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In Defense of Witches
In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial | Mona CHOLLET
38 posts | 28 read | 35 to read
Mona Chollet's In Defense of Witches is a brilliant, well-documented celebration (Le Monde) by an acclaimed French feminist of the witch as a symbol of female rebellion and independence in the face of misogyny and persecution. Centuries after the infamous witch hunts that swept through Europe and America, witches continue to hold a unique fascination for many: as fairy tale villains, practitioners of pagan religion, as well as feminist icons. Witches are both the ultimate victim and the stubborn, elusive rebel. But who were the women who were accused and often killed for witchcraft? What types of women have centuries of terror censored, eliminated, and repressed? Celebrated feminist writer Mona Chollet explores three types of women who were accused of witchcraft and persecuted: the independent woman, since widows and celibates were particularly targeted; the childless woman, since the time of the hunts marked the end of tolerance for those who claimed to control their fertility; and the elderly woman, who has always been an object of at best, pity, and at worst, horror. Examining modern society, Chollet concludes that these women continue to be harrassed and oppressed. Rather than being a brief moment in history, the persecution of witches is an example of societys seemingly eternal misogyny, while women today are direct heirs to those who were hunted down and killed for their thoughts and actions. With fiery prose and arguments that range from the scholarly to the cultural, In Defense of Witches seeks to unite the mythic image of the witch with modern women who seek to live their lives on their own terms.
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

French take on the patriarchy and how we got here. It's interesting.

#SheSaid @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
30 likes1 comment
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JenlovesJT47
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Time spent reading yesterday: 3 hours 30 minutes = 35 points x‘s 5 for 4 readathons = 175 points.

#HauntedShelf
#FrightClub
#31by31
#Spookoween
#Witchathon
#ReadAway2024

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 2mo
32 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hello #SheSaid!

I hope you are having a good week! See you in the comments…

Riveted_Reader_Melissa This section fit in fairly well with the book on medicine we read earlier this year… but the ties into the environmental movements, and capitalism and the draining the land of all resources, wrestling it into submission I thought was a very interesting connection. Witches still are accused of bad weather in movies & tv..nature‘s forces…makes me wonder if we will see an even bigger backlash as environmental disasters get worse 😬 2mo
See All 6 Comments
vlwelser The medicine stuff definitely aligned with books we read previously. I thought this book was good if only because it gave a different non-English speaking perspective. Her sources are a bit different even if she does use some classics like Rich and Steinem 2mo
Bookwormjillk @vlwelser I agree it was good to get a non-English perspective. This book didn‘t wow me, but I‘m glad I read it. 2mo
MallenNC I think this may have been a little too academic for my brain at the moment but I did enjoy the variety of sources she referenced. Based on the title I thought there‘d be more historical witches though. 2mo
31 likes6 comments
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JenlovesJT47
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Time spent reading yesterday: 6 hours 30 minutes = 65 points x‘s 5 for 4 readathons = 325 points. 🤓

#HauntedShelf
#FrightClub
#31by31
#Witchathon
#Spookoween
#ReadAway2024

👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻

TheSpineView Great job! 2mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🧡🧡🧡 2mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 2mo
39 likes3 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hello #SheSaid!

I hope everyone is having a good week.

Just a reminder if you have not seen it yet to check out our other post to nominate books to read next year. I‘d like to get the survey out soon, so nominate before the end of the month.

