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 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