I'm sure you've heard the saying, "we are the granddaughters of the witches they couldn't burn"? This book lays out exactly why that is true. Those first witch hunts, trials and burnings - they weren't really about some magical powers or evil doings. No, they were about punishing women who refused to conform to society's rigid idea of what "woman" should be, and making an example of them for other women to keep them in line. Choose to stray from the path of the quiet, subservient, docile, wife/mother/grandmother whose sole purpose in life was to serve your family and do it without complaint? Well...

Chollet examines how that thread weaves throughout history and continues today. It's illuminating and infuriating and nothing that we women don't already know in our bones. Now, where's my broomstick?

Loved this book and the intersection of witches and feminism historically. It's a very engaging work of nonfiction that I could not put down! Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy.

In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona Chollet is a feminist book talking about issues that women face and the issues can be traced back to the witch trials.
The book isn't quite what I had been anticipating when I picked it up. It wasn't a bad book, just not what I'd been thinking it was. The introduction, I feel, is the strongest part of the book and was exactly what I was expecting. The latter content covers various topics from aging to motherhood (or lack thereof) as well as how women are treated in medical fields. The topics are important and handled well, it just wasn't fully what I was expecting.

This was such an interesting book. The history of witches, witch-hunt, and oppression of women was fascinating. The book tells about it and also how it still influences life today. I also loved seeing the important issues like marriage being covered. The truth about witches is less about evil and more about knowing who you are. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In Defense of Witches
The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial
by Mona Chollet
Narrated by Alix Dunmore

I received a digital copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a moving and invaluable work of non-fiction that provides important information that needs to be accessible to everyone. However friends be aware that as a female who walks her own path it was hard to hear at times. I am so grateful to the author for providing this information because we must never forget where we’ve been if we are to continue moving forward. Just know that it is heartbreaking to realize with the astute comparisons from the distant to recent past how much seems that we have not truly come as far as we like to think we have. This information is difficult to take in but imperative to stand witness to.

Narration and sound quality were excellent.
5/5

What an interesting read! I've always been fascinated by witches, could it be because they're one of the first true female icons I was exposed to? This book dives deep into the history of witches and connections with female revolution.

I enjoyed this book as a reference for the Salem Witch Trials and will adopt it into my studies of that historical time presentation.

Really interesting book when it focuses on the history of witches, witchhunts, historical oppression of independent women, and the use of witches as a feminist metaphor. The book becomes a bit more mundane in the last third when it covers important issues like marriage, the medical establishment, looks, etc. but from a more straightforward non-witch focused point of view. Also quite interesting to see a French point of view on feminist theory and issues.

In the Defense of Witches is a modern look at the of women throughout history up to modern day. It gives many examples of the way women were tread upon as well as the weight put on their aging.

This was an interesting read filled with tibits of history that I was unaware of while looking at the effects this had on women of that day and today. The author puts together many arguments on how these critiqued areas of a women's life and her personality can be linked back into what led to many women being tried and ultimately put to death as witches. Not as many were found dancing naked in the moonlight as you might expect; some of these were simply women who decided to think for themselves rather than taking a man's word as gospel.

I recommend this to anyone looking into the history of witchcraft and the wrongly persecuted women to better understand what they experienced at the hands of men who couldn't control them. Age range of 14+ as there is some sexual topics not sutable for younger readers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't what I expected really, it is very very french focused (which since it's a translation I understand) but it is also nothing much to do with witches, instead it is a feminist history about why men are the worst, and how they vilify us for simply being women. There are occasional tie-ins to witches but it feels more like an after thought in attempt to capitalize on the popularity of witchcraft in current times vs the true focus of the book. I found that to be a little disappointing, like a bait and switch, although I did still like the book and learned a few things too.

Really interesting perspective on women and why they're still "on trial" (for lack of a better term)

There was a huge section about motherhood and the stigma that comes with being a mother and for the women who choose to be childless.

I really enjoyed this book and feel like I learned so much! Alix Dunmore did a fantastic job with the narration! I may just seek out what else she has narrated.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

What a beautiful lesson in feminism and witchcraft. The history of strong, independent women and the fragile relationship with freedoms and individual rights is fascinating and Chollet does an incredible job explaining the history and how it affects women today
I received an arc from Netgalley

Not entirely what I was expecting, but happy I listened to this none the less. The introduction goes more into the connection between the witch trials and feminism, but the book itself is more about modern day feminist issues. There are interesting discussion about the distrust of strong women, especially those who don't go for the old traditional female roles of mother/homemaker. While more women are choosing to stay single and/or childless these days, it's still common to be questioned about these choices and assumptions made that they aren't actual choices but happened by circumstance. No, not everyone wants to or should be a parent; not everyone wants to be in a committed relationship. Thinking if I was around during the witch trials, I'd have been burned at the stake too...

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This title and gorgeous cover called to me and had been on my radar for quite a while! I received the audiobook, narrated by Carmen Maria Machado (forward), and Alix Dunmore. Beautifully narrated, this book is an analysis of the misogyny that has existed from the witch hunts to today. The author, Mona Chollet, gives a wonderfully written and well researched account. Although, this does not go in depth about the witch hunts, Chollet starts with the unjustified murdering of single women who were labeled as witches.
I absolutely loved the examples of oppression and misogyny against women in everyday media such as literature, film/television, and art. As well as Chollet's inclusive and thought provoking views on motherhood and pregnancy. I would highly reccomend this to any woman or man! I think understanding the origins and even the most subtle misogyny within the media we consume on a daily basis is absolutely important.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and Mona Chollet for the audiobook ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really liked this book! Lots of important feminist history. Occasionally it went a little more opinion than facts which I find very frustrating in non-fiction but I also know that's hard to avoid especially on a topic like this. It was a very powerful narrative and gave me a lot to think about.

I've been intrigued by this new emergence of WitchTok, and I selected this book hoping that it would enlighten me on the history of witches as well as tie in this new wave of withces. I will say that it did some of that. I got to learn a bit more about the history of witches especially in other countries and in religion. I will say this would be a great text for a collegiate student in Women/Gender Studies.

I felt, however, that all of what was expanded on in the book was given in short in the introduction, and made the book itself exhaustive and extensive, like a book report gone on too long. It felt very much I have a word count to meet. I wanted more in the modern aspect, and I definitely thought some of this repetition could've been replaced with more modern analysis.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In defence of witches by Mona Chollet

Travels the interconnecting threads of the witch trails, persecution and domination of women in the past centuries into today where women are still fighting to be seen as whole fulfilled people regardless of societal “norms” placed upon them ie. work/ motherhood/ sexuality.
This book will make you want to learn and discover more about these women of the past and how their lives inform today.
Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the advanced copy of the audio book.

This was a pretty intense book to read. While I already knew a lot of the connections between modern misogyny and the witch hunts i had no idea how dark things were. I learned a lot about the witch huts and those things that "made" women witches. I found some parts hard to read as a woman but it was definitely important to know.
Overall this book was interesting but I don't think its for everyone.

In Defense of Witches gives a brief history of witch hunts around the world, and then moves on to explore the treatment of women since the witch hunts. The author explores these three main aspects: childless women, elderly women, and independent women.

I enjoyed this audiobook. I thought it was informative and thought provoking. I wish it included more information on the history of witch hunts; however, it has inspired me to do more research on the topic.