some of the most dense paragraphs that i have ever come across. personally, these type of brick-like paragraphs put me off, as they felt heavy-going and never-ending.

Beautifully written with powerful story telling, the western vs indigenous storytelling feature worked really well. The characters unravelled in a delicious way. It did take me a while to get to grips with the chapter POV exchanges due to them not highlighting which was which explicitly but once I got into the rhythm of the slight differences this was easy to bypass.

I stunning book, with a wonderful cover and gorgeous concept. Not quite what I was expecting but a brilliant read none the less

A good book, well written. It follows two women across different timelines. Set in Mexico this book focuses on the experiences of Feliciana a traditional healer, and Zoe a journalist. Paloma was the one who taught Feliciana the art of healing and when Paloma is murdered, the two women come together to tell their stories. I was expecting something very different based on the cover. I found it a slow read at times as I found it a little confusing to follow who’s story was who's., but overall an intriguing read and enjoyable.

I was lucky enough to be also sent a paper copy of this book which made the reading experience a lot nicer. I kept forgetting that this is fiction, it read like a dual memoir piece and I think that's where the struggle was for me a little. I found the stories interesting, but the plot of the novel not overly engaging. Which made the reading experience rather weird. So a bit of a mixed bag for me.

From reading the blurb I really thought I would love this, but I have to say that I found the voices of the two characters in the two timelines to be utterly indistinguishable from one another, which meant that this made for a truly confusing read. The mythical elements also made up a large part of the plot and these sections dragged for me.

However I did enjoy the writing and setting (and applaud any book which draws more attention to femicide), so I will definitely be giving Lozano's writing another chance by picking up another of her novels, Loop, at some point.

Thank you Quercus Books and MacLehose Press for this ARC. The premise of two women brought together by the death of a trans woman is intriguing. About 120 pages into the book, I can see that comments on gender inequality and brutality towards women and the queer are developing, and Feliciana’s profession as a curandera inspires curiosity. But the narrative is painfully slow and the author’s highly repetitive style and never-ending sentences are not for me. Despite the shortness of the book and the double spacing, I struggle to carry on reading so I decided to DNF. This is entirely personal — other readers who have no problem with her style might find the characters and themes very interesting.

Witches, the vivid third novel by acclaimed Mexican author Brenda Lozano and her second to appear in English, here in a masterful translation by Heather Cleary, is a work of fiction that pulses with life, barely contained anger, and something gentler yet somehow undefined – an awareness, perhaps, of the beauty of things, of how certain forces exist in the world just beyond the human grasp. It is there in the cinematic settings of the novel, in the ecstatic flow of Feliciana’s words, in the intertwined stories and many textual layers that underpin the novel like roots anchored in soil. Though rife with geographic, cultural and linguistic markers that mean this is a story that could only take place in Mexico, the themes Lozano is concerned with are universal, making Witches a novel that transcends boundaries of space or time.

[excerpt from the full review available on my blog]

I really enjoyed this book telling the history of two Mexican women. One a healer from an indigenous people and the other a journalist.
It was hard work at times as lots of words to look up but I felt this added to the experience and wasn't a chore. I wasn't aware of Muxes and really much about Mexico at all.
It isn't really a story in the way I'm used to. It's not linear and repeats a lot in the style of an oral history, which is really clever.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this story had SOOOO MUCH in it!! Oh my goodness, so there is a lot of story line and a lot happening in this book but wow you learn so much of these characters and the lives they live!

So because there were so many characters I really enjoyed that their names and who they were, were repeated, some may have thought it unnecessary but me, who forgets what she just reads, thought it was really good and helpful to remember who is who and to follow the story line!

Two Mexican women recount their life stories in alternating chapters: Zoe is a journalist from the Mexico City, Feliciana a 'curandera' (healer) from a remote village. Although they grow up in very different circumstances, as women they face many similar challenges in patriarchal societies: gender violence, not being expected to study or to work in a certain field, illegal abortion, queerness.

I thought the juxtaposition between 'Western' and 'indigenous' worked quite well. Both storylines would have been too slight as selfstanding stories, but together they reinforce each other.

The ‘curandera’ narrative raises especially interesting questions. Feliciana cures people from illnesses by changing destructive narratives. She does so through long ceremonies, with the help of entheogenic mushrooms and of ‘the Language’. The idea that the stories we hold to be ‘our stories’ can have physical impacts is, I believe, very true and psychological treatment can help. What I did not like is that Feliciana portrays her type of healing as somehow superior to modern medicine – there is no such competition, and yet for pages and pages she keeps going on about the things she can do despite not having an education, how famous she has become despite being humble, all the foreigners that come to visit her. It became a bit much for me.

