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Black Candle Women: A Read with Jenna Pick
A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick
"Propulsive and poignant, Black Candle Women concocts an intoxicating potion of warmth, wisdom, and wonder." -Ava DuVernay
A warm and wry family drama with a magical twist about four generations of Black women, a family curse, and one very complicated year of heartache, miscommunication, and learning to let go.
Generations of Montrose women-Augusta, Victoria, Willow-have lived together in their quaint two-story bungalow in California for years. They keep to themselves, never venture far from home, and their collection of tinctures and spells is an unspoken bond between them.
But when seventeen-year-old Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, their quiet lives are thrown into disarray. For the other women have been withholding a secret from Nickie that will end her relationship before it's even begun: the decades-old family curse that any person they fall in love with dies.
Their surprise guest forces each woman to reckon with her own past choices and mistakes. And as new truths about the curse emerge, the family is set on a collision course dating back to a Voodoo shop in 1950s New Orleans's French Quarter-where a hidden story in a mysterious book may just hold the answers they seek in life and in love…
"Richly imagined and elegantly told, with plenty of satisfying secrets, heartaches, and twists."
-Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Yellow Wife and The House of Eve
"Propulsive and poignant, Black Candle Women concocts an intoxicating potion of warmth, wisdom, and wonder." -Ava DuVernay
A warm and wry family drama with a magical twist about four generations of Black women, a family curse, and one very complicated year of heartache, miscommunication, and learning to let go.
Generations of Montrose women-Augusta, Victoria, Willow-have lived together in their quaint two-story bungalow in California for years. They keep to themselves, never venture far from home, and their collection of tinctures and spells is an unspoken bond between them.
But when seventeen-year-old Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, their quiet lives are thrown into disarray. For the other women have been withholding a secret from Nickie that will end her relationship before it's even begun: the decades-old family curse that any person they fall in love with dies.
Their surprise guest forces each woman to reckon with her own past choices and mistakes. And as new truths about the curse emerge, the family is set on a collision course dating back to a Voodoo shop in 1950s New Orleans's French Quarter-where a hidden story in a mysterious book may just hold the answers they seek in life and in love…
"Richly imagined and elegantly told, with plenty of satisfying secrets, heartaches, and twists."
-Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Yellow Wife and The House of Eve
Editorial Reviews
"Propulsive and poignant, Black Candle Women concocts an intoxicating potion of warmth, wisdom, and wonder. I was completely and gladly under Ms. Brown's spell."
-Ava DuVernay
"Richly imagined and elegantly told, with plenty of satisfying secrets, heartaches, and twists. Black Candle Women is a promising debut."
-Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Yellow Wife and Reese's Book Club Pick The House of Eve
"A spellbinding romp. This book will have you asking yourself, who amongst us isn't cursed? More importantly, how far would you go for a chance at love?"
-Carolyn Huynh, author of GMA Book Club Pick The Fortunes of Jaded Women
"Written with warmth and an eye for detail, Diane Marie Brown's Black Candle Women explores the bonds of family and the magical power of belief to transform our lives."
-Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman, authors of The Thread Collectors
"Black Candle Women is a bold and tender story about three generations of women each attempting to find their way amidst the gifts and curses they've inherited. This novel is a wondrous celebration of womanhood."
-Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park
"Black Candle Women is a compassionate novel about motherhood, sisterhood, independence, and the reflection and forgiveness required to break generational curses. Diane Marie Brown's prose, as well as her fascinating main characters, will win you over immediately."
-De'Shawn Charles Winslow, winner of the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and author of Decent People
"A big-hearted debut, with complex, flawed, and compelling characters I was rooting for every step of the way."
-E.M. Tran, author of Daughters of the New Year
-Ava DuVernay
"Richly imagined and elegantly told, with plenty of satisfying secrets, heartaches, and twists. Black Candle Women is a promising debut."
-Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Yellow Wife and Reese's Book Club Pick The House of Eve
"A spellbinding romp. This book will have you asking yourself, who amongst us isn't cursed? More importantly, how far would you go for a chance at love?"
-Carolyn Huynh, author of GMA Book Club Pick The Fortunes of Jaded Women
"Written with warmth and an eye for detail, Diane Marie Brown's Black Candle Women explores the bonds of family and the magical power of belief to transform our lives."
-Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman, authors of The Thread Collectors
"Black Candle Women is a bold and tender story about three generations of women each attempting to find their way amidst the gifts and curses they've inherited. This novel is a wondrous celebration of womanhood."
-Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park
"Black Candle Women is a compassionate novel about motherhood, sisterhood, independence, and the reflection and forgiveness required to break generational curses. Diane Marie Brown's prose, as well as her fascinating main characters, will win you over immediately."
-De'Shawn Charles Winslow, winner of the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and author of Decent People
"A big-hearted debut, with complex, flawed, and compelling characters I was rooting for every step of the way."
-E.M. Tran, author of Daughters of the New Year
Readers Top Reviews
Foxy Reads
Sometimes you just need to read about messy family drama that isn’t yours. This is what you grab when you want that but also so much more. The story features a generational family of Black women left without love because of a Voodoo curse placed on the matriarch. There’s lots of twists, turns, and secrets revealed. Bundle that with the youngest branch of the family refusing to accept the curse as normal and you have this gem of a story about healing generational trauma.
Kindle Quierra C
I listened to this on audio, narrated by Bahni Turpin. Sometimes the audiobook version of a book saves it for me and this was the case here. I could more easily get lost in the story. The intertwining of the three lives was the most tempting- enjoyed the interactions between the generations of women and this talk of the curse that haunts them and keeps them from loving men- for fear they'll die. Around 60%, though I felt the story lag and there was a lot of 'not much' happening. I skipped around to the end, which was satisfying! I have had time with magic, Black magic, anything like that. It doesn't make sense to me. I've enjoyed this author talking about the book and the journey to writing it.
AlishiaKindle Qu
In this book, we follow the Montrose Women who are a family living in California with New Orleans roots. Augusta is the matriarch and she lives with her granddaughters Victoria and Willow and her great-granddaughter Nikkie. We follow each of these women on their journey through life and love over the course of a few months, and the kicker is all the women are cursed and whoever falls in love with them will die. ***The breaking of generational curses, finding ones voice and not being afraid to do the unexpected truly carried this story. I hope there is a series with this family, I truly look forward to reading more. I feel like there were a few things that were left opened ended and has potential for another story. All in all I give this story a 4
Darlin C MillerMo
I always like Jenna's monthly book selection, however this book was too slow. I could not get interested in the characters or the story. I stopped reading the book after 120 pages. The story was boring. This is the only book that I have ever given a one star rating
