Kristen J. Sollee

This was a gorgeous and heartrending read, and it might truly be needed for armchair travel now that we live in the Coronatimes. The author weaves history in a spellbinding way with her own experience, and she honors those murdered for being a witch.

I’ve only visited Salem, and I had no idea that there were so many more “witch cities” in Europe that profit off the destruction they created centuries ago. I hope one day to visit some of the memorials to the women killed for sometimes just being a little off; I know if I lived then, I’d be one of the first at the stake.

The narrator of the audiobook does a wonderful job, but I also want to find a physical copy to see if there are maps or illustrations available. I truly adored this read as it gave me a new perspective and virtual experience of a very unenlightened time in the past that could too easily happen again.

(FYI I checked and no maps or illustrations in the ebook, but there are resources for all the places she visited as well as a great bibliography.)… (meer)

Read it, read it, read it!

Of the 58 books I have read this year, this is only the second one I have given 5 stars to. It's just that good.

The author does an amazing job of looking back through the history of the words witch and slut, and tying them together. She shows how those, along with clothing type, color, and style have been used to demean those women who stepped outside the bounds of social norms. She ties all of this into the modern feminist movement, and provides wonderful interviews with women who are taking back these words.

An excellent read for any feminist out there, or for anyone who thinks that words don't have power. Or for anyone really. Read this book and have your eyes opened.… (meer)