Frightening, tragic, violent, and a shameless story of the witch, some witch. As the characters in the novel fret at its suspense, gasp at its terror and hide it for the sake of reputation, the novel breaks the border between magic and reality. The novel begins with a girl writhing in fear and pain; it proceeds as the dirty pasts and hidden histories are dug by the main character; memories which shudder are revisited; and as the violent episodes of riots, lynching, and sexual abuse scream at the characters, some succumb while most rise above the graves of the past. All the while, the hectoring question remains: Is the horror of the witch, some witch eating away at us or are we the horror? At last, what has magic got to do here? Grace, the main character sums it all: When real had forcibly slept with my skin, magic helped me live through it.