Customer Reviews

April Witch: A Novel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In post-war Sweden, three very different girls find a safe haven with foster-mother Ella. Christina and Birgitta were removed from abusive homes by social workers, and Margareta was abandoned at birth. Little do these girls know that there is a fourth member of their group-Desiree, Ella's severely disabled daughter. Desiree has been institutionalized since birth, suffering from cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Although she cannot speak or move, Desiree is an "April witch," someone with a weak body and a strong mind. She follows the lives of her three "sisters," whom she believes have stolen the life she was supposed to have.

Ella gave up her only child to the care of Sweden's new Welfare State when told that Desiree was too severely afflicted to ever leave the hospital. She could not know that, with the help of a computer, her daughter would learn to communicate with others, earn a number of advanced degrees, or use her paranormal capabilities to follow Ella's life and her relationship with her foster daughters. Much of "April Witch" takes place after Ella's stroke when the girls are separated and go on to lead their own lives. Christina becomes a doctor, Margareta a physicist, and Birgitta a battered, drug-addicted alcoholic, but none of them know about Desiree, yet.

We don't get to read many novels set in the Sweden of the `50's and 60's, and Linda Schenk's excellent translation makes you realize that there must a worthy collection of Swedish fiction we never get to see. "April Witch" is an intelligent, unusual, deeply felt story that should find an appreciative readership here in the U.S. My only quibble is that the April witch conceit is not fully played out, and actually isn't very necessary. Desiree is already linked to Ella and her sisters through real life-the doctor she loves was a boarder at Ella's house at the time of her stroke, Christina is a doctor in her facility, and Ella ends up on a respirator right down the hall from daughter. It's an interesting nuance to the story, but the tale of this family of women tossed together by chance is compelling enough without it.

I was browsing through a book store at lunch and this one just happened to be on the shelf with the cover facing forward. I read the cover and maybe the first four pages and then moved on. I couldn't get those four pages out of my mind, so I went back for the book. I was not disappointed. I recommend this book to friends - but not all of them. I can see how it may not be for everyone; but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It wouldn't be a book I would recommend to someone who would be easily offended as there are bit parts of explicit sexuality and some taboo subjects touched upon. I think the social commentary and off-beat characters may be a turn-off for some, but I find those topics and story lines compelling. The social commentary aspect could have easily been heavy-handed, but Axelsson keeps the story true to her characters and doesn't make her critique preachy.

The character development in this book was wonderful. The four sisters were complete and interesting and not like other people I know or characters I've run across. That may be because I am American and they are Swedish, but none the less, I found them convincing. That's not to say I would choose them as friends, but I don't require that to enjoy the book. I also liked getting to know a little more about Sweden than where it is on the map. The actual "april witch" aspect was an interesting way to tell all four stories. Christina was my favorite of the sisters, and the part about her x-rays during her time at medical school was a heartbreaker. Actually there were many poignant recollections of the girls growing up (pre and post Ella). I did find it hard to fathom why there wasn't more structure and honesty between the characters, but I think that was probably part of the mess they were in, so to speak. I would have liked to know even more about the characters and their flawed lives. I thought there were parts of the book that were unresolved; parts that weren't fully explained or situations that were somewhat messy - but I think that gave the book a measure of realism - real life isn't scripted and sometimes a happy ending just isn't in the cards. There were also little character traits and interesting situations for the characters that made up for where the book may have fallen shy of the mark. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Axelsson book...

Majgull Axelsson's novel APRIL WITCH is a story told from a different angle -- the narrator is a woman who has lived with cerebral palsy and epilepsy for all of her life. Born in the 40s in Sweden, she was abandoned into state care by her birth mother -- who subsequently adopted three foster daughters. The narrator, Desiree, knows about her 'sisters' -- but they know nothing about her, even of her existence.

Desiree is extremely intelligent and motivated -- facts that escape most of her care-givers for years -- and she is 'different' in another way as well: she is an 'April witch', with the ability to leave her crippled body and travel in the bodies of birds and animals (and even other people, although this choice is extremely physically taxing for her). As she moves through middle age and sees her own condition deteriorating, Desiree comes to the conclusion that her death is approaching. She has become increasingly obsessed with the idea that one of her 'sisters' has led the life that was 'meant' for her -- and she is determined to do everything she can to find out which one.

