Suffer a Witch: A Memoir

Name: Suffer a Witch: A Memoir
Brand: Dutton Books for Young Readers
SKU: 9780593855904
Price: 36.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$36.00

Product Variants

Review Quotes:
" 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 Angeles Times Book Prize and National Book Award Finalist

★ "A harrowing yet galvanizing account of reclaiming one's agency." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ " By turns tragic, frustrating, and resolved, the work is ripe with opportunity for re-readers who will discover different meanings and focal points as they themselves age and revisit it. First-time readers will find themselves spellbound by the rhythmic lines and compelling story despite the difficult topic, all the while being inspired to further explore McCullough's historical reflections."-- Booklist, starred review

★ "Raw and moving.... The use of verse to share her story creates an intimacy with readers, employing vivid, poignant language to forge an emotional connection.... An important book for any library" --Library Journal, starred review

★ "[A] searing gut-punch of a memoir.... The vulnerability here is almost unbearable, as readers watch Joy as a teen disappear into herself and then see McCullough as a writer wrestle with exactly how she wants to make herself seen again. An exercise in healing through creativity, this isn't an easy read, but it's certainly a compelling and ultimately beautiful one."-- BCCB, starred review

Biographical Note:
Joy McCullough is a playwright and the New York Times bestselling author of several books for children and young adults, including Blood Water Paint, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award. She studied theater at Northwestern University, fell in love with her husband atop a Guatemalan volcano, and writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area.

Publisher Marketing:
A stunning memoir in verse about sexual abuse, survival, and sisterhood from the New York Times bestselling author of Blood Water Paint.

"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

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.

Review Citations:

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 06/01/2026 (EAN 9780593855904, Hardcover)
School Library Journal 05/15/2026 pg. 1 (EAN 9780593855904, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
Publishers Weekly 05/25/2026 (EAN 9780593855904, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
Booklist 06/01/2026 (EAN 9780593855904, Hardcover) - *Starred Review