The Trouble with Becoming a Witch by Amy EdwardsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
If I could, I would give this book 3.5 stars. Rounding up cause I'm like that.
Review: Content scrappers are the bane of a bloggers existence. They are bots that scrape content from blogs and then republishes them on another site and then steals your traffic. I won’t accuse Amy Edwards of being a content scrapper, but good gawd I felt like I had read so much of what she gives us in The Trouble with Becoming a Witch. Edwards beautifully has collected many of the complaints that wives and mothers have expressed over the years into a painful and realistic narrative of one woman taking control of her life.
When I was pitched this book, I accepted it based on the mere fact the title has “witch” in it and the main character shares my name. I didn’t read much else. Thus when I started the book, the honesty hit me like a ton of bricks. I had heard Veronica’s thoughts over the years. Women who complained that their husbands had no idea how to manage the kids. Who worried about the kids when they went on business trips. Women who let loose on girls night out but would have to sober up before they could get home for fear of showing they had too much fun without their husband. Women who prioritized peace over their own needs.
Veronica’s curiosity about witchcraft is a classic feminist trope. It is almost a full stage in one’s growth as a feminist. One of the biggest reasons I earned a minor in women’s studies is because I wrote my freshman rhetoric paper on feminism, goddess worship, and witchcraft. My instructor read my first draft, handed me a Ms. Magazine, and said “Get thee to the women’s studies department.” (Mike, if you’re reading this, thanks.) Alas, Veronica is married to a pretty strong Catholic and controlling man. As soon as she tips her black hat to her husband, he flips out.
This fairly short novel takes us on Veronica’s journey of figuring out what she wants her life to look like and how her husband fits into that plan. She discovers how much of her life has just happened to her, versus her choosing the life she has. It is a journey that has you gasping and cheering. The Trouble with Becoming a Witch is a great beach read - that’s where I read it - as it is a quick and easy read. If you don’t take time to assess your own life choices that is.
I should also give a content/trigger warning for domestic violence (economic and mental) and pregnancy loss.
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