives changed from before the war to after the war.

The book starts off with introducing the main character, Rue, as a midwife/healer/ conjure woman in a small village of newly freed slaves after the Civil War. The story rotates between her story after the war, and what her and her mother's life was like before a during the war. Her mother was also a midwife and healer, and taught Rue her skills from a young age. The main story line after the war centers around a baby boy Rue names Bean. The small village believes that Bean has been cursed, and connects that back with Rue. The village begins to loose faith in Rue, and she has to find a way to gain that trust back. Before the war, the story focuses on her mother, Miss May Belle, and the medical issues she is always solving. It also goes into detail the relationships between the slaves and their master and his family.

I enjoyed reading this book, and lost myself in the stories of Rue and May Belle. The author has a a beautiful way with their words, and transported me back in time. I found myself getting lost in the tragedies and my heart broke for the characters. However, with the time subject comes lots of heaviness. While I enjoyed reading this book, I wouldn't say that this is a turn-pager. I found myself needing to take breaks so I could digest what was happening. I

I've long kept a book about voodoo on hoodoo on my shelves, but that’s not what drew me to Conjure Women. And though my literary leanings bend toward Bookers and Pulitzers, Pushcart nominee Afia Atakora has been on my watchlist not because she’s risen to that level of acclaim… yet.

I’ve been awaiting her debut because Zora Neale Hurston (Their Eyes Were Watching God). Because Chimanada Ngozi Adichie (Half of a Yellow Sun). Because Donna Tartt (The Secret History). And though some praise Atakora as Colson Whitehead meets Toni Morrison, a worthy compliment indeed, in my book she’s Ovid meets ZNH, Adichie meets Tartt. Because in Conjure Women, where mysticism meets history, the reader meets truth.

Spanning the antebellum era through early reconstruction, Atakora’s tale of folk healer Rue and her mama Miss May Belle is spellbinding and sticky.

Like her mother, Rue has long been eyed with suspicion, but when sickness ravages her village and children begin to die, folks are frightened. When they turn to “finger-pointing for succor,” the taut line between healer and witch is frayed, and what follows is a swirling syncretism of mysticism and Christianity, and of ‘slaverytime’ and ‘freedomtime’, where transgressions are boundary-less, inflicted upon mother and daughter, black woman and white.

Atakora’s storytelling hovers masterfully above the disturbing history that heavies the pages. And for her skill, Conjure Women shimmers with language and characters that will haunt you for ages.

(This title was high on my wish list. Thanks to the book fairies over at Penguin who waved their magic wands and made it possible for me to read in advance.)

I will warn you now, once you start reading this book, you won’t want to put it down, so clear your schedule for a few hours and prepare to be transported to the American south of the nineteenth century. The story takes place on two time lines, during slavery and shortly after, and tells the story of a mother, May Belle and her daughter Rue, both born into slavery and both conjure women. They help deliver babies, treat the sick and injured with herbal medicine and sometimes, perform darker “spells”, when asked. May Belle has learned the hard way to keep out of the plantation owner’s way, if she can, but Rue is a different story. The same age as the owner’s spoiled daughter, she’s been allowed to play with the little girl and dares to want more for her own life. This book is one of the most evocative and moving portraits of slavery I have read since Cane River