Conjure Women is a historical fiction set two years after the American Civil War in a rural village of mostly back inhabitants who occupy the former slave quarters of the ruined plantation where they were previously enslaved. The story jumps back and forth through time to tell the story of Miss May Belle, a healer, her daughter, Rue, who’s struggling to fill her mother’s shoes, and Varina, daughter of the former plantation owner. Atakora’s debut novel, Conjure Women is suspenseful, beautifully written, and deeply entertaining.