The three 'sisters' -- a doctor, a physicist and a drug- and alcohol-abusing derelict -- cannot stand each other. As the book opens, Desiree 'sets her sisters in motion', bringing them not only together, but together around her, in order to answer the questions which have been burning within her for her entire life.

The person who knows Desiree the best (and who cares for her very deeply) is her primary care physician, Dr. Hubertsson -- who also happens to be a former lodger at the home of her mother, 'Aunt Ella', as the other 'sisters' know her. He is the remaining link in the world that binds them all together -- and he becomes part of Desiree's plan as well. Over the course of this well-developed story, everyone involved -- Desiree included -- comes to learn a lot about themselves as well as the others.

Axelsson's central character is an unusual but compelling one -- and it's refreshing to see a person with such an extreme disabity portrayed with such empathy and respect. This book, besides being very entertaining and intelligently written, can be a potential eye-opener for those who look upon people with disabilities with pity and disdain, as society's flotsam and jetsam. They -- like all of us -- deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

Have you ever walked in to your favorite restaraunt and settled comfortably in your seat, prepared to order your usual dish-only to be tempted by other, less familiar entrees? You debate back and forth between the familiar and that "new kid on the block." The picture is so appealing, not to mention the accompanying description that literally sets your mouth to watering. After some debate, you decide to risk it and you order something that you have never tried before. You wait impatiently for the server to return, anxious and excited to sample this new delicacy. Finally, the moment arrives and the server places a hot, aromatic dish in front of you and you throw caution to the wind and dive right in. Then, you chew. You ponder. You chew some more. It has all the right ingredients, but it has lost something in the preparation. Perhaps the chef should have added a spice here, a seasoning there. Maybe he should have cooked it just a little while longer. You finish the meal, but you have lost some of your furvor in the process. It is just not what you thought it was going to be.
This is how I felt when I read "April Witch". The review in People magazine was enough to make me run out and buy the book, in hardcover no doubt. I started it that evening, but was soon disillusioned. The story line showed great potential, and the characters were certainly developed and memorable. Although it moved along a little too slowly, I stayed with the book because it was "just good enough" that I wanted to finish it. The author, however, left me hanging. I kept waiting for a "climax" that never came. It had "all the right ingredients", but was lacking something. The next time, I'll order my usual.

Read in the summer of 2003. I remember because I sat on my porch, drinking coffee and reading... until the porch light had to come on and then I switched to wine. I almost finished this in a weekend!
Desiree was abandoned at birth, a hideous child of disfigurement and riddled with birth defects (Cerebral Palsy). As she grows, Desiree becomes bitter to her 'three sisters' who she feels stole her life, as she was supposed to live it. The story is about Desiree and how even though she may not move, she may not speak...she follows the sisters everywhere, because she is an "April Witch", one of weak body but a mind so strong...

To make amends for her life, Desiree plots the 3 sisters to interact despite their sheer hate of each other... and she includes her physician in the twist, Dr. Huberson.
*this book was written in Sweden, and translated. -Wonderful translation This has easily become one of my favorite reads, so even though I read it 3 years ago, I had to post about it, as I have picked it up to read again!

This book is a great example of why we learn to read. It has beautiful writing, a unique story line, and social issues that really get your brain humming. As a mother of someone with severe CP but a bright mind, I found this book difficult to read at times but could not stay away. The storyline of the sisters and their dynamics is fascinating in its own right, even outside of the "main" storyline with the main character. I was engrossed in this book and could not anticipate how the author would resolve all of the threads into any sort of satisfying conclusion, yet unlike other reviewers that is exactly how I felt about the book's ending. ("Wow. She actually pulled it off!") Very highly recommended.

I was wandering around [my local store], and something caught my eye on the "NEW" table. I stopped and looked closer. I noticed that the authors name looked very Swedish, so I picked the book up to see if it indeed was a translation of a Swedish book. After finding out that it was, I stared at the cover for a while, and found it very intriguing. Started reading the flap so I could see what it was about. I got very curious and bought the book. I didn't get around to reading it until some weeks later, I just finished it a couple days ago. It is a wonderful book, very different, sometimes very strange, but still, a beautiful book. I might try to find it in Swedish too (I am Norwegian and understand Swedish very well). Axelsson cites Ray Bradbury's story "April Witch" as an inspiration for this novel. I had of course heard of Ray Bradbury, but was not familiar with "April Witch". I had a feeling that it would help me to read Bradbury's "April Witch" before I stared the Axelsson book. I found Bradbury's "April Witch" in its full length on the Internet. It did not take me long to read at all, since it's a fairly short story. I loved every word of it, though! I would recommend reading it before starting Axelssons book, I really felt that it helped me understand more of it.
I have done extensive Internet searches on "born to the caul" and "benandanti" after finishing it, and have found interesting stuff that I had never heard of before. I highly recommend this book.