See you in the comments for this weeks section:

CatLass007 I can‘t seem to find the post asking for nominations. I already may have seen it and even nominated something but I don‘t remember. 2mo
See All 17 Comments
Bookwormjillk I‘m finally catching up on this one! It‘s an interesting book. 2mo
JenlovesJT47 I‘m really behind, just started this yesterday 😳 2mo
MallenNC I‘m behind but I jumped ahead to this week‘s section (I‘ll go back to catch up). There wasn‘t anything really surprising in this section— as a woman I‘m well aware of the unfair aging standards! It made me mad to read it all together. I liked her examples from real life and the arts. 2mo
MallenNC I put several suggestions on your other posts. A lot of them are books that I‘ve had on my TBR so I‘m hoping some get picked so I finally read them! 2mo
vlwelser I also added a bunch from my tbr. I tried to pick women's issues but some are history and memoir. Hopefully I remember to vote for them 😂 2mo
vlwelser This book is interesting especially from a French perspective since we usually get UK and US mostly. I think the French do better than the US with the aging thing but they also struggle. We're just way far behind. 2mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @vlwelser I like added other non-fiction books myself, it‘s still a perspective on anything from the not usual male pov, even if it‘s about the environment or politics or anything. 2mo
vlwelser Perfect. Hopefully we'll get a good mix. 2mo
CatLass007 When I was in the fourth or fifth grade my grandmother moved in with my family. It didn‘t take long for me to decide that getting old was the worst thing that could ever happen to a person. I remember riding bikes with my friends and telling them that I wasn‘t going to get older than 55. They asked how I was going to manage that and my answer was, “I‘ll just off myself.” I was eleven. When I was 50, I joined the Senior Citizens (cont)⬇️ 2mo
CatLass007 Center and somehow a conversation about aging began and I told them about my plan as an eleven year old. I told them I‘d decided to raise my expiration date. I‘m 62 now, more aches and pains than I could have imagined as an eleven year old. The orthopod wants to replace my left knee but I‘ve been putting it off for a few years. Not much gray hair, just like Mom. And as I was listening to this chapter about celebrities going gray I kept (cont)⬇️ 2mo
CatLass007 thinking about Andie McDowell and her gorgeous gray locks. And Jamie Lee Curtis, what a knockout. Back in the early 80s Joan Collins posed for Playboy. I was in college and not thinking that I hoped I looked half that good when I was her age. I was wishing I looked that good THEN. Ageism is a crazy thing. 2mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @CatLass007 it really is and attitude and morale make such a huge difference 2mo
CatLass007 My grandmother was manic-depressive and her behaviors that I often attributed to her age may have been due to her illness. I grew up with two parents telling me what to do and all of a sudden here was a third person giving me orders. Between the conflicting signals from the three adults in my house and the even more conflicting messages from the nuns… I don‘t think I stood a chance. 2mo
Singout I was the one who nominated this book, but then read it really early, so haven‘t been commenting. I think it‘s excellent and really tackles the issues around aging and independence stigmas well. If you scroll back to earlier in the year in my feed, you can find some of my favourite quotes! 2mo
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JenlovesJT47
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Time spent reading yesterday: 8 hours = 80 points x‘s 7 for 6 readathons = 560 points.

#HauntedShelf
#FrightClub
#31by31
#Spookoween
#Witchathon
#ReadAway2024
#BirthdayBashReadathon
#GNreadathon

TheSpineView Excellent!! 2mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
27 likes3 comments
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JenlovesJT47
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Time spent reading yesterday: 8 hours 30 minutes = 85 points x‘s 6 = 510 points.

#HauntedShelf
#FrightClub
#31by31
#Spookoween
#Witchathon
#ReadAway2024
#BirthdayBashReadathon

JenlovesJT47 Edited to add I thought the Birthday Bash Readathon started today and not yesterday so I‘m adding it to my totals! Hope you have a wonderful weekend @TheAromaofBooks ! 🥳🥳 (edited) 2mo
TheSpineView Great job! 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 2mo
29 likes4 comments
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DebinHawaii
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#WickedWhispers

A non-fiction #Witch book that I am reading for #SheSaid this month. So far interesting & feminist—I‘m identifying with a lot of it.

It‘s on my #HauntedShelf #TBR & although it has some lovely purple on the cover, I‘m going to use it for the #Grey prompt on the #BookScavengerHunt list.

