The Witch

<p><b>Translated by Jordan Stump. In a small, sleepy town, a mediocre witch, in a mediocre marriage, tries to pass on her gifts to her twin daughters, who, it becomes immediately apparent, have skills far beyond her own.</b><br><br>'NDiaye at her most dazzling' Katie Kitamura<br>'This is NDiaye at her disquieting best' <i>New York Magazine</i><br><br>Lucie comes from a long line of witches, powers passed down from mother to daughter. Her own mom was formidable in her powers, but ashamed of her magic. Perhaps as a result, Lucie's own gift is weak: she can see into the future, sometimes-but more often, she can only see the present of some other location. Not very useful. And the worst part? All she can ever see are insignificant details - a scrap of outfit, the colour of the sky. Lucie's own children are initiated into their family's peculiar womanhood when they reach twelve years of age, and in a few short months, Maud and Lise are crying the curious tears of blood that denote their magical powers. Having learned, they take off quickly and fly the nest. Literally.<br><br>Witty, dreamlike, vaguely unsettling, and utterly enchanting (pun intended)<i>, The </i><i>Witch</i> brings the mysteries of womanhood and motherhood into sharp relief and leaves us teetering on the edge, unbalanced by questions as seemingly unbreakable relationships break down left and right.<br><br><b>Who is to blame for family failures? And how can you - can you? - build a nest that no one wants to fly?</b></p>