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Publish Date: February 28, 2023
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: Domestic Fiction, Black & African American Women’s Fiction, Magical Realism
Page Count: 368
Description
A warm and wry family drama with a magical twist about four generations of Black women living under one roof and the family curse that stems back to a Voodoo shop in 1950s New Orleans
“Propulsive and poignant, Black Candle Women concocts an intoxicating potion of warmth, wisdom, and wonder.” –Ava DuVernay
Generations of Montrose women–Augusta, Victoria, Willow–have lived together in their quaint two-story bungalow in California for years. They keep to themselves, never venture far from home, and their collection of tinctures and spells is an unspoken bond between them.
But when seventeen-year-old Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, their quiet lives are thrown into disarray. For the other women have been withholding a secret from Nickie that will end her relationship before it’s even begun: the decades-old family curse that any person they fall in love with dies.
Their surprise guest forces each woman to reckon with her own past choices and mistakes. And as new truths about the curse emerge, the family is set on a collision course dating back to a Voodoo shop in 1950s New Orleans’s French Quarter–where a hidden story in a mysterious book may just hold the answers they seek in life and in love…
“Richly imagined and elegantly told, with plenty of satisfying secrets, heartaches, and twists.”
–Sadeqa Johnson, international bestselling author of Yellow Wife and The House of Eve
Book Reaction Navigation
Gist
Are you in the mood to read a book with black, female characters of varying ages? Or, a story threaded with mysterious, family secrets? Peppered with some hoodoo and voodoo? 80’s R&B music references? If your answer is “Yes, to all of the above,” then Diane Marie Brown’s, Black Candle Women is for you.
What Worked For Me
I Stan Nanagusta!
Most of my enjoyment of this book stemmed from the viewpoint of the Montrose family matriarch, Augusta (Nanagusta). Her chapters were my favorite. Nickie, Victoria, and Willow’s chapters were simply embellishments to her life story.
Music References
DeBarge, Shalamar, and Klymaxx. Need I say more? 80s R&B is a moment and a vibe.
Check out the Spotify playlist. It’s a perfect compliment to this story.
Laugh Out Loud Moments
The banter between the Montrose women and their inner thoughts, had me cracking up. Augusta (Nanagusta) made me laugh the most.
What Did Not Work For Me
Execution of Multiple Point of Views
I don’t know what it is, but multiple point of views have not been working for me lately. I think it’s difficult to pull off within a particular page range and based on my reading experience, it felt like the perspectives were uneven. Hence, the storyline would decline at some points in pacing.
In addition to that, one of the characters did not have the opportunity to speak for themselves. Rather than getting to know this character through their point of view, readers merely get a taste of the character’s personality from the perspectives of other characters. I wonder if this was intentional because of this character’s past.
Hmm, food for thought.
If you’ve read the book, you should know which character I’m referring to. Leave a comment and let me know if you have comparable or variable feelings about this character.
Not Enough Magic
Black Candle Women is light on magical realism and heavy on domestic fiction. Although I enjoyed the familial aspects of the book, I was really disappointed that there wasn’t more magic present.
Telling me about it is all good and well, but I felt that those “magical” elements were sparsely shown in the book. Where were the actions and rituals behind hoodoo and voodoo? Where? I wanted more.
Let me know if any of you had some of the same thoughts or reactions.
Content Warnings
Minor
- Death
Final Verdict
4.0 stars. I recommend this book for the gentle reminder that not all curses are equivocal to ultimate doom. In Black Candle Women, through the Montrose women, readers will experience:
- how curses meant to break people can ultimately bond them.
- the reinforced power of family.
- an unsuspecting character becoming the catalyst of change.
- the inescapable emphasis on things happening for a reason.
- forgiveness is always an option. Nobody is beyond giving and receiving it.
- how protection can also be harmful.
I hope you pick this book up. It was a good time ;-). I look forward to seeing what other stories Diane Marie Brown will share with us.
Many thanks to Graydon House, Diane Marie Brown, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. My review/reaction is voluntary, all thoughts are mine and unbiased, and receiving the Advanced Review Copy does not influence my rating and/or recommendation.
Yes, I would have loved to hear more of Madelyn’s story and perspective!
Right. It’s a shame that we didn’t get to know Madelyn beyond how others felt about here.