Book description
Lindsey Stewart's The Conjuring of America is a dazzling tour-de-force through a hidden history that sits at the very heart of our culture. From the humble sachets of Vicks VapoRub to the glittering gowns of Disney's The Little Mermaid, the book unspools the ways Black women have infused everyday life with a kind of practical sorcery-conjure-that has shaped medicine, food, fashion, and faith for four centuries.
What makes Stewart's narrative so compelling is her ability to weave scholarly rigor with an engaging, almost conversational tone. She draws on primary sources-from plantation journals and slave narratives-to the oral histories of modern practitioners like Granny Midwives and Candy Ladies, creating a living continuum that feels both ancient and immediate. The author deftly shows how these women combined West African spiritual traditions with local herbal knowledge to create remedies that were not only healing but also acts of resistance against an oppressive system.
The book is peppered with vivid anecdotes: the way enslaved conjure women used moonlit rituals to protect families, or how textile weavers embedded protective charms into garments that would later become part of America's denim heritage. Stewart doesn't shy away from the darker moments-Jim Crow's brutality, for instance-but she frames them as contexts in which these magical practices grew even more vital.
For readers who love history that feels alive and relevant, The Conjuring of America is a revelation. It reminds us that our everyday comforts often have roots in stories of survival, creativity, and fierce love. Stewart writes with the warmth of a storyteller and the precision of a scholar, making this book both an enlightening education and an invitation to see the world through a lens of wonder. If you're looking for a nonfiction work that is as engaging as it is eye-opening, this is the one to pick up.
Scratch
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience