"And sometimes the past and the future wander through the sufferings of the body and the soul and they appear to me, and so people say, Feliciana, you see the future, but if it appears it is because the future is wandering through the present."

I'm so glad I started off my year with this book, because this is definitely the kind of read I needed as I come close to finishing my bachelor's degree. This book managed to become one that's very personal to me, especially with the ways it handled misogyny and how women are taught to navigate the world in a way that protects them. The most empowering aspect of the book was the way it highlight language, which is not only important for communicating with others, but also for communicating within yourself and sharing/feeling your experiences. This is 10000000% a read I'd recommend for everyone.

Really did not like this one. I think it starts with the writing style, it’s all just stream of consciousness with things being repeated constantly and little to no character dialogue. Chapters alternate between two characters but they act and think basically the same so sometimes I’m several pages in before I realize who I’m actually following. There are cool themes and ideas here but I just couldn’t wait to be finished with this one

3.75 ⭐️

I loved the familiarity of this as I read the story of these two women. Some characters were unlikable but that’s ok. Ultimately it was an interesting and important story that I enjoyed and would recommend.

"Tell me, if the Language isn't power, then what is?"

Two women intertwine in this book that is steeped in the traditions and culture of Mexico: Feliciana is an old woman who has spent her life as a healer, a curandera, taking on what was generally considered work for men (curanderos). She tells her story to Zoe, a journalist who finds her while looking to report on a murder, and in alternating chapters, Zoe shares her story too, one that has many parallels with Feliciana's despite their different backgrounds. The murder that Zoe is sent to investigate is that of Paloma, a bruja who is Muxe—the third gender as recognized by the indigenous Mazatec people. Paloma is such an interesting character that I sometimes wished the story had been centered around her more; as is, she is relegated to the sidelines.

Place is almost like a third main character in this book, the settings of the rural Oaxacan mountains and bustling, modern Mexico City weaving together the intertwining narratives. The book explores the devastating effects of colonialism in Mexico; changing cultural norms, influence, and expectations; issues of identity and gender; sexual violence and oppression; and more.

What captivated me about this book is how Feliciana spoke about her magical work with herbs and mushrooms as a language, how the Language spoke or sang to her and was a part of her when she did her healing. It felt to me that part of the message was about literal language as something that we can use to heal ourselves, whether it's through finding the right words to describe ourselves and our gender expression, singing in times of grief or joy, or even reading books. Language is its own kind of magic.

There is also a wonderful note from the translator that really helped me center and consider the language as I was reading. As she wrote: "Every translation is thick with linguistic choices that carry political and aesthetic implications." I also learned in the note that the character of Feliciana was inspired loosely by Maria Sabina, a Mazatec curandera whose work centered around ritual healing with medicinal plants. She became a bit of a celebrity in the US and Europe and was known as "the priestess of mushrooms" due to an ethnobotanist publishing info that he learned from her about hallucinogenic mushrooms—for better or (mostly) for worse. The book definitely sent me down a rabbit hole to learn more about this incredible woman!

There is definitely something lost in translation here - I’m sure this book is MUCH better in its original language. The narrative flow is clunky and the two speakers have no difference in their voice. And the chapters are just walls of text. I really wanted to like this, but something is lost in the movement from the author’s language.

“Grandpa Cosme used to call me Pájaro but not because I walked like I had feathers, he called me that because I have wings where other people have regrets and fears and they can’t stand up from the weight of everything their families expect from them […]

Thanks to @justatexasgalwholovesbooks for bringing “Witches” by Brenda Lozano to my attention. Such a great and important read.

This was a captivating story that weaved together the narratives of Feliciana, an indigenous curandera, and Zoe, a journalist on a quest for self-discovery. It’s quite a lyrical exploration of the bonds of family, societal norms, and the mysteries of healing. It delved into rich family sagas and complex societal norms and I just loved Lozano’s writing style, she can draw lyricism from the darkest places.

The novel also features Paloma, a Muxe (trans) character, who taught Feliciana about healing, the Language, and the Book. In fact, Paloma’s murder is the start, through-line and end of the novel.

It carries a profound commentary on gender and trans violence, the clash of modernity with traditional rituals, storytelling, healing, language, and love. Witches’ most definitely offers a tapestry of themes for contemplation and introspection. I will, most definitely, be looking out for more books by Lozano.

“There are people who fear us because they don’t understand what we do. I am not a witch or a fortune-teller or a healer like the others, God knows that, the herbs and the mushrooms give me great powers for reflection because that is the greatest power we have on this earth... people are afraid of us because they don’t know how we do it, but this is something that comes to us from our ancestors, it is as old as the land itself.”

So many quotable passages. #pudseyrecommends

“sisters are what we are not, they have what we don’t and we are what they are not”

“all women are born with a bit of bruja in them, for protection”

not exactly what i was expecting but a beautiful story with excellent writing