by Sean Stewart
First published 2006
Toni Beauchamp has just buried her mother Elena in the American South. Elena was known throughout the region as a witch whose mind was regularly possessed by minor deities ill suited to the modern world. As a child, Toni couldn't bear watching people point fingers at her mother. She developed a deep resistance to her family heritage and everything it represented. Now in her thirties, Toni faces an unwelcome discovery. With Elena's death, these unusual supernatural abilities have passed to her. She must decide whether to accept or reject the mystical legacy she spent years trying to escape. The novel explores how Toni grapples with embracing her roots while navigating the complexities of contemporary womanhood and motherhood.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, fantasy, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, legacy
Setting: American South
Period: Contemporary
256 pages · Paperback · Calmann-Lévy