"Conjure Women" by Afia Atakora - Historical Fiction Book Club - Past Titles

About the Author: Afia Atakora

Afia Atakora:

Background:
- Afia Atakora was born and raised in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Educational Background:
- She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University.
Literary Career:
- Afia Atakora is recognized for her work as a novelist and her exploration of historical fiction with elements of magic and folklore.
Debut Novel - "Conjure Women" (2020):
- "Conjure Women" is Afia Atakora's debut novel, and it garnered attention for its rich storytelling and the exploration of themes related to slavery, freedom, and magic. The novel weaves together the lives of characters in the antebellum South.
Literary Accolades:
- "Conjure Women" received positive reviews for its historical depth, intricate characters, and the blending of magical realism with the historical narrative.
Themes in Her Work:
- Afia Atakora's writing often delves into themes related to history, race, gender, and the complexities of human relationships. Her work has been praised for its nuanced exploration of the African American experience.
Recognition and Impact:
- Afia Atakora has gained recognition for her contributions to literature, particularly for her ability to engage readers in immersive historical storytelling.
Public Engagement:
- She has participated in literary events, discussions, and engagements that contribute to the broader literary and cultural dialogue.

Synopsis

"Conjure Women" is a sweeping story that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. Spanning eras and generations, it tells of the lives of three unforgettable women: Miss May Belle, a wise healing woman; her precocious and observant daughter Rue, who is reluctant to follow in her mother's footsteps as a midwife; and their master's daughter Varina. The secrets and bonds among these women and their community come to a head at the beginning of a war and at the birth of an accursed child, who sets the townspeople alight with fear and a spreading superstition that threatens their newly won, tenuous freedom.

Magnificently written, brilliantly researched, richly imagined, "Conjure Women" moves back and forth in time to tell the haunting story of Rue, Varina, and May Belle, their passions and friendships, and the lengths they will go to save themselves and those they love.

Historical Timeline

After the Civil War (Reconstruction and Beyond):

1865-1877: Reconstruction Era:
- The Reconstruction period attempted to address the aftermath of the Civil War, including issues of citizenship, civil rights, and rebuilding the Southern states.
1865: 13th Amendment:
- The 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States.
1868: 14th Amendment:
- The 14th Amendment granted equal protection under the law to all citizens, including former slaves.
1870: 15th Amendment:
- The 15th Amendment granted voting rights regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
1877: Compromise of 1877:
- The Compromise of 1877 marked the end of Reconstruction as federal troops were withdrawn from the South, leaving states to manage their affairs.
Late 19th Century: Jim Crow Laws:
- Southern states implemented Jim Crow laws, enforcing racial segregation and suppressing the rights of African Americans.
1896: Plessy v. Ferguson:
- The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of "separate but equal" facilities, contributing to institutionalized segregation.
Early 20th Century: Great Migration:
- African Americans began the Great Migration, moving from the rural South to northern cities in search of economic opportunities and escaping racial discrimination.
Mid-20th Century: Civil Rights Movement:
- The Civil Rights Movement emerged, advocating for equal rights and challenging segregation. Landmark legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, aimed to end segregation and protect voting rights.
Late 20th Century: Desegregation and Change:
- Desegregation efforts increased, leading to changes in education, public facilities, and workplaces. The South underwent significant social and economic transformations.

This timeline provides an overview of major events in the American South before, during, and after the Civil War, illustrating the complex historical developments that shaped the region.

The timeline of the American South before and after the Civil War reflects significant historical events, including the antebellum period, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the subsequent years. Here is a timeline highlighting key moments:

Before the Civil War (Antebellum Period):

1607-1776: Colonial Period:
- The Southern colonies (Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, Georgia) were established, relying heavily on agriculture, particularly tobacco, rice, and indigo.
1619: Arrival of African Slaves:
- The first recorded arrival of African slaves in the English colonies occurred in Jamestown, Virginia.
Late 18th Century: Cotton Gin and Expansion:
- Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793 led to an increase in cotton production, expanding the reliance on slave labor and reinforcing the institution of slavery.
Early 19th Century: Slavery Expands:
- The institution of slavery expanded westward as new territories were acquired, exacerbating tensions between slave and free states.
1820: Missouri Compromise:
- The Missouri Compromise attempted to maintain a balance between slave and free states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
1831: Nat Turner's Rebellion:
- Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in Virginia, resulting in increased tensions over the issue of slavery.
1846-1848: Mexican-American War:
- The acquisition of new territories after the war intensified debates over whether these territories would allow slavery (Wilmot Proviso).
1850: Compromise of 1850:
- The Compromise of 1850 attempted to address issues arising from the acquisition of new territories, including the Fugitive Slave Act.
1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act:
- The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers in these territories to decide on the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty.
1857: Dred Scott Decision:
- The Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision held that enslaved individuals were property and not citizens, further polarizing the nation.

Civil War (1861-1865):

1861-1865: Civil War:
- The Southern states seceded from the Union, leading to the Civil War between the Confederacy (South) and the Union (North).
1863: Emancipation Proclamation:
- President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring enslaved individuals in Confederate-held territories to be free.
1865: Confederate Surrender:
- General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the Civil War.

After the Civil War (Reconstruction and Beyond):

1865-1877: Reconstruction Era:
- The Reconstruction period attempted to address the aftermath of the Civil War, including issues of citizenship, civil rights, and rebuilding the Southern states.
1865: 13th Amendment:
- The 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States.
1868: 14th Amendment:
- The 14th Amendment granted equal protection under the law to all citizens, including former slaves.
1870: 15th Amendment:
- The 15th Amendment granted voting rights regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
1877: Compromise of 1877:
- The Compromise of 1877 marked the end of Reconstruction as federal troops were withdrawn from the South, leaving states to manage their affairs.
Late 19th Century: Jim Crow Laws:
- Southern states implemented Jim Crow laws, enforcing racial segregation and suppressing the rights of African Americans.
1896: Plessy v. Ferguson:
- The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of "separate but equal" facilities, contributing to institutionalized segregation.
Early 20th Century: Great Migration:
- African Americans began the Great Migration, moving from the rural South to northern cities in search of economic opportunities and escaping racial discrimination.
Mid-20th Century: Civil Rights Movement:
- The Civil Rights Movement emerged, advocating for equal rights and challenging segregation. Landmark legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, aimed to end segregation and protect voting rights.
Late 20th Century: Desegregation and Change:
- Desegregation efforts increased, leading to changes in education, public facilities, and workplaces. The South underwent significant social and economic transformations.

This timeline provides an overview of major events in the American South before, during, and after the Civil War, illustrating the complex historical developments that shaped the region.

Before the Civil War (Antebellum Period):

1607-1776: Colonial Period:
- The Southern colonies (Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, Georgia) were established, relying heavily on agriculture, particularly tobacco, rice, and indigo.
1619: Arrival of African Slaves:
- The first recorded arrival of African slaves in the English colonies occurred in Jamestown, Virginia.
Late 18th Century: Cotton Gin and Expansion:
- Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793 led to an increase in cotton production, expanding the reliance on slave labor and reinforcing the institution of slavery.
Early 19th Century: Slavery Expands:
- The institution of slavery expanded westward as new territories were acquired, exacerbating tensions between slave and free states.
1820: Missouri Compromise:
- The Missouri Compromise attempted to maintain a balance between slave and free states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
1831: Nat Turner's Rebellion:
- Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in Virginia, resulting in increased tensions over the issue of slavery.
1846-1848: Mexican-American War:
- The acquisition of new territories after the war intensified debates over whether these territories would allow slavery (Wilmot Proviso).
1850: Compromise of 1850:
- The Compromise of 1850 attempted to address issues arising from the acquisition of new territories, including the Fugitive Slave Act.
1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act:
- The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers in these territories to decide on the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty.
1857: Dred Scott Decision:
- The Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision held that enslaved individuals were property and not citizens, further polarizing the nation.

Civil War (1861-1865):

1861-1865: Civil War:
- The Southern states seceded from the Union, leading to the Civil War between the Confederacy (South) and the Union (North).
1863: Emancipation Proclamation:
- President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring enslaved individuals in Confederate-held territories to be free.
1865: Confederate Surrender:
- General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the Civil War.