Team #Flerken

PuddleJumper 🖤🧡🖤 2mo
TEArificbooks This also works for #witchathon for more #hauntedshelf points. 2mo
Eggs Sounds really good👍🏼 (edited) 2mo
54 likes3 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hello #SheSaid. I hope the Fall/Spring season is treating you well wherever you are.

I‘m all caught up this week and really enjoying this book… it‘s funny to me because some of the books she references are ones we have read with SheSaid like Backlash….and other parts remind me of books languishing on my TBR pile (mountain) that I just have not gotten to yet. I am also enjoying the French perspective on all of it.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa And if you asked me and I forgot, please remind me. 2mo
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vlwelser It's good. It's not blowing my mind. 2mo
CatLass007 It‘s interesting. The French perspective is new to me and I appreciate the differences. It boggles the mind how far we‘ve come, how much ground we‘ve lost, and how much more we still have to do. 2mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @vlwelser yes… blowing my mind is hard to find and predict in advance. We will keep searching. But for October, and election season…it just seems to fit 😂 for better & worse. 2mo
29 likes6 comments
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DebinHawaii
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Yesterday‘s small #LibraryHaul 📚I picked up my witchy holds for #SundayBuddyRead & #SheSaid & found the third book at the library bookstore for $1. It‘s not a spooky season book but it looks good. Also looking good are the $1 “disco” pumpkins I bought at Target a few weeks ago.
💃🏻🕺🏻🪩🎃🧡

50 likes3 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hello #SheSaid!

I got through the intro & started Chapter one. Sorry, I did not realize the introduction was a long chapter in and of itself…bad planning on my part.

Join in as you catch up (like me)! I‘m really enjoying this one so far….lots of thoughts…see you in the comments!

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Anyone read this and think of recent comments about childless cat ladies by US political people. 😳 I did! (edited) 3mo
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vlwelser I totally thought about the childless cat ladies. I was actually worried in the intro that she might get into religious topics but so far it seems normal. The French perspective is interesting. 3mo
CatLass007 I am a proud childless catlady! I definitely thought of #45‘s running mate when I heard that section. I was expecting a little more historical and a little less about modern day witches. But this is not a complaint. The author mentioned a slave who was accused of witchcraft in Salem named Tituba and I found several books about her on Audible. I probably should see if they‘re available thru my library. I‘m listening to the audiobook and (cont)⬇️ 3mo
CatLass007 I want to go back and listen again. I was in elementary school when feminists began pushing for the use of Ms. instead of Miss or Mrs. In the South, however, women have been referred to as Miz for centuries. I liked Ms. for several decades but as I get older I notice that more people call me Mrs. and I always correct them and say “It‘s Miss.” I like my singleness and want it acknowledged. Am I socially regressing? I don‘t think so. I‘m (cont)⬇️ 3mo
CatLass007 just being myself. @vlwelser I‘m also appreciative of the French perspective. For non fiction we mostly get the British or American perspective. Nice change. 3mo
DebinHawaii My thoughts also went right to childless cat lady comments. Like @CatLass007 I am a proud one too! It!s interesting so far. 3mo
CatLass007 @DebinHawaii There‘s no better combination than cats and books. 3mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @CatLass007 & @DebinHawaii How did she say it…any women independent, on her own, and not under the control of a man! We are dangerous! Apparently dangerous in with hunting times and to dangerous to vote according to some today 🤪 3mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa This quote also made me think of someone who says it a lot: “The phrase “witch-hunt” is a curiously loaded one; deployed nowadays, the speaker is almost certainly using it incorrectly and acting in bad faith (and would unquestionably minimize witch-hunts as historic fact).” 3mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa And this one…you can tell it‘s political season in the US 😂 “The political enemies of certain high-born figures would occasionally denounce the latter‘s daughters or wives as witches; this was easier than attacking their enemies directly. However, the great majority of victims belonged to the lower classes.” 3mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I did find it both interesting and sadly not surprising how much of the reasoning was still relevant today. The blaming the victim, that if she accused you of anything bad/illegal disregard her, she‘s obviously a witch trying to ruin my good name, to even the researchers who discussed it being a war on women (with an occasional man pulled in) and the others piping up, “not just women, men too!” 3mo
36 likes13 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Up Next in for #SheSaid! Put in your library holds, and it is available on Kindle Unlimited if you use that!

