The Witch of Matonge

The Witch of Matongé by Madison Smartt Bell, Concord Free Press, 2022, 258 pages. ISBN 978-0-9835851-8-3 The first thing that will strike you about Madison Smartt Bell’s new novel, The Witch of Matongé, is the beautiful language. This is not a typical narrative. It is startling, and the depth of what is described is thrilling. In the beginning, the viewpoint appears to be omniscient. However, the witch of the novel’s title is actually narrating and her unique manner of speaking is exquisite. She uses a bowl of water to understand what is happening in order to tell the story. And what a tale! The action is as vividly described as the characters and the reader is compelled to turn page after page: Of many threads, which one to follow? They move in the beaks of bright-colored birds, darting to lace the patterns of tapestry, warp and woof, compounding an image that as yet does not come clear. In the old times there were birds who wove extraordinary fabrics, or so the old ones say – robes of emperors and courtesans – and in the cloth the figures moved and acted out their stories.