For readers of Know My Name by Chanel Miller and fans of Broadway’s John Proctor Is the Villain, a stunning memoir in verse about sexual abuse, survival, and sisterhood from the New York Times bestselling author of Blood Water Paint.
Joy McCullough’s earliest memories are of time spent in church, moments when she climbed the steps to recite from the pulpit, just like her preacher father. But when she was a teenager in San Diego in the 1990s, her connection to her family and church were forever altered when a youth pastor groomed and sexually assaulted Joy.
In her debut memoir, McCullough pairs achingly raw poems recalling her abuse and its aftermath with hopeful, challenging verses about her life today as she seeks healing and justice in a country that rewards men for sexual abuse and still insists “girls these days will say anything.”
Among the poems, McCullough also weaves prose letters to historical girls and women—from Joan of Arc to Abigail Williams—whose lives and stories were ignored when they were caught in the maelstrom of witchcraft accusations.
Suffer a Witch shines a bright, unsparing light on one woman’s experience—and on those of generations of women who came before her.
“Suffer a Witch is a searing, precise testament on the long tradition of not believing women. The juxtaposition of the Salem victims with modern patterns, expressed in verse, pulses and aches on the page. McCullough’s words burn in this crucible of truth: these are the lengths men will go to when a woman cries abuse.” —Tia Levings, New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife
“From the quicksand of sexual abuse and survival, McCullough conjures the solid ground of healing. The solid ground every survivor deserves to experience—of our belonging to ourselves; of naming harm as harm, when and how we can; of taking back everything we can; of never having to go back to anywhere we cannot. This book is a gift.”—Ashley Hope Pérez, award-winning author of Out of Darkness
"Suffer a Witch is an untraditional telling of deeply traditional experiences, though we prefer not to think of 'tradition' when it comes to the abuse of women. We should. Alternating verse narration with epistles to witches and other truth-tellers of old, McCullough transforms her account into a choral demonstration of testimony and power, and of the ways women have been literally and figuratively burned for the crime of bearing witness. You don’t have to have been raised female in the church to recognize these verses. It’s the scripture of abuse McCollough evokes here, and it’s impossible to look away. This is ultimately a parable of strength."—Lacy Crawford, award-winning author of Notes on a Silencing
"In Suffer a Witch, McCullough gives language to some of the darkest and most isolating moments of survivorhood with unflinching honesty and care. For the survivor, to read McCullough’s story is to feel understood, seen, and advocated for. McCullough’s voice is clear, urgent, and unmistakable. This memoir bravely joins a canon of literature for survivors to carry as both a weapon and a guide. I will be holding this book in my heart for many years to come."—Hannah V. Sawyerr, Los Angles Time Book Prize and National Book Award Finalist
For readers of Know My Name by Chanel Miller and fans of Broadway’s John Proctor Is the Villain, a stunning memoir in verse about sexual abuse, survival, and sisterhood from the New York Times bestselling author of Blood Water Paint.
Joy McCullough’s earliest memories are of time spent in church, moments when she climbed the steps to recite from the pulpit, just like her preacher father. But when she was a teenager in San Diego in the 1990s, her connection to her family and church were forever altered when a youth pastor groomed and sexually assaulted Joy.
In her debut memoir, McCullough pairs achingly raw poems recalling her abuse and its aftermath with hopeful, challenging verses about her life today as she seeks healing and justice in a country that rewards men for sexual abuse and still insists “girls these days will say anything.”
Among the poems, McCullough also weaves prose letters to historical girls and women—from Joan of Arc to Abigail Williams—whose lives and stories were ignored when they were caught in the maelstrom of witchcraft accusations.
Suffer a Witch shines a bright, unsparing light on one woman’s experience—and on those of generations of women who came before her.
Praise
“Suffer a Witch is a searing, precise testament on the long tradition of not believing women. The juxtaposition of the Salem victims with modern patterns, expressed in verse, pulses and aches on the page. McCullough’s words burn in this crucible of truth: these are the lengths men will go to when a woman cries abuse.” —Tia Levings, New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife
“From the quicksand of sexual abuse and survival, McCullough conjures the solid ground of healing. The solid ground every survivor deserves to experience—of our belonging to ourselves; of naming harm as harm, when and how we can; of taking back everything we can; of never having to go back to anywhere we cannot. This book is a gift.”—Ashley Hope Pérez, award-winning author of Out of Darkness
"Suffer a Witch is an untraditional telling of deeply traditional experiences, though we prefer not to think of 'tradition' when it comes to the abuse of women. We should. Alternating verse narration with epistles to witches and other truth-tellers of old, McCullough transforms her account into a choral demonstration of testimony and power, and of the ways women have been literally and figuratively burned for the crime of bearing witness. You don’t have to have been raised female in the church to recognize these verses. It’s the scripture of abuse McCollough evokes here, and it’s impossible to look away. This is ultimately a parable of strength."—Lacy Crawford, award-winning author of Notes on a Silencing
"In Suffer a Witch, McCullough gives language to some of the darkest and most isolating moments of survivorhood with unflinching honesty and care. For the survivor, to read McCullough’s story is to feel understood, seen, and advocated for. McCullough’s voice is clear, urgent, and unmistakable. This memoir bravely joins a canon of literature for survivors to carry as both a weapon and a guide. I will be holding this book in my heart for many years to come."—Hannah V. Sawyerr, Los Angles Time Book Prize and National Book Award Finalist
