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zw_r1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, and Murder
catnapping's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Transphobia, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia
atiek's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Waited so long to read this book and it didn't disappoint. It speaks to feminity, masculinity, patriarchy, and letting go. Some heavy topics are discussed in a lyrical and subtle way. Might take some time to find the flow but just let go and immerse yourself in the Language.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Sexism, and Murder
Moderate: Hate crime, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
lindsayreads_theworld's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Author tries to carve her own story telling, circular and reflective in nature. First third and last third I could not put the book down, excellent writing and reflections. The middle was not paced as well, which is why I demoted to below 4.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
lizlikesfrogs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Abortion, Murder, and Sexual harassment
deedireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.25
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Witches is an absolutely beautifully written (and translated!) novel told in alternating POVs. I was more engaged with the first half than the second, but still enjoyed it overall.
For you if: You like translated novels, and those that examine gender and Indigenous issues.
FULL REVIEW:
Thank you, Catapult, for sending me a copy of Witches! I’m slowly making my way into more translated literature, and I was drawn in by the synopsis right away. Verdict: This book is absolutely beautifully written (and translated!). I was a bit more engaged with the first half than the second (although I got very busy so that was almost certainly a ME thing), but I think it was a great literary fiction choice for October.
The novel is told in alternating POVs — one of Feliciana, an Indigenous Oaxacan healer (curandera); and one of Zoe, a reporter who lives in Mexico City. Feliciana’s cousin, Paloma, who is a third gender recognized by her people called Muxe and taught Feliciana everything she knows of being a curandera, has been killed. Zoe travels to interview her about it — but ends up much more changed than she ever expected.
The most noteworthy part of this novel is the language, which speaks to Brenda Lozano’s original as well as Heather Cleary’s translation. I loved Feliciana’s voice, and how Cleary seems to have preserved her looping, lyrical cadence. The whole book is very immersive and culturally rich, even in translation.
I also loved the alternating POV structure. This is one of those books where it really does the work a favor, from a craft perspective. Each narrative needs the other, plays off the other, builds off the other, until we have something greater than the sum of the parts. The story deals with sisterhood, gender and gender roles, tradition vs modernity, Indigenous vs western approaches to life and thought, and above all, the power of the stories inherent to us and how they shape our bodies and lives.
If you’re looking to read more novels translated from Spanish, or if you just love books that feel the tiniest bit witchy, give this one a shot.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Witches is an absolutely beautifully written (and translated!) novel told in alternating POVs. I was more engaged with the first half than the second, but still enjoyed it overall.
For you if: You like translated novels, and those that examine gender and Indigenous issues.
FULL REVIEW:
Thank you, Catapult, for sending me a copy of Witches! I’m slowly making my way into more translated literature, and I was drawn in by the synopsis right away. Verdict: This book is absolutely beautifully written (and translated!). I was a bit more engaged with the first half than the second (although I got very busy so that was almost certainly a ME thing), but I think it was a great literary fiction choice for October.
The novel is told in alternating POVs — one of Feliciana, an Indigenous Oaxacan healer (curandera); and one of Zoe, a reporter who lives in Mexico City. Feliciana’s cousin, Paloma, who is a third gender recognized by her people called Muxe and taught Feliciana everything she knows of being a curandera, has been killed. Zoe travels to interview her about it — but ends up much more changed than she ever expected.
The most noteworthy part of this novel is the language, which speaks to Brenda Lozano’s original as well as Heather Cleary’s translation. I loved Feliciana’s voice, and how Cleary seems to have preserved her looping, lyrical cadence. The whole book is very immersive and culturally rich, even in translation.
I also loved the alternating POV structure. This is one of those books where it really does the work a favor, from a craft perspective. Each narrative needs the other, plays off the other, builds off the other, until we have something greater than the sum of the parts. The story deals with sisterhood, gender and gender roles, tradition vs modernity, Indigenous vs western approaches to life and thought, and above all, the power of the stories inherent to us and how they shape our bodies and lives.
If you’re looking to read more novels translated from Spanish, or if you just love books that feel the tiniest bit witchy, give this one a shot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
morganpearcy's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is gorgeous. The prose is lyrical and sweeps you along like a rhythmic tide. I read the English translation - which is phenomenally well done. It’s such a beautiful book in English, I’m planning to reread it in Spanish soon to compare. Whatever you do, if you’re reading this book in English, it is essential to read the Translator’s Notes at the beginning. If you skip it, you will miss a lot of meaning and context that will diminish your experience with the book.