After the Civil War (Reconstruction and Beyond):

1865-1877: Reconstruction Era:
- The Reconstruction period attempted to address the aftermath of the Civil War, including issues of citizenship, civil rights, and rebuilding the Southern states.
1865: 13th Amendment:
- The 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States.
1868: 14th Amendment:
- The 14th Amendment granted equal protection under the law to all citizens, including former slaves.
1870: 15th Amendment:
- The 15th Amendment granted voting rights regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
1877: Compromise of 1877:
- The Compromise of 1877 marked the end of Reconstruction as federal troops were withdrawn from the South, leaving states to manage their affairs.
Late 19th Century: Jim Crow Laws:
- Southern states implemented Jim Crow laws, enforcing racial segregation and suppressing the rights of African Americans.
1896: Plessy v. Ferguson:
- The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of "separate but equal" facilities, contributing to institutionalized segregation.
Early 20th Century: Great Migration:
- African Americans began the Great Migration, moving from the rural South to northern cities in search of economic opportunities and escaping racial discrimination.
Mid-20th Century: Civil Rights Movement:
- The Civil Rights Movement emerged, advocating for equal rights and challenging segregation. Landmark legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, aimed to end segregation and protect voting rights.
Late 20th Century: Desegregation and Change:
- Desegregation efforts increased, leading to changes in education, public facilities, and workplaces. The South underwent significant social and economic transformations.

This timeline provides an overview of major events in the American South before, during, and after the Civil War, illustrating the complex historical developments that shaped the region.

MLN Materials

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large print book

Ebook Versions

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Audiobook Versions

Libby

Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson
Call Number: FICTION Alderson
Kaia Alderson's debut historical fiction novel reveals the untold, true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women's Army Corps, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during World War II. Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), they are both starting from the same level. Not only will they be among the first class of female officers the army has even seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve. As these courageous women help to form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, they are dealing with more than just army bureaucracy--everyone is determined to see this experiment fail. For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp. Grace and Eliza know that there is no room for error; they must be more perfect than everyone else. When they finally make it overseas, to England and then France, Grace and Eliza will at last be able to do their parts for the country they love, whatever the risk to themselves. Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II.
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Call Number: FICTION Coates
"Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage--and lost his mother and all memory of her when he was a child--but he is also gifted with a mysterious power. Hiram almost drowns when he crashes a carriage into a river, but is saved from the depths by a force he doesn't understand, a blue light that lifts him up and lands him a mile away. This strange brush with death forces a new urgency on Hiram's private rebellion. Spurred on by his improvised plantation family, Thena, his chosen mother, a woman of few words and many secrets, and Sophia, a young woman fighting her own war even as she and Hiram fall in love, he becomes determined to escape the only home he's ever known. So begins an unexpected journey into the covert war on slavery that takes Hiram from the corrupt grandeur of Virginia's proud plantations to desperate guerrilla cells in the wilderness, from the coffin of the deep South to dangerously utopic movements in the North. Even as he's enlisted in the underground war between slavers and the enslaved, all Hiram wants is to return to the Walker Plantation to free the family he left behind--but to do so, he must first master his magical gift and reconstruct the story of his greatest loss. This is a bracingly original vision of the world of slavery, written with the narrative force of a great adventure. Driven by the author's bold imagination and striking ability to bring readers deep into the interior lives of his brilliantly rendered characters, The Water Dancer is the story of America's oldest struggle--the struggle to tell the truth--from one of our most exciting thinkers and beautiful writers".

