In defense of witches : the legacy of the witch hunts and why women are still on trial / Mona Chollet ; translated by Sophie R. Lewis ; foreword by Carmen Maria Machado.

By:

Chollet, Mona, 1973-

Material type: Text

TextLanguage: English Original language: French Publication details: New York : St. Martin's Press, 2022.Edition: 1st edDescription: xii, 304 p. ; 22 cmISBN:

9781250271419 (hardcover)

Other title:

In defence of witches

Uniform titles:

Sorci�eres. English

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

305.42 23

Contents:

Introduction -- A Life of One's Own -- Wanting Sterility -- The Dizzy Heights -- Turning the World Upside Down.

Summary: "Mona Chollet's In Defense of Witches is a "brilliant, well-documented" celebration (Le Monde) by an acclaimed French feminist of the witch as a symbol of female rebellion and independence in the face of misogyny and persecution. Centuries after the infamous witch hunts that swept through Europe and America, witches continue to hold a unique fascination for many: as fairy tale villains, practitioners of pagan religion, as well as feminist icons. Witches are both the ultimate victim and the stubborn, elusive rebel. But who were the women who were accused and often killed for witchcraft? What types of women have centuries of terror censored, eliminated, and repressed? Celebrated feminist writer Mona Chollet explores three types of women who were accused of witchcraft and persecuted: the independent woman, since widows and celibates were particularly targeted; the childless woman, since the time of the hunts marked the end of tolerance for those who claimed to control their fertility; and the elderly woman, who has always been an object of at best, pity, and at worst, horror. Examining modern society, Chollet concludes that these women continue to be harassed and oppressed. Rather than being a brief moment in history, the persecution of witches is an example of society's seemingly eternal misogyny, while women today are direct heirs to those who were hunted down and killed for their thoughts and actions. With fiery prose and arguments that range from the scholarly to the cultural, In Defense of Witches seeks to unite the mythic image of the witch with modern women who seek to live their lives on their own terms"-- Provided by publisher.

Tags from this library: No tags from this library for this title. Log in to add tags.

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
300 - 399	West Grey Durham Branch Shelves	Non-fiction	305.42 CHO (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		33321003213973

Total holds: 0

Translation of: Sorci�eres.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- A Life of One's Own -- Wanting Sterility -- The Dizzy Heights -- Turning the World Upside Down.

"Mona Chollet's In Defense of Witches is a "brilliant, well-documented" celebration (Le Monde) by an acclaimed French feminist of the witch as a symbol of female rebellion and independence in the face of misogyny and persecution. Centuries after the infamous witch hunts that swept through Europe and America, witches continue to hold a unique fascination for many: as fairy tale villains, practitioners of pagan religion, as well as feminist icons. Witches are both the ultimate victim and the stubborn, elusive rebel. But who were the women who were accused and often killed for witchcraft? What types of women have centuries of terror censored, eliminated, and repressed? Celebrated feminist writer Mona Chollet explores three types of women who were accused of witchcraft and persecuted: the independent woman, since widows and celibates were particularly targeted; the childless woman, since the time of the hunts marked the end of tolerance for those who claimed to control their fertility; and the elderly woman, who has always been an object of at best, pity, and at worst, horror. Examining modern society, Chollet concludes that these women continue to be harassed and oppressed. Rather than being a brief moment in history, the persecution of witches is an example of society's seemingly eternal misogyny, while women today are direct heirs to those who were hunted down and killed for their thoughts and actions. With fiery prose and arguments that range from the scholarly to the cultural, In Defense of Witches seeks to unite the mythic image of the witch with modern women who seek to live their lives on their own terms"-- Provided by publisher.

Translated from the French.

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.