Stormwitch

by Susan Vaught

It is 1969, and Ruba has just moved to Mississippi from Haiti to live with her Grandmother Jones. This world is very different from her old life, where she spent days beachcombing with Ba, her maternal grandmother, and learning the lore of magic and history that Ruba holds close. But magic isn't welcome in this grandmother's house. Ruba struggles to understand her new surroundings and the hate that comes at her from some of the white people in town. It isn't long before Ruba finds herself threatened by the KKK and drawn into the fight for civil rights. But a hurricane barreling toward the coast changes everything? In the end, it brings Ruba and her family a measure of justice and new acceptance.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult Historical Fiction, Race, 20th Century

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2005

About the author

Website: http://susanvaught.com


astrology sign: Libra

favorite book: Harry Potter (all of them) and His Dark Materials
(all of those, too)

favorite song:I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab for Cutie

current pet total:12 if you don't count the chickens, peafowl,
turkeys, ducks, geese, pigeons, or guineas.

names of my schools:
Vanderbilt University (MS, Ph.D.)
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) (BA)
Germantown High School (Germantown, TN 9th-12th)
Germantown Middle School (Germantown, TN 8th)
Can't Remember, but the mascot was a purple dragon (Sandy Springs/Atlanta Georgia, 7th)
Green Street Elementary (Tupelo, MS 6th) Frances Patterson was a very cool teacher there. I write because of her.
Pierce Street Elementary (Tupelo, MS 3rd-5th)
Can't Remember, but it was big (Corinth, MS, 2nd)
Oxford Elementary (Oxford, MS, K-1st)
University of Mississippi (Day Care, Playschool)

Reviews

[Serenity L · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was well written. But I have a problem with a white person writing Black perspective. So I assume she got the white hate correct.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruba is a Haitian girl who comes to live with her grandmother in Mississippi in the late 1960's after the death of her other grandmother in Haiti. Ruba's Haitian grandmother trained her in the magical powers of their African ancestors, but her Grandmother Jones is Christian and thinks Ruba's powers come from the devil. When they're caught up together in the sometimes violent fight for civil rights, Ruba and her grandmother have to work out their differences. The magic and the historical background are very interesting, and the characters and relationships are well done and powerful.

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written story of a strong, young woman that is crafted with a mix of history and real-life events.

I loved how the main character is strong. Only sixteen but trained to be a warrior, Ruba exhibits confidence and an intense will to fight in order to change the circumstances around her and protect those she loves. She also thinks for herself, has knowledge of her past and already knows who she is and what she was born to do. A very inspiring heroine.

The main takeaway I found in the story was in this passage;
"...Not so I would turn my back on my heritage. So I would remember what happened. Embrace it. And understand...Understand how we almost saved ourselves, and how we tore ourselves apart. Understand that we first have to be loyal to each other, and stand together against those who would use us and kill us, and tell us what's right and what's wrong. Wherever we are, we have to live with the values of others, but keep our own."

This sentiment captures the struggle I feel every new generation battles with; caught between past and future, living in the present, owning the burden of having to work out solutions to current social issues. The passage provides a sort of creed to live by or at least reflect on: know your history and value the differences in others.

[Amber Lovett Dhamija · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is 1969, and 16-year-old Ruba is an orphan who has just emigrated from Haiti to Pass Christian, Mississippi to live with her Grandmother Jones after the loss of her other grandmother, Ba. Ruba is tattooed, strong, and proud of her African heritage. As the last living Amazon, descendant of the Dahomey people, it is her duty to defend the world and her ancestral king from the evil spirits in the form of hurricanes bent on destruction. As Ruba struggles to adjust to her new life including her Grandmother Jones’ strict Christianity, she learns that there are different kinds of strength. When the son of the KKK Grand Wizard kidnaps Ruba and her family at gunpoint just as Hurricane Camille is about to arrive, Ruba must draw on her warrior spirit and learn how to forgive others - and herself in order to break the cycle of prejudice. A well-researched and engaging story that blends historical fact and fantasy to illustrate the effects of racism and slavery from Africa to the U.S. Recommended. Ages 10-14.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stormwitch by Susan Vaught is a science fiction, historical fiction, young adult novel that was right up my alley. I loved this book, and I think it would be perfect for any middle school classroom. The character of Ruba is a young girl raised in Haiti who suddenly had to take on a new life in Mississippi in the heat of the civil rights movement. This was an extremely interesting perspective because Ruba has the same perspective that our students would have of this time: an outsider. Although this story is fiction, Ruba’s account is based on true historical information that I believe students could truly relate to in this format. In addition, the science fiction aspect of this novel will draw in students who are not normally interested in historical fiction. Overall, I loved this text and I think it would be a great unit for 8th graders paired with the Non-fiction text Freedom Walkers by Russell Freedman and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

