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Conjure Women
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
91 posts | 54 read | 86 to read
A dazzling debut novel that sweeps across eras and generations to tell the story of a mother and daughter with a shared talent for healing--and the conjuring of curses. The intimate bonds and transgressions among people and across racial divides, during both slaverytime and freedomtime, are at the heart of this mesmerizing and surprising first novel. Like her mother, Rue is an all-knowing midwife, healer, and conjurer of curses on the plantation of Marse Charles. Moving back and forth in time between the years before and after the Civil War, Conjure Women tells the story of Rue, the families she cares for, and the mysteries and secrets she knows about the plantation owner's daughter, Varina. Afia Atakora is a brilliant young writer who creates unforgettable characters, and an enthralling story written in unique and beautiful prose. Conjure Women is imbued with remarkable psychological insight into people and the lengths they will go to save themselves and those they love.
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review
Soubhiville
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

I thought this was a well written story of two enslaved women and their community through the beginning of the civil war and beyond into abolition times.

May Belle and her daughter Rue are midwives, but also know plant medicine and are healers. Some people refer to them as Conjure Women.

The cover and spine caught my eye, and I‘m glad, the inside is just as good!

64 likes1 stack add
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Andrea4
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Mehso-so

I went through this one in fairly large chunks as I was taking care of the doggo alone for 2 weeks but after I put it down it took me longer than expected to pick it back up. The story wasn't complicated to follow and it was interesting to a point. I'm not sure what was lacking in this one to really hold me. I think I found he characters fairly superficial and I wanted more.

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KarinWestbrook
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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This is an enchanting book. The story, so far is told by chapters titled, Slaverytime, Freedomtime, Surrender, The Promise etc. So far pretty good!

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Cosmos_Moon_River
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

A story of the beautiful complicated lives of the struggles and magic of women through the end days of slavery, war and abolition. Loved the characters.

Catsandbooks That cover is gorgeous! 3y
mrsmarch I almost bought this paperback yesterday! Wasn‘t sure what Litsy thought of it. Now I know! 3y
Cosmos_Moon_River @mrsmarch I recommend it for sure. It still gives me feelings thinking of the story now 💚 3y
41 likes3 comments
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SistaPip
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

I had this one for awhile before I picked it up -- and read it in one sitting!! Much more complicated story than it seems on the surface, got me to thinking about all the different kinds of relationships women have. The story jumps around from past to present but it's not confusing, and there's a couple surprising twists along the way.

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Chrissyreadit
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Thank you @Avanders ❤️🎉❤️ for this surprise!
Thank you @AmyG ❤️🙌❤️for this surprise.
Amy and Aletheia I‘m always so grateful for your thoughtfulness and friendship 💕

Avanders Yay!! You‘re so welcome 🤗🥰😘♥️ 3y
67 likes1 comment
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Lindy
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

Healing, midwifery, and conjuring are the specialties of a mother and daughter in this saga set entirely on a Southern plantation. It unfolds at a sedate pace in rotating storylines: Freedomtime, Slaverytime, and Wartime. The 1800s are a period that saw major changes, but life for African Americans didn‘t suddenly get easier after emancipation. A debut novel rich in historical detail.

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Lindy
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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I couldn‘t tell if it was my own personal reading history affecting my reaction OR that Afia Atakora‘s prose reflects the influence of other authors upon her, but as I read I was reminded of: Marlon James‘ Night Women; Coates‘ Water Dancer; Toni Morrison‘s A Mercy; Alice Walker; and even Jane Eyre. Fine company, regardless.

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Mitch
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Yeah - my personalise book subscription arrived today. I love unwrapping them every month - each month they send a gem! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Mitch How‘s yours? @oryx 4y
Oryx On holiday this week, so can't pick it up until I get back. Hopefully it will be waiting for me on my doorstep. Yours sounds really good! 4y
Mitch @Oryx have a lovely week x 4y
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bekakins
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

I really really enjoyed this. Excellent character building and lots of interesting female relationship dynamics.

