The Conjure Woman (Black Narratives)

The Conjure Woman is a masterpiece of African American fiction that explores themes of race, identity, and class in the nineteenth century South.

With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Chesnutt’s collection of stories is a classic of African American literature.

The opening story, "The Goophered Grapevine," features an old ex-slave named Julius McAdoo who warns his employer about the land he has decided to purchase, leading to a story from Uncle Julius that explores the use of folklore and the exploration of racist stereotypes of Black Americans.

Each story in The Conjure Woman follows a similar formula, beginning with a narrative situation involving John and his wife, Annie, before leading to a story from Uncle Julius.

Highlights include "Po' Sandy," a loose adaptation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which opens with John deciding to build a new kitchen for his wife, and the story of Sandy, a local man who was turned into a tree by a conjurer in order to escape slavery.

The Conjure Woman is a powerful collection of folk takes and stories that will captivate readers with its unique blend of race, identity, and class in the nineteenth century South.