*ebook & audiobook on Libby
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Call Number: FICTION Edugyan
Eleven-year-old George Washington Black--or Wash--a field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is initially terrified when he is chosen as the manservant of his master's brother. To his surprise, however, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning, and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human. But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash's head, they must abandon everything and flee together. Over the course of their travels, what brings Wash and Christopher together will tear them apart, propelling Wash ever farther across the globe in search of his true self. Spanning the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, London to Morocco, Washington Black is a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of a world destroyed and made whole again.
The Love Songs of W. E. B. du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Call Number: FICTION Jeffers
The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about what he called "Double Consciousness," a sensitivity that every African American possesses in order to survive. From an early age, Ailey fights a battle for belonging that's made all the more difficult by a hovering trauma. To come to terms with her own identity, Ailey embarks on a journey through her family's past. In doing so Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of oppression and resistance, bondage and independence, cruelty and resilience that is the story - and the song - of America itself.
The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.
Call Number: FICTION Jones
A singular and stunning debut novel about the forbidden union between two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation, the refuge they find in each other, and a betrayal that threatens their existence. Isaiah was Samuel's and Samuel was Isaiah's. That was the way it was since the beginning, and the way it was to be until the end. In the barn they tended to the animals, but also to each other, transforming the hollowed-out shed into a place of human refuge, a source of intimacy and hope in a world ruled by vicious masters. But when an older man--a fellow slave--seeks to gain favor by preaching the master's gospel on the plantation, the enslaved begin to turn on their own. Isaiah and Samuel's love, which was once so simple, is seen as sinful and a clear danger to the plantation's harmony. With a lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison, Robert Jones, Jr., fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike, from Isaiah and Samuel to the calculating slave master to the long line of women that surround them, women who have carried the soul of the plantation on their shoulders. As tensions build and the weight of centuries--of ancestors and future generations to come--culminates in a climactic reckoning, The Prophets fearlessly reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance, but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love.
The Healing by Jonathan Odell
Call Number: FICTION Odell
In Antebellum Mississippi, Granada Satterfield has the mixed fortune to be born on the same day that her plantation mistress's daughter, Becky, dies of cholera. Believing that the newborn possesses some of her daughter's spirit, the Mistress Amanda adopts Granada, dolling her up in Becky's dresses and giving her a special place in the family despite her husband's protests. But when The Master brings a woman named Polly Shine to help quell the debilitating plague that is sweeping through the slave quarters, Granada's life changes. For Polly sees something in the young girl, a spark of "The Healing," and a domestic battle of wills begins, one that will bring the two closer but that will ultimately lead to a great tragedy. And seventy-five years later, Granada, still living on the abandoned plantation long after slavery ended, must revive the buried memories before history repeats itself.
In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas
Call Number: FICTION Thomas
The fates of two unforgettable women--one just beginning a journey of reckoning and self-discovery and the other completing her life's last vital act--intertwine in this sweeping, powerful novel set at the terminus of the Underground Railroad. In the 1800s in Dunmore, a Canadian town settled by people fleeing enslavement in the American south, young Lensinda Martin works for a crusading Black journalist. One night, a neighboring farmer summons Lensinda after a slave hunter is shot dead on his land by an old woman who recently arrived via the Underground Railroad. When the old woman refuses to flee before the authorities arrive, the farmer urges Lensinda to gather testimony from her before she can be condemned for the crime. But the old woman doesn't want to confess. Instead she proposes a barter: a story for a story. And so begins an extraordinary exchange of tales that reveal an interwoven history of Black and Indigenous peoples in a wide swath of what is called North America. As time runs out, Lensinda is challenged to uncover her past and face her fears in order to make good on the bargain of a story for a story. And it seems the old woman may carry a secret that could shape Lensinda's destiny. Traveling along the path of the Underground Railroad from Virginia to Michigan, from the Indigenous nations around the Great Lakes, to the Black refugee communities of Canada, In the Upper Country weaves together unlikely stories of love, survival, and familial upheaval that map the interconnected history of the peoples of North America in an entirely new and resonant way.
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Call Number: FICTION Ward
Let Us Descend is a reimagining of American slavery, as beautifully rendered as it is heart-wrenching. Searching, harrowing, replete with transcendent love, the novel is a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation. Annis, sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, is the reader's guide through this hellscape. As she struggles through the miles-long march, Annis turns inward, seeking comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother. Throughout, she opens herself to a world beyond this world, one teeming with spirits: of earth and water, of myth and history; spirits who nurture and give, and those who manipulate and take. While Ward leads readers through the descent, this, her fourth novel, is ultimately a story of rebirth and reclamation. From one of the most singularly brilliant and beloved writers of her generation, this miracle of a novel inscribes Black American grief and joy into the very land--the rich but unforgiving forests, swamps, and rivers of the American South.
Remembrance by Rita Woods
Call Number: FICTION Woods
This breakout historical debut with modern resonance is perfect for the many fans of The Underground Railroad and Orphan Train. Remembrance... It's a rumor, a whisper passed in the fields and veiled behind sheets of laundry. A hidden stop on the underground road to freedom, a safe haven protected by more than secrecy...if you can make it there. Ohio, present day . An elderly woman who is more than she seems warns against rising racism as a young nurse grapples with her life. Haiti, 1791, on the brink of revolution. When the slave Abigail is forced from her children to take her mistress to safety, she discovers New Orleans has its own powers. 1857 New Orleans -- a city of unrest: Following tragedy, house girl Margot is sold just before her promised freedom. Desperate, she escapes and chases a whisper.... Remembrance.