Finally, there is also a Muxe (trans) character, Paloma, who gets killed in the first sentence. Although Paloma is an important character as mentor to Feliciana, I am not sure that using her murder as a plot device (it brings Zoe and Feliciana together) had much added value and does not add tension because this is not a murder story. There would have been other ways to bring the two together, seeing as Zoe is struggling with issues that Feliciana is able to address.

But the writing is good (a bit reminiscent of Fernanda Melchor with the long sentences) and overall a thought-provoking novel.

I requested this book because I was intrigued by the premise: Zoe, a journalist, travels to San Felipe, a village in Mexico, to meet Feliciana, who’s supposed to help her investigating the death of Paloma.
But this story is only in part about investigation; it’s the story of these different three women, whose lives and experiences intertwine to make a poignant, captivating narration. A story of grief, womanhood, hope.
I liked the themes of the novel and the way the author explored them. I was captivated by this whole world I knew nothing about: the Language, curanderos, brujas, intuition. There was a mystical atmosphere thorough the book that really drew me in.
And I loved the setting, the way the village was a part of the story too, in a sense.
Even though I loved all of this, I can’t give this book five stars because of the style: it’s particular and redundant; there are a lot of repetitions and digressions, to the point sometimes it wasn’t easy reading on, despite the fact that the plot did intrigue me. I don’t think it’s a style that can fit everybody, but I still recommend the novel, and I think everyone should give it a chance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an Advanced Reader Copy of this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Witches by Brenda Lozano.
This is the story of who Feliciana is, and of who Paloma was. I had wanted to get to know them, but I realised right away that the people I needed to know better were my sister Leandra and my mother. Myself. I came to understand that you can't really know another woman until you know yourself...
A good read. Slow but readable. I did like the cover. I was hoping for a creepy eerie and spooky book by the cover. I was a little disappointed. 2*.

“This is the story of who Feliciana is, and of who Paloma was. I had wanted to get to know them, but I realised right away that the people I needed to know better were my sister Leandra and my mother. Myself. I came to understand that you can’t really know another woman until you know yourself.” - Zoe, ‘Witches’.

My thanks to Quercus Books MacLehose Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Witches’ by Brenda Lozano in exchange for an honest review. This novel was originally published in the Spanish language as ‘Brujas’ and translated by Heather Cleary.

Thanks also for the invitation to take part in the social media blast on publication day. It proved a mind expanding novel in various ways and I am delighted to encourage others to read it.

‘Witches’ proved a lyrically written novel that weaves together two parallel narratives: the story of Feliciana, an indigenous curandera, and of Zoe, a journalist who has traveled from Mexico City to interview Feliciana about the murder of her cousin Paloma.

In the tiny village of San Felipe in Jalisco province, where traditional ways and beliefs continue into the present, Feliciana tells the story of her life and how she become a healer - a curandera, a role their society considered that only men could fill. It is her spirited cousin Paloma, who is both a healer and a Muxe - a trans woman, who initiates Feliciana into these mysteries. Over time Feliciana’s fame grows throughout Mexico and beyond.

In Zoe’s narrative stream she is inspired to understand her relationships with her mother and her rebellious sister, Leandra.

Even though Paloma’s death is known from the opening her presence throughout the novel via Feliciana’s memories is vivid, including the heartbreaking accounts of the beatings that she received because of her being Muxe.

In ‘Witches’ Brenda Lozano has created a rich family saga that flows between the past and present. I was caught up in the narrative and fascinated by the portrait of a society that exists in two worlds. Feliciana’s accounts of her ceremonies with the Children, the name Paloma has given to the sacred mushrooms used in the healing ceremonies, were fascinating.

Heather Cleary writes of her policy as translator in leaving certain words in the original language and provides some examples. She also noted that Brenda Lozano had been inspired in her creation of Feliciana by the life and work of María Sabina Magdalena García, a curandera whose healing sacred mushroom ceremonies had led to her becoming an international figure during the 20th Century.

I will admit that I found some challenging aspects to the novel. Both women’s accounts are stream-of-consciousness, so no dialogue quotes and a great deal of fluidity in the overall structure. This wasn’t a barrier to my engagement and I felt it added a dreamlike element to the narrative. Still, like many works of literary fiction it required a close reading. I expect that I shall reread it to better appreciate its subtlety and multiple layers.

