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Poor Little Witch Girl
 | Poor Little Witch Girl Marie Desplechin Date: 05 September, 2006 — $10.85 — Book Rating: |
Poor Little Witch Girl is a story in four parts revolving around one witch family, whose craft passes from mother to daughter. The mother, grandmother, daughter, and daughter’s boyfriend each tell one part of the story from their own perspective. The book centers on Verbena, the daughter, and her education in becoming a witch. Verbena doesn’t want to become a witch, she simply wants to be normal, grow up, fall in love, and get married.
However, her mom, Ursula, has different plans. After she had Verbena, she ran away from her husband. In their early days, Verbena and her mother led a very charmed life, but as Verbena became older, her mother began watching her more closely for any signs of witchcraft. Her overbearing attitude led to Verbena’s wish to be normal, thus fighting broke out between mother and daughter. Disappointed, her mother sends Verbena to her grandmother for an afternoon a week, hoping that the grandmother can interest her in witchcraft. What Ursula imagines as a very good idea, turns out nothing like anyone expected at all.
The tale grabs the reader from the start. While changing points of view several times and with older women characters, one might think this technique could backfire on a book geared for middle elementary aged readers. However, the older women will appeal to the readers as they too face their own mother-daughter struggles. The multi-perspective story moves the reader along quickly wondering how each perceives the events.