27 likes8 comments
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Jen2
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Pickpick

Very good!!

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Singout
Pickpick

Not quite what I was expecting, but very intriguing: the French author, relying heavily on French sources, explores the tropes and history of persecution of “witches” that have come down through the centuries, and looks at how they continue to play out today. Some of the themes are aging, being single, being “unattractive,” being independent and powerful. Having a cat comes up too!
#Nonfiction2024 #HarryPotter

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Singout
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Singout cavities where metals lay hidden became her uterus.
Having gradually grown untenable, these ancient views were replaced by others that, in stripping out our sense of the world as a living body, dissipated all such old scruples and would eventually allow untrammeled exploitation.
(edited) 10mo
11 likes1 comment
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Singout
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Singout
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Singout

Corinne Maier, 1977: “We live in a society of ants: in which working and nesting shape the alternate prospects of the human condition. If work is the opium of the masses, does that make children our consolation? A society in which life is limited to living and reproducing is one that has no future, for it has no dreams.” For her, procreation represents the deadlock of the heart of the current system that leads directly to ecological catastrophe.

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Singout

In “Une vie à soi” Erika Flahault distinguishes between “women en manque,” who feel something is missing, but put up with their situation, despite some suffering; “women en marche,” women who are learning to appreciate their situation; and the “apostate du conjugale,” women who have left marriage behind and are deliberately organizing their lives, loves, and friendships outside the framework of the couple.

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Singout
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In 1233, a bull issued by Pope Gregory IX declared cats to be “the devil‘s servants.” Then, in 1484, Pope Innocent VIII ordered that all cats seen in the company of women be considered their “familiars.” These witches were to be burned along with their animals. The cats‘ extermination contributed to the growth of the rat population, so aggravating subsequent outbreaks of disease, which were blamed on witches.

Bookwomble I thought this an interesting historical situation that I wanted to learn more about, however it seems that it's a modern, internet-era myth. The core elements are still interesting, though 😊 https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/11/08/cats-mass-killings-plague/ and https://museumhack.com/black-cats-black-death/ 10mo
Singout Oh, no! That‘s discouraging when you find out you can‘t trust your author‘s interesting historical “facts”… 10mo
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jlhammar
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this audiobook. Smart, feminist, compelling.

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Bookfan1414
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Pickpick

This book was utterly fascinating, completely heartbreaking and horrifying. The ribbons tying the past and present were drawn into the light and into understanding. I am descending into a changed worldview. I would very much like to learn more.

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Bookfan1414
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As a last ditch effort to drag myself out of my reading slump, I am trying to audiobook for the first time. And I have to say this book is fascinating!

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Cazxxx
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Men don‘t age better than women, they‘re just allowed to age

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LadyCait84
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Pickpick

I was hoping for more legit history, but still an interesting read that stoked my feminist rage in ways both new and familiar.

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BookwormAHN
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Pickpick

This is a fantastic book that compares the old witch trials with the pressures and prejudices women face today. While reading this book I admit to feeling really frustrated and angry. It's 2023 and it feels like women are losing rights again 😾
#NaturalitsyBingo2023 #freechoice @AllDebooks #BBRC #bookintranslation originally in French @LibrarianRyan #WickedWords #globe @AsYouWish

AllDebooks I have this to read too but think I'll feel the same as you re women's rights 2y
LibrarianRyan That book is originally French. YES I need to fill that same category and I am partway through the audiobook!!! Yeahhhhhh 2y
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catiewithac
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This lovely surprise package arrived the other day! Thank you Stacy for such a fun, thoughtful gift. ❤️ This book looks awesome! And these pens are hilarious (I dare any of my RN co-workers to steal one)! Thanks for the cute keychain and notecards 😊 I‘ve been completely disorganized this year so expect a mystery box from evil Amazon. 😈 Happy Holidays! ☃️ #LitsyLove