Overall, I was left stunned by ‘Witches’ feeling that it was beautifully written, sensitive and numinous. I hope that an English audiobook edition might be produced in the future.

On a side note, the cover art immediately attracted me to this novel. I found it quite stunning both in design and in the use of colour and symbolism.

Highly recommended.

When I started this book I was expecting creepy witch story .oh my gosh I got so much more .I feel I learnt alot to .

The story it self very fast paced .it's heartbreaking yet also a book full of hope . From page one you are sucked in needing to know more what is happening .

The characters was so well written I loved how you saw zoe character grow so much as she starts to find herself in the amazing story . Both women from very different backgrounds feliciana who is classed as a curandera by some a healer very interesting when zoe background is more modern fasted paced life . .

I really enjoyed learning more about the way witches are looked at, and the Mexican culture and how society really looked apon these women .

Over all this amazing written book and can take your breath away and teach you what it is to be a women living in the world now .

I am very grateful to the lovely Milly at MacLehose Press for sending a copy of this intriguing, rather beautiful book my way. Translated from Spanish by Heather Cleary, I have to say that I completed devoured Witches and was well and truly captivated.

In the little village of San Felipe, Feliciana tells her story as a curandera in a place where traditions are still upheld alongside the fascinating tale of the life of her cousin Paloma, a Muxe -a trans woman. In Mexico City, Zoe is working under the patriarchy of journalism when Feliciana’s and Paloma’s stories forces her to explore her own past and relationship with her chaotic sister.

Ultimately, Witches is about the similarities between lives that appear to be very different on the surface. We can all be touched deeply by anyone else’s story and be inspired to take on board its lessons into our own lives. Feliciana’s story resonates with Zoe and it triggers her to revisit her past and evaluate her sister Leandra’s life, which shares many parallels with Feliciana’s sister Francisca’s.

Feliciana’s powers are fascinating and I loved learning the true extent of them. Her chapters are written with liminal punctuation, which lends them a lyrical, dream-like quality. I spent the chapters in San Felipe in a bit of a daze, wandering around this very traditional community while Zoe’s chapters definitely brought me back down to a reality that I recognised.

As a young writer, Zoe has to work incredibly hard to get by in the industry despite having talent and dedication. Journalism is an area that is still very male-dominated and women are often underappreciated or ignored unless they exercise persistence. Any woman who has ever tried to make a living from something like writing will see themselves in Zoe because this is still exactly how it is.

The commentary on trans-ness through Paloma’s experience was truly beautiful and watching her go through her self-realisation in a place like San Felipe had such an air of tentativeness about it. I was nervous for her coming out and transition amongst a community that holds traditions so sacred. Her calm candor is so lovely to be around and it gave her a vulnerability that somehow doubled as beautiful strength.

There is a lot of stunning imagery in Witches, particularly in Paloma’s story. She comes across as an ethereal, all-knowing being that is literally too good for our world. Everyone can see her glow and recognise that she’s different, even as a young male child. A force like that can only be truly happy on a different plain to ther rest of us but of course, I still sobbed at the end.

Witches is a compelling, moving, dual narrative that slowly weaves two different threads together. There are a few instances of sexual abuse that some readers should be aware of and of course, sexism and transphobia are also themes. Overall, it’s about finding your voice and your true power while honouring those who have paved the way.

This is a very special book. It was a captivating novel to read, illustrating the complexity of the world in which women live.

It is a dual narrative, alternating between the voices of Feliciana and Zoe. The voices are distinct and the narrative moves seamlessly between the two characters.

Set in a small Mexican village, where being a healer is passed down through the male line, Feliciana learns her art from her cousin, Paloma, who was born a male but becomes a female. The author skilfully tackles the blurring of the genders, presenting the male character of Gasper, who later becomes the female Paloma.

It is not a spoiler to tell you that Paloma is murdered, and this is what brings Zoe, a journalist, to Feliciana's door, to investigate and report on the murder. However, meeting Feliciana leads Zoe to consider her own life and her relationship with her sister.

Overall, the book is about the relationships that women have with one another; Feliciana and Paloma, and also Zoe and her sister, Leandra.

Translated from Spanish by Heather Cleary, the book is original and like no other that I can recall reading. I adored the lyricism of the prose and recommend this unusual novel.

This is my first book by Brenda Lozano and I have to say I really thought this was amazing, Brenda takes you to a world where magic is possible and everyone’s stories are intertwined with each other, I loved how she weaves stories of everyday life into this magical world, you really feel like you could be a part of it.