Majgull Axellson is a writer who deserves a lot more attention than she gets here. As far as I know, only two of her books ("April Witch" and an early documentary, "Rosario is dead") have been translated into English. She deals masterfully with social problems in the Swedish post-war welfare state, in all her books women are in the center and their characters are beautifully developed, individual and colorful (in this respect Axelsson's works remind me of Almodovar's "Volver" which I have seen recently - with women depicted as real creators of the world, and men as troublemakers and idlers - with only a few notable exceptions to this rule). In her world, painful reality mingles with poetic magic, traditions and myths, each story is original despite touching, in fact, the same deep, old issues. The language is rich, evoking powerful imagery, and giving more depth to the described events.

"April Witch" tells a story of Ellen Johansson (I have no idea why "Ellen" was changed to "Ella" in translation. Did "Ella" sound more Swedish to the translator?) who works as a foster mother. Three girls, Christina, Birgitta and Margareta, are adopted by her and their lives, albeit they turn out very different, are very much influenced by her personality. Ellen has a secret though - her real daughter, Desiree, has been taken from her right after birth and put into professional care. Desiree has cerebral palsy with epileptic attacks, and her condition worsens with time. She has an unusual ability - as an "April witch" she can possess the body of any other living creature, although she pays for each such trip a price of her own health. Desiree uses her abilities to track the lives of her adopted sisters, trying to figure out, which one has "stolen" her life. The reader goes through the past of all five women, with frequent retrospectives and narration changes. The characters are beautiful, complicated and contrasting. I liked the idea for the novel very much, although I felt that the plot got weaker towards the end and the ending was not completely satisfactory, as if the author had run our of steam.
Axelsson novels, and "April Witch" is no exceptions, are very feministic, but on the pole, which I especially like; her characters are strong women, who know themselves, but the writer is also not afraid to explore their weaknesses and stupidity, the long and painful process of maturation and self-analysis, their addictions and illnesses. This is the writing completely different from what I call "a feminist propaganda (which can also be very good - Erica Jong comes to my mind instantly, but I prefer Axelsson's style).

I recommend "April Witch" to anyone interested in real, well developed characters with complicated lives. I would like to recommend also other books of Axelsson's, especially chronologically later "Augusta's House" (very mature with a well-balanced story - Axelsson really develops as a writer) and earlier "Far from Niflheim" (with dramatic volcano eruption in the Philippines in the center of the plot) but it seems that first I have to wish for them to be translated...

Every now and then I stumble across a book that absolutely captivates me and yet has been either misunderstood or completely ignored by the critics. This is one of those books.

There are enough plot synopses elsewhere here to give you some sense of what goes on in the book, but none of them can convey the almost hypnotic attraction of the prose (I can't speak for the original, but the translator seems to have done a masterful job). All I'll add is that the mysterious, inviting cover is the perfect entree to this magical novel. Beyond that, just this: Read it.

This was an odd book. I liked it, but I can also understand why others may very well not. The author did get a little long winded during portions of the book, but I don't feel that it was without reason. Her writing was descriptive and gave a very clear picture in the readers mind. The characters were well written, their history was well written, and the intended emotions and mood of each character's life and history was well laid out in fine detail. I did feel for these women, and I also became emotionally invested in the final outcome of their sad lives.
On the other hand, I actually picked up this book because of the supernatural undertones, so to speak. When it was all said and done, that is the one portion of the book that I did not really enjoy. Without giving anything away, at first, throughout the first few chapters of the book, I was captivated with what would evenutally come of the hospitalized sister, and her 'ability.' Unfortunately, I don't feel the author developed this area of her story, nor did it seem to lead to any level of interest for me. Actually, it was rather odd and out of place when compared to the rest of the book.
Had the author left out all of the witch business, and had she focused on the book just being what it truly is, a story of four woman and the struggles they faced throughout their childhood, I think the story would have held more weight.

Having said all that, it's not a bad book, but nothing supreme. Although, I feel it could have been. The potential was there.