Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau [Paperback]

Jewell Parker Rhodes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1995

New Orleans in the mid-nineteenth century: a potent mix of whites, Creoles, free blacks, and African slaves, a city pulsing with crowds, commerce, and an undercurrent of secret power. The source of this power is the voodoo religion, and its queen is Marie Laveau, the notorious voodooienne, worshipped and feared by blacks and whites alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

NEA Fiction Award winner Rhodes's first novel brings to life a legendary 19th-century voodoo priestess.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this first novel, which is based on the life of a 19th-century voodooist, Rhodes attempts to place her subject within a feminist context. Brought to New Orleans from the bayou by her grandmother, a former slave, the fictional Marie is persuaded to marry Jacques, a black sailor, in order to escape her mother's fate. Marie's mother was a voodoo queen who was killed because white people feared her powers. Marie leaves Jacques and falls under the spell of John, a voodoo doctor who beats her and exploits her ability to influence crowds. When Marie recognizes and accepts her powerful voodoo heritage, she is able to free herself from John. While Rhodes effectively captures the erotic and racist climate of 19th-century New Orleans, her plot is overwritten and occasionally repetitive.
- Harriet Gottfried, NYPL
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Picador; 4 edition (January 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312119313
• ISBN-13: 978-0312119317
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

http://www.jewellparkerrhodes.com
http://www.jewellparkerrhodes.com/children/

Jewell Parker Rhodes is the award-winning author of the historical novels, Voodoo Dreams, Magic City, Douglass' Women, and the contemporary voodoo-inspired trilogy, Season, Moon, Hurricane. She has also written a memoir, Porch Stories: A Grandmother's Guide to Happiness, two writing guides include: Free Within Ourselves: Fiction Lessons for Black Authors and The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction, and the children's novel, Ninth Ward.

Her work has been published in Germany, Italy, Canada, Turkey, and the United Kingdom and reproduced in audio and for NPR's "Selected Shorts." Her literary awards include: the American Book Award, the National Endowment of the Arts Award, the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence, the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for Outstanding Writing, and two Arizona Book Awards. Ninth Ward, selected as one of the "Best Books of 2010" by School Library Journal, has received a Parents' Choice Foundation Gold Award, the Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award, and the 2011 Jane Addams Peace Association Honor Award.

Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the Artistic Director for Global Engagement and the Piper Endowed Chair of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A COMPELLING HISTORICAL NOVEL, June 1, 2000

By 

David D. Warner (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau (Paperback)

Kudos to Jewell Parker Rhodes for an extraordinary piece of fiction based, in part, on fact. While some might argue that the picture Ms. Rhodes paints of the three Marie Laveaus is not entirely born out by the historical evidence, let's set the record straight. Take a close look at the title on the cover ... Ms. Rhodes clearly acknowledges that this amazing book is a NOVEL and never claims herself to be the definitive biographer of the REAL Marie Laveau or any of Marie's decendents.

That said, there are several reasons why I believe this book deserves 5 stars. First, the vivid imagery used so eloquently by Ms. Rhodes harkens back to the days of old when ALL history was oral history and story-telling was an art. What she has given us is a passionate tale of female courage in the face of injustice, triumph, tragedy, adventure, mystery and faith -- all packaged in a format that is superbly written and masterfully structured.

In my opinion, with VOODOO DREAMS, Jewell Parker Rhodes shines where most of the current best-selling authors fail. She leaves you begging for more, NOT wishing you'd spent your money at Starbucks.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jewell Parker Rhodes breathes life into the legend of Laveau, November 20, 2001

By 

Candace "ccottrel" (Valey Stream, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau (Paperback)

This is wonderfully written novel. Rhodes did a terrific job of dramatizing the legacy of this remarkable woman. Her characters come to life with each page the reader turns.

Whether or not one believes in or practices Voodoo, this book is an insightful and entertaining read. It discusses the beliefs and origin of the Voudon, and provides a glimpse into a world that many try to ignore.

A captivating read and a lyrical novel, I was engrossed in the story of Marie and her legacy. As the title suggests, I found myself having dreams about Marie Laveau.

Candace K

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Demeaning to the Legend of Marie Laveau, July 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau (Paperback)

Although Jewell Parker Rhodes considers herself a feminist, she has taken the story of one of the most powerful women in American history and turned her into a frightened, insecure child. The Marie Laveau of "Voodoo Dreams" is a weak woman, incapable of standing on her own two feet and is constantly relying on other men to help her. Rhodes chooses to have her Marie seduced and imprisoned by Papa John (although there are no hard facts indicating a relationship between the two contemporaries). As the plot unfolds, her Marie is either constantly wishing to return to the lap of her grandmother or fantasizing about the bed of Papa John, despite his constant abuse and rape. Marie is portrayed as a puppet, forced to perform before a screaming crowd, as Papa John counts the money on the sidelines. Readers who are familiar with the legend of Marie Laveau will no doubt be disturbed by this Marie's cries of "I am only a woman . . . I am not in control." The difference between Rhodes' Marie, and the Marie of Robert Tallant's "Voodoo Queen" is stunning. Although Tallant writes in drier prose, his Marie is a vibrant, powerful, charismatic and inventive woman. Whereas Rhodes' Marie is a sheltered and emotional, crippled by the intensity of her spiritual experiences. If I had read "Voodoo Dreams" first, perhaps I would have been seduced by Rhodes' admittedly beautiful prose. But I read Robert Tallant's "Voodoo Queen" first, and I absolutely cannot stomach the hideous distortion of a great woman into this sniveling little girl. I do NOT recommend this book for those who admire Marie Laveau or enjoy a strong female character. It is well and poetically written . . . but demeaning to the legend of the great voodoo queen, and to the sophistication of the religion that birthed her.