This book reads like an autobiography but is interesting and moves like a novella. It touches on so many important topics: indigeneity; intuition (and how Patriarchy will separate us from it); ancestral medicine (including means of healing the inner child through herbs and mushrooms); Trans and non-binary identities; violence against women and women-aligning folx; Colonization and the shortsightedness/consumerism of modern colonization; Transphobia and the vast spectrum of the human experience.
This book is meant to be savored, not inhaled.
My favorite quotes (grammar and punctuation copied directly from the book because it’s an intentional part of the prose):
This book reads like an autobiography but is interesting and moves like a novella. It touches on so many important topics: indigeneity; intuition (and how Patriarchy will separate us from it); ancestral medicine (including means of healing the inner child through herbs and mushrooms); Trans and non-binary identities; violence against women and women-aligning folx; Colonization and the shortsightedness/consumerism of modern colonization; Transphobia and the vast spectrum of the human experience.
This book is meant to be savored, not inhaled.
My favorite quotes (grammar and punctuation copied directly from the book because it’s an intentional part of the prose):
…what is missing for you, why are you afraid, why are people afraid of what the future brings them, why do you carry the past, I say, what is missing for you today, you have feet and hands, you have air to breathe and water to drink, you have earth to walk on, food to eat, and fire to warm it up, you have your life, you have everything. I have my life and I have everything. I tell you, when I die I’ll come right back here to my hut in San Felipe and my ceremonies and the food my sister Francisca makes and I’ll ask her to make me stole because what we have here is good, and so I say to people, what is missing for you, if you have everything, I’d you have everything today nothing will be missing tomorrow. From page 213-214
And…
It was exactly six at night because the light cast shadows on the milpa and I saw her and I knew that man had killed her with a dagger in her back from his rage at Paloma for being Muxe (Trans), he killed her for being Muxe, he killed her because she was born a man and lived as a woman, he killed her because she wore dresses and shine that women wear, as if killing Paloma could relieve him like the rains relieve the clouds fat with summer’s heat, the wretch killed Paloma for his rage that she was Muxe, that she gave him a disease still unborn, and so they killed Paloma for being Muxe, they killed her for being a woman, they killed her for being a curandera, because people often mistake loveless ness for love, and so they killed her and at six at night the Language left me; and I stayed that way because what need to I have for the Words without Paloma. From page 215-216
Be prepared with tissues. Be prepared to reread sections because of the unique punctuation and grammar. Be prepared for a beautiful ride.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Outing, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
alexathenaeum's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Murder
2treads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A journalist's mission to write about the murder of a trans woman becomes a journey to facing her trauma and the violence that many women face whether passive or aggressive. Paloma is a curandera, a healer who uses nature and her ancestral connection to heal those who come to her. When she is murdered, Zoe, an investigative journalist travels to San Felipe to record her story.
Through Feliciana, Zoe not only learns of the power of the curanderos/as, Paloma's support, love, and ultimate choice but also shares her family history and the stories of her mother and sister.
What Lozano has done here is to show the parallels between women's lives and the shared experiences across time and place, whether it be facing discrimination and violence for being trans or queer, being assaulted in safe spaces, or choosing one's identity over one's purpose, women are equally vulnerable and powerful. And sharing our stories only helps in amplifying that power.
Through Feliciana, Zoe not only learns of the power of the curanderos/as, Paloma's support, love, and ultimate choice but also shares her family history and the stories of her mother and sister.
What Lozano has done here is to show the parallels between women's lives and the shared experiences across time and place, whether it be facing discrimination and violence for being trans or queer, being assaulted in safe spaces, or choosing one's identity over one's purpose, women are equally vulnerable and powerful. And sharing our stories only helps in amplifying that power.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Murder
angebrown's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Transphobia, and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming and Eating disorder
The translator Heather Cleary wrote, "Witches is an exploration of the manyways that women and gender non-conforming individuals are marginalised in our hetero-normative patriarchy. It is also a celebration of the bonds they forge and of alternate ways of knowing". This sometimes sad, yet hopeful book is rich with indigenous Mexican spirituality and beliefs, told by Feliciana as she recounts the story of her life. Feliciana talks mainly about how she became a healer, achieved international recognition and her love for her Muxe cousin Paloma. Her life events intertwine with those of the interviewer Zoe, who also tells her story. Feliciana's story is inspired by the real life story of Maria Sabina Magdalena Garcia. Although it is neither a biographical story, nor historical fiction, details of Maria Sabina's life, some of which are devastating, are reflected in Feliciana's story, which creates a deeply realistic character in Feliciana. The book does contain challenging themes, listed in content warnings.