[Dr. Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stormwitch was a vivid conglomeration of history, fantasy, and family. The factual basis for the setting included a history of the only true Amazon women, who hailed from the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the early 1700s, as well as the Mississippi Coast in 1969. The author, Susan Vaught intricately weaved the history of the African mothers around the fight for racial equality in the south. Then Vaught sprinkled the historical occurrence of Hurricane Camille, which destroyed the Mississippi coast with its level 5 hurricane in the summer of 1969. I would love to use this book in my classroom as a way to show through a strong female character, the impact that history has on shaping our lives. This book would pair well with books that also look at the south and its struggle for civil rights. Vaught refers to several historical events that occurred during the freedom summer of 1964.

[Ash Otterloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this in a morning, and I'm letting it settle under my skin. I really adore the blend of magic and realism, and the honest, unflinching perspective of the main character as she adjusts to the prejudices of Mississippi in the 1960s. A fresh perspective.

In the end, it's the story about relationship between a girl and her two (seemingly different) grandmothers from two different cultures. The emotional payoff for the grandmother she's saying goodbye to is exquisite; for the new grandmother who the story is heavily invested in the MC building an understanding with, not so much. I was disappointed in how that relationship was left dangling after so much hard work to connect with her.

All in all, though, it's a beautifully rich story and a worthwhile read. Will recommend to others.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this one. It was short and sweet, very enjoyable.

The characters are well developed and true. The description is to the point and efficient. The plot is well threaded and involving.

Maybe because I'm so used to reading stories about racism etc. ending badly, I was very pleasantly surprised by the happy ending on this one. It made me feel hopeful, which is always a bonus for a book.

Another positive is that, despite being YA, this book feels a lot more mature than usual for the genre. There is no naivité. It is very practical and straightforward, none of the concessions you usually have to make for YA are necessary here (surprisingly, there was no eye-rolling on my part, which is unheard-of in YA). The lack of unnecessary romantic subplot was also very much appreciated.

[Rachelle Lambert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is appealing, powerful and inspiring. It chronicles the life of a young Haitian woman transplanted to Mississippi, who faces issues of racism and helps to fight a storm. Though I found the storyline of this novel appealing, I am not convinced that the cultural facts are accurate. In the novel, the character is referred to as wearing a dashiki… I am not an expert on Haitian culture but I am not sure how relevant the dashiki is in their garment (even in the 1960s). Although the magic and voodoo is captivating, I would caution readers not to interpret the story as factual. Furthermore, I would also encourage readers not to stereotype people of the Haitian culture as voodooists and witches. I rated the story 3 stars!

[shatine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimed younger than I usually read, but the benefit of that is that the writing keeps itself efficient; I would've liked more to it, especially to Ruba's memories of Haiti (did she miss anyone else besides Ba?), but the story gets in, tells itself, and gets out. Ruba is believably young and headstrong, so I sympathized but at the same time felt like her grandmother: Stooooop, you're going to get murdered! Then her grandma put me to shame by shrugging her shoulders and handling shit while I waited for the other shoe to drop.

Now I am thinking about storms. Not sure if this is testament to skillful writing, or to my fascination with storms.

[Shomeret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves even more acclaim than it has received. It's my favorite YA novel of 2013. On the narrative level it's about a girl with a paranormal gift who can really send a message with her talent. No one in Mississippi can mess with this Haitian! Haitian immigrants to the U.S. are usually portrayed in fiction as victims, not heroes. That's very cool!

But there's also the background about the woman warriors of Dahomey which in my opinion is even cooler!

See the blog version of my review at http://maskedpersona.blogspot.com/201...

[lyns · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was amazing. and i do not say that lightly. its mystical *in the good way* and complicated and great.

its about a young woman who moved from haiti to mississippi in 1969 and stepped into the crushing reality of the battles of the civil rights vs black power, christianity vs old religion.

its so gooooooooood.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am blown away by Susan Vaught's writing powers--not just her craft, but her insights into different experiences, and her evocation of a historical era with careful detail and beautifully drawn characters. This was more than just a great YA novel. This was a masterpiece of historical speculative fiction.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt too young for me to enjoy, though I liked the subject matter and inspiration.

[annebeth]

Wow! I think I may have to write the author fan mail.

[Oyceter · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://oyceter.livejournal.com/450684...