Sleepswithbooks It‘s so fun getting to know you through #litsylove 😃 I put “ In Defense of Witches” on my TBR list after I found it on your list 😂 It basically just list jumped. Merry Happy ❄️❄️ (edited) 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome gifts!! 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I love these pens!! 2y
48 likes3 comments
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SW-T
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Pickpick

Surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Picked it up on a whim. I got this from the library, but have since bought a copy for myself and a couple for friends as Christmas gifts. Definitely one I‘ll read again.

LeeRHarry Found this really interesting with plenty of food for thought. Good gift choice too 😊 2y
Aimeesue I read Maria Tatar's The Heroine With 1001 Faces this summer, and she digs into that topic as well, with a contrast between fairy tale tropes and Joseph Heller's hero narrative. It was fascinating and infuriating. 2y
SW-T @Aimeesue After that review I‘m really intrigued now. 😂 Relocating Heroine to the top of my TBR! 2y
Aimeesue Her history with Heller is interesting too. Enjoy! 2y
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This is a thoroughly researched book, detailing ways in which women have been and continue to be vilified. I found the passages on how women have internalized patriarchal and misogynistic viewpoints illuminating. By turns heartbreaking, informative, and infuriating, my only issue is that the text is dry. I do not know if this is an issue with the writing itself, or with the translation, but I did find it a bit of a slog.

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brittanyreads
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Starting this! 🧹
I am interested to read about the comparisons of the historical treatment of witches vs the pitfalls women still face today as written by French feminist Chollet.

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Augustdana
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After the storm. Happy Thursday.

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Linsy
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Happy Mother's Day! My lovely mother-in-law took me to the bookstore this week and got me this pile of witchy goodness, and then we played a board game about a magical library. It was the best! Sending my love out to all of you mother-figures (whatever your gender may be). You are incredibly important! 💕

Clare-Dragonfly What a wonderful MIL! 🥰 happy Mother‘s Day to you! 3y
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LikelyLibrarian
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“The witch embodies woman free of all domination, all limitation; she is an ideal to aim for; she shows us the way…[yet] historians seem determined to deny that witch-hunts constituted ‘a burst of misogyny without parallel in Western history.‘”

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sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

More of a collection of feminist essays than a historical account of witches, but I really enjoyed this book.

Full review on my blog: http://sprainedbrain.blog/2022/03/26/review-in-defense-of-witches-by-mona-cholle...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DebinHawaii It sounds good—stacked! 📚 3y
LeeRHarry This one is on my TBR, saving it for October, glad you enjoyed it 😊 (edited) 3y
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TorieStorieS
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Mehso-so

Happy Publication Day-& Happy International Women‘s Day! With a captivating cover & intriguing premise, I really looked forward to diving into this translated read. Chollet redefines “witch” & offers instead a feminist perspective on four topics- independence, fertility (namely to not have children), aging and healthcare. A definite discussion starter and meticulously researched, this had less of the historical/geographical angle that I expected.

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BookmarkTavern
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Mehso-so

An in depth examination of the persecution of witchcraft and its effects on the modern ways in which women encounter discrimination.

This was a bit of a dense, academic read. And while it has a lot of fantastic information, it tries to do too much, with chapters on aging, healthcare, relationships, motherhood, and environmentalism. And the common thread of witchcraft is not as interwoven throughout the text as it could have been. 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

BookmarkTavern #ARC #NetGalley Release Date: March 8th, 2022 3y
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MaleficentBookDragon
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My latest #netgalley approval. YAY!

Chrissyreadit I‘m definitely interested in what you think of this. 3y
LeeRHarry I have this on hold at the library - looks really interesting 😊 3y
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