I particularly enjoyed the culture, the representation, it’s such a powerful book, full of wisdom and beauty, it really encourages you to self reflect, to think about how you look at life abc the world. The writing is simply beautiful, it’s so fluid and I loved how Brenda plays with language. The characters I loved, again I loved how the author uses their differences as people, in society, experiences snug culture to highlight how over the course of the story, they don’t matter and they disappear leaving only the stories and similarities.

Feliciana’s account is probably the part I had more difficulty adjusting to , it reads like a stream of consciousness. The translator notes at the end that Feliciana doesn’t speak ‘Government’ and I think that’s why I struggled at first to adapt, it’s not how I expect it to read and once I adjusted to these, it was more enjoyable. I enjoyed how Brenda highlights the expected roles of women and Feliciana’s fight against male stereotypes and the patriarchy, even more I loved the commentary on the difficulties women and trans women face in traditional defined male roles. A point the translator Heather Cleary makes herself “Witches is an exploration of the many ways that women and gender non-comforming individuals are marginalised in our hetero-normative patriarchy.”

A very much thought provoking and original read,one I am so glad to have been given the opportunity to read and review. Thanks to @netgalley, @Quercus Books & @MacLehosePress for a free copy in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own and freely given

Witches is two interwoven tales of two women living in present-day Mexico, Feliciana and Zoe. Zoe is a modern educated woman, working as a freelance journalist whereas Feliciana is an indigenous healer woman living in a tiny rural village. The two women meet when Zoe interviews Feliciana about the tragic death of her cousin, Paloma.

I enjoyed the book, although I found Feliciana and Paloma's story much more interesting and compelling than Zoe, who seems to have had a fairly humdrum middle class existence.

Definitely some interesting themes, especially Paloma's journey as a Muxe trans-woman, but a little uneven in interest for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

#Witches @MacLehosePress
Witches by Brenda Lozano shows how boundaries are broken in a combined narrative about two Mexican women; Feliciano, a 'curandero' or healer and Zoe, the journalist who tells her story. Paloma a trans woman is another central character.  There are many repetitive pieces in this book which perhaps work better in Spanish. The repetition is indicative of a healers chant but I found the constant retelling unnecessary. The female voice in an otherwise male dominated society is one of this books winning tropes, as is the detailing of a rural Mexican way of life no longer exists. I would have liked to have been privy to how the healing was done other than the fact that mushrooms were used we are left to guess what the 'language' is. The book is translated into English by Heather Cleary.

Witches is told through the perspective of two women - an indigenous healer and a journalist - through alternating first-person chapters. The book doesn't make it clear initially that this is the format of the book, and it took me a while to get used to the very differing voices. The voice of Zoe, the journalist, is much more traditional and I found this easier to read. Feliciana's account is told through an interview with Zoe and her narrative is much less formal, almost like a stream of consciousness. The book is translated from the original Spanish, and a note from the narrator at the end of the book shows what an artistic process this is, especially when the book makes it clear that Feliciana doesn't speak 'Government' Spanish and so the narrative goes through several translation processes. This makes these chapters more difficult to read initially, however when I relaxed into the book and took the narrative for how it is, and not how I expect it to be, these were the chapters that I enjoyed the most as I learned more about her methods and her beliefs. Feliciana eschews the expected role of women, wife and mother to follow her path and fight against male stereotypes. She is more interesting for the fact that she doesn't seem to have an agenda, or do this for any political reason, but because it is who and what she is meant to be - she couldn't have been anything else. This fate brings her fame and notoriety, but again this is not sought for but an unintended consequence of following her path.

The book tells the story of how Feliciana becomes a curandera, a traditionally male role, and the difficulties she faces as a result of this, from physical harm, verbal abuse and damage. Her story is told by Zoe who comes to speak to her after the death of Feliciana's cousin, Paloma. Paloma is both a healer and a Muxe - In Zapotec cultures of Oaxaca, a muxe is a person assigned male at birth who dresses and behaves in ways otherwise associated with women; they may be seen as a third gender. Paloma is also a healer, however faces descrimination and violence when she becomes a woman, which ultimately leads to her death. Zoe also faces descrimination in her role as a journalist, but the main story that sticks out for me is that of her sister, Leandra, who follows her own path and faces abuse as a result.

The book is very character driven, but as the characters are strong women in unusual circumstances this is enough to maintain the interest and intrigue the reader, with an important commentary on the difficulties women and trans women face in traditional male roles, and the fear and distrust shown towards healing methods outside of scientific norms.