Midwife stories have always fascinated me, and so, on another recommendation from my sister, I picked up Conjure Women. The title also intrigued me because it speaks to me of mysticism and voodoo - other topics that I love! But this book is so much more than just another midwife tale.
The book is told from three perspectives: Miss May Belle, healer and slave woman who is asked not only to cure all manor of ailments, birth babies, and provide "other duties" to the master, she is also frequently called on to make or lift curses or cast spells for the slave workers. Another point of view comes from her daughter, Rue. Rue grows up as the "pet" of the master's daughter, and as she grows, she learns her mother's healing skills. These are both a blessing and a curse to her in her life, which becomes glaringly evident when she helps the birth of a child they call "black-eyed bean" because of the strange color of his eyes. The village sees Bean as a cursed thing, but Rue has a special love for him that others find difficult to understand. Then we have the master's daughter, Varina, the other point of view, the one of privilege in many ways but of poverty when it comes to love and companionship. Varina and Rue grow close, but as the war ends and the slaves are freed, loyalties and bonds become precarious and unpredictable.
The weaving together of these three stories during this time period is beautiful and involving. The writing is rich and transporting, and I look forward to many other books by Atakora.
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