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Sydneypaige
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Mehso-so

This book moves through two timelines (slavery time & freedom time) and many relationships, centered around healers and their ability to conjure. I kept hoping for deeper relationships and conversations between characters that just didn‘t come. The storyline was interesting and I enjoyed reading a perspective from before the civil war that highlighted healing women in a humanistic and thoughtful way.

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rachaich
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

An afternoon of reading in the garden, chasing the sun as it moves, meant I finished the book!
I liked it. I liked the female narrator, the other characters who entwined. I liked the switching between times, the historic aspect. Plus the hint of magic, of the power of nature and beliefs. I'd be keen to read more of hers.

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rachaich
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Find ing this is interesting enough to keep me reading but equally not intriguing enough to get me thinking about it between reads.
Usually I'm wondering how the stories will blend together, or how it can end, but this one seems explanatory. Which in some ways is good!
Enjoying some of the writing, and I do like the characters and their relationships.

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rachaich
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Stunning cover 😊😍.
Latest book club read sounds ace.

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Pinta
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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^^”He seemed to want nothing. In Rue‘s mind folks who didn‘t say plainly what they wanted harbored the most pernicious type of wanting.”

312 “Miss Rue had been, all her life, a liar. Over the years, in slaverytime, in wartime, in freedomtime, she‘d lied and said, I know.”

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Pinta
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Mehso-so

Love a nonlinear plot, but this goes every which way & back again, with a wandering that never gets to a build. Strength of character Rue, like her mother a healer & midwife born into slavery, kept me reading. Mistrust & the OTHER (“friendship” of Rue & plantation mistress Varina, Black-eyed Bean‘s light skin in a Black family, traditional healer vs. preacher). Southern Gothic, magic, Airey escapes on wings, returns tarred & feathered. Lies. 2020

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wildwoodreads
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Mehso-so

I‘ve wanted to read Conjure Women for a while now. It just happened to fit this month‘s Uncorked Librarian Reading Challenge, so I grabbed it up. It‘s beautifully written, but left me wanting more.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/03/26/conjure-women-by-afia-atakora-review/

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Tattooedteacher
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Just received this from an indie book store mail club called The Drop. Yay! For historical fiction. Added to my April #bookspin list.

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PaperbackPirate
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

This is the story of an enslaved girl and her mother living in the South told pre and post Civil War. It had a unique plot and was a magical story, but I had some confusion when the story changed time frames or perspectives.
🌿🌿🌿🌿
I forgot to post this for the #20in4 Readathon! I read 5 hours and 29 minutes, and finished my book in time for book club. It was well-liked by my book club as well.
Thank you @Andrew65 !

Andrew65 Well done 😊👏👏👏🍾🥂 4y
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rjsthumbelina
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Okay, #lmpbc #groupI, here are my choices for this round! On Such a Full Sea is a dystopian, Unnatural Magic is a fantasy, and the rest are different variations. Note: The Philosopher's Flight is just over 400 pages and The Astonishing Color of After is around the 450 of mark @Readergrrl @Mynameisacolour @tdrosebud

tdrosebud I've read Garden Spells, but have not heard of any of the others and would be fine with any of them. 4y
rjsthumbelina *I meant to say different variations of magical realism! Lol 4y
HeathHof Hi! I've also read Garden Spells and Own Nothing to see here. My vote would be for Such A Full Sea but I'd be good with any of the others as well! 4y
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Readergrrl Hi, I‘ve read Garden Spells too. I‘ll read any, of course, but I‘m curious about 10,000 Doors. 4y
rjsthumbelina Looks like @tdrosebud, you get to be the tie-breaker! Which sounds more interesting to you: Such a Full Sea or 10,000 Doors of January? 4y
tdrosebud Sorry, I didn't realize that I was a tiebreaker here. Out of the 2, I like the sound of 10,000 Doors most. 4y
rjsthumbelina @tdrosebud @Readergrrl @Mynameisacolour alright: 10,000 Doors it is! I always love when I can read a past #BOTM pick during these. Makes me feel accomplished. Lol 4y
19 likes7 comments
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PaperbackPirate
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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#20in4 Readathon was created just in time! I need to read this 400 page book before next Saturday for book club. Let‘s go!
Thank you @Andrew65 !

Andrew65 Good luck, great to have you with us. 4y
PaperbackPirate Good luck to you too @Andrew65 ! 4y
Andrew65 @PaperbackPirate Thanks, my progress is being limited by tiredness. 4y
30 likes1 stack add3 comments
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valeriegeary
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Cleaned the house, ate some lunch. It's sunny outside so we're going to go on a nice long bike ride but first sneaking in some more reading. I'm nervous about what's building between Rue, a conjure woman, and the new preacher in town.
#joyousjanuary

hermyknee Awww your puppy is precious! And this book sounds like something I need on my TBR right now! 4y
valeriegeary @hermyknee he's pretty snuggly! I'm enjoying this book but it's definitely a challenging read. Not in a bad way... There's just a lot of emotions to process. 😀 4y
59 likes2 comments
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valeriegeary
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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I read about 50 pages last night before I feel asleep. The writing is beautiful and I'm hooked on the characters but there are going to be some tough emotional spots to get through I think. Tucking in for an hour this morning before I go do some chores. #joyousjanuary

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valeriegeary
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Happy Weekend! I'm a little behind on my goals for #joyousjanuary readathon but still feeling hopeful. I have a stack of 5 library books I want to finish this week. I've finished 3 so far but they were the short ones. 😂 I've been very busy with work so I've been having a little bit of a hard time finding large chunks of time to read. Starting this one, which is the 4th book in the stack, tonight and hopefully will make some good progress!

kspenmoll Hope you got some solid reading in! Work gets in the way...always! 4y
Andrew65 Good luck with that stack! 😊 4y
52 likes3 comments
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Chelleo
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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I am not in the right headspace for this. If it weren‘t for my upcoming chat with @GreenGrl87 and @riversong153 I‘d bail.

riversong153 I felt the same way. I wanted to bail so many times. 4y
GreenGrl87 I‘m so sorry you guys- we can totally bail, I did NOT mean to pick something so heavy and triggering @riversong153 @Chelleo I had no idea, but I am so cool with picking something else!! 4y
riversong153 To be fair, if @GreenGrl87 starts and doesn‘t want to finish either, it‘s okay with me. I would not put you through it if you were reading it and felt like you needed to stop. I wanted to at many points and for some reason I thought things would get better. The spoiler is that it does not get better. 4y
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GreenGrl87 @riversong153 awww man, that was my hope with your first post but I really apologize, we should‘ve just called it then! I hate when there‘s not at least a happy ending or some happiness and lessons learned to balance out the horrible stuff! I‘m still going to read it (try to at least) but we can definitely swap this discussion book out for something more positive and fun! I look forward to our chats so much and I don‘t want it to become one of... 4y
GreenGrl87 Those heavy awful groups where we are just slogging through terrible books nobody wants to read and hating it 🥺 4y
riversong153 Any ideas? I‘m reading Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillips on audio and it‘s pretty good but I‘m open to other titles. I have another audio credit to use! 4y
Chelleo @riversong153 and @GreenGrl87 I‘m gonna read enough to feel fully justified in my complaining about it 😂🤣😂 4y
Chelleo I recently read Charming and really enjoyed it. @GreenGrl87 @riversong153 (edited) 4y
GreenGrl87 Ok, yeah let‘s do Charming! I have audible credits to use too! Sorry again!! 4y
Chelleo @GreenGrl87 Please don‘t apologize...it happens and it‘s all good. 4y
riversong153 I agree. No apology is necessary! I want to be clear the book is very good but just difficult to read. It tells an amazing story. You just need to be in the right headspace for it @GreenGrl87 4y
S3V3N I haven‘t finished it yet, but plan on participating. 4y
82 likes3 stack adds13 comments
review
riversong153
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
Pickpick

Great book. To say I enjoyed reading it would be misspeaking but, it was a great fictional account of two women and their lives on the plantation pre and post civil war. A really tough read and many CWs but well researched and well written. I would have liked to read this a little slower but it was a 14 day ebook loan from the library. I will be absorbing and processing this one for a while.

