Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue

Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue

Joanna Cotler Books (Imprint of HarperCollins), 1997

Overview: Kissing the Witch is a collection of thirteen lesbian/feminist retellings of classic fairy tales. Though each is self-contained, the stories also form a cyclical narrative which builds as a minor character from the previous story tells a story of her own.

My Reaction: I’m a fairy tale nut, so Kissing the Witch was right up my alley. Classic Grimms’ Kinder- und Hausmärchen AND lesbians? I’m in! Donoghue did not disappoint. While retaining enough essence of the familiar stories, she highlighted the strong relationships between women already present in many fairy tales, while subverting the paradigm that all powerful women must feel animosity towards each