Introduction

“The truth always arrive too late because it walks slower than lies. Truth crawls at a snail’s pace.”

I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem is a novel by Maryse Condé that focuses on the life of Tituba, the black servant who was the first to be accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. I had never heard of this book prior to the creation of bookstagram account but @blackgirlthatreads on Instagram went through a reread and I loved her thoughts so I had to give it a go myself. Condé gives Tituba the voice that history has not afforded her. We get to see Tituba from her rough entry into this world to the very moment that it’s her time to exit. This is not Condé’s first novel that focuses on the history of Black people’s suffering and I intend on reading the rest of her works.

My Thoughts

This book is my second read of the year and it’s a huge change from The Song of Achilles. I almost gave myself whiplash going from something so tragically romantic to something so raw and heartbreaking.

I hadn’t expected to enjoy this book as much as I did. I try not to go into books with high hopes so that I can ensure I’ll be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed but it was different this time around. I absolutely hated The Crucible in high school and I feared that I would have the same feelings towards this novel because it involves the same characters as the play. The novel, however, puts a spin on the Salem witch trials by focusing solely on Tituba – the black servant who was the first to be accused of witch craft by a group of children. I’m always worried about black narratives because they’re always weighed down by pain and suffering.

Tituba’s story was no exception, but the book did provide moments of peace and even moments that made me laugh amongst all the cruelty in Tituba’s life. I also enjoyed that the novel didn’t focus solely on Tituba as we know her. Conde graciously gave Tituba a childhood, a family history, and eventually a life after Salem where she was able to flourish for some time.

My favorite part of the book, though, had nothing to do with a plot. In the back of the book is a Q&A session with the author and boy is this woman a firecracker! I loved her wit and her honesty and it was great to get some insight on her thought process while writing after I finished the book.

Rating

Overall, I give the book four stars. It was extremely good, very well written, and have a perspective that I was very interested in. I wasn’t hooked from start to finish, though, and I had to take several breaks from the book when I knew Tituba’s life was going to get worse.