Chelleo I just started today and whew, boy...much heavier than I'm in the mood for right now but I'll chug through it. 4y
riversong153 @Chelleo it is a doozy. Really heavy. 4y
22 likes2 comments
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riversong153
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora

A heads up if you haven‘t started already. The book is good but gets very heavy. I‘m about 65% in and there are some CWs in there. I‘ll label them as spoilers in the comments in case you want them, but you don‘t have to view them if you prefer to go in fresh @GreenGrl87 @Chelleo

riversong153 I‘m 65% in so far and there is a rape scene. 4y
riversong153 There is also child death 4y
GreenGrl87 Yikes, really... 😬🥺 I hate reading rape scenes... I‘m sorry, but also thank you for the heads up. I‘m still excited to read it, hopefully the rest of the story makes up for it. 4y
19 likes3 comments
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ChemistKat
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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2020 was a wild year, but it brought a lot of reading joy. This year I read more than ever, and so many of the books I read were outstanding. My favorite is tagged. More than ever, I‘m grateful for the ability to read and for the authors who put their hearts into their writing.

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riversong153
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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@BookNAround The tagged book will be my last book of the year - Conjure Women by Afia Atakora and my first book of 2021 will be Here for It by R Eric Thomas #lastfirst

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S3V3N
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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It‘s my 4 year Litsyversary! #litsyversary

DAB Loved that show.
4y
DAB Happy Litsyversery everyone.
4y
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Happy Litsyversary!! 4y
AnneCecilie Happy Litsyversary 🥳🥳 4y
S3V3N Thanks everyone! 4y
Prairiegirl_reading Happy litsyversary!!!! 4y
27 likes7 comments
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JenniferEgnor
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

This was a quick read and it was heart breaking. The author goes back and forth in different times, spoken by different voices.
I can‘t even begin to say how much this novel stresses the importance of bodily autonomy.
Black bodies have been ‘policed‘ from the beginning, and it‘s still happening today. Reproductive Justice is EVERYTHING.

Come-read-with-me Great review! Stacked! 4y
5 likes1 comment
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riversong153
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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I started this last night. I‘m one chapter in so far and it is very interesting. This is a good pick so far! @Chelleo @GreenGrl87 I also really love this beautiful cover.

GreenGrl87 Glad to hear you‘re enjoying it! 😄 I totally fell in love with the cover too! 4y
31 likes1 comment
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JenniferEgnor
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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“Hoodoo,” Miss May Belle used to say, “is Black folks‘ currency.”

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bernadette
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Current read from the latest library haul. Pulled me right in.

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JackieGreco
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
Pickpick

I really enjoyed this read. It was a unique story set in the time of the Civil War on a plantation in the south. It was a really interesting perspective to read from the eyes of former slaves the changes and similarities in their lives prior and after the civil war.

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GreenGrl87
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Thank you @riversong153 and @Chelleo our book chats mean the world to me 💕
The next meeting of It‘s Lit! VBC is scheduled for January 15th 5:30pm PST/ 8:30EST. Our next reading selection is Conjure Women by Afia Atakora.
https://meet.google.com/pon-hhjz-pgq

GreenGrl87 @BeaG here‘s the next read, hope you can join us! 4y
S3V3N Marking my calendar now. Thank you! 4y
Chelleo It was a great chat! 4y
Chelleo @GreenGrl87 @riversong153 Check your email 😎 4y
GreenGrl87 @Chelleo 😁😁😁 4y
12 likes5 comments
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rachelsbrittain
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Exactly what a Saturday night should be 😍

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Hooked_on_books
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Bailedbailed

I‘ve made it about a third of the way through this one and it‘s just not working for me. It‘s just meh and I feel like I‘ve read this book before. So I‘m moving on.

#bookspinbingo audio edition

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Sace
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

Difficult read, but beautiful writing. Deserves every bit of the praise and accolades it has received.

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rachelsbrittain
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Reading a bunch of witchy / magical books right now for a seasonally appropiate post I'm writing

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Sace
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Library hold came in! I've been wanting to read this for a while!

ChemistKat I loved it! 4y
Clare-Dragonfly Ooh, looks intriguing! 4y
Sace @ChemistKat Glad to hear that! 4y
Sace @Clare-Dragonfly I know! 4y
85 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

Atakora is enormously talented but I did struggle with this due to another bout of ‘rona brain. Set pre and post Civil War it‘s just a litany of horrors, including lynchings, beatings, rape, stillbirths, infant deaths, etc. Oh and a pandemic that is rapidly killing folks. I think I would have appreciated it a LOT more if I was in a better head space but I powered through for book club. 3.5-ish ⭐️.

squirrelbrain Great review and I don‘t think it‘s just the ‘rona with this one. I enjoyed it but it is a seriously tough read. 4y
MicheleinPhilly @squirrelbrain Yeah, I don‘t think it would be an easy read at any time but my mood these last couple of weeks has been in the DUMP so I struggled to pick it up. Back to my serial killers! 4y
squirrelbrain Sorry you‘ve been down - makes me laugh though that serial killers will pick you up! 🤣 Sending hugs and some slashy-stabby thoughts your way to cheer you up! 4y
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MicheleinPhilly @squirrelbrain I think it‘s a Scorpio thing. We‘re odd ducks. 😉 4y
Bookzombie @MicheleinPhilly I‘m an Aries, but I also go back to serial killers/murder when I‘m struggling. 🙂 This is in books and TV/movies. 4y
TrishB Serial killers all the way, back to mine today. 4y
MicheleinPhilly @TrishB Yep, I‘m back to Kim Stone and think I‘ll be spending at least the rest of Sept. with her. 4y
TrishB I‘m with Kim too 😁 4y
Reviewsbylola Mindset can make all the difference. ❤️ What a great cover! 4y
Suet624 Beautiful cover hides a grisly story. 🥴 4y
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julieloverofbooks
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora

I really like this book when I‘m reading it but not one I rush to pick up if that makes sense 🤔

Bookzombie It makes sense to me. Some books I can‘t wait to pick up again and some are easier to set aside for a bit. (edited) 4y
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MicheleinPhilly
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Took Miss P for a gloriously long walk and now settling in with my #BookandBreakfast.

Happy Weekend, Litsy fam!

TrishB Breakfast looks tasty too 😘 4y
MicheleinPhilly @TrishB I‘m just leaning into the COVID pounds at this point. 😂 4y
TrishB Not the only one 😁 4y
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LeahBergen Did Miss P get one of those sammies, too? 😄 4y
MicheleinPhilly @LeahBergen She ate her weight in treats this morning so she would “behave” in the bath. 🙄 Only jumped out once completely covered in shampoo so I‘m calling that a win. 4y
Reviewsbylola Beautiful 😍 4y
74 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Wanders.In.Stories
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

This is an EXCELLENT book by an artistic writer...we experience the world of US plantation slavery through the eyes of a young midwife/healer. We feel her decisions, her focus, and the ever present hardships she sees and is a part of in pre and post civil war. This is an immersive book, and though I worried and stressed along with the characters I witnessed the beauty of hope peeking through the realities.

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Wanders.In.Stories
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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My next read :)

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abookishbutterfly
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Since there were still so many books I really wanted to get to in August, I considered not adding anything to my pile of potentials for next month. But even though I like having some semblance of a plan, I hate feeling completely locked in with limited options. I‘m adding these to my pile for September and we‘ll see where things end up! I also still have some digital ARCs that I need to read and I have a few new books coming in next month.

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MegCaldwell
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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Pickpick

This is one of those books that is a good story with many different layers. You can read it multiple times and get a different story or narrative each time. Really recommend it! I especially loved listening to it on tape.

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wildwoodreads
Conjure Women: A Novel | Afia Atakora
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It‘s almost that time of year again!

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

@sprainedbrain @Meaw_catlady

sprainedbrain Thank you for sharing! 😘 4y
Meaw_catlady Yay! Best time of the year! Thanks for reposting ! 🖤 4y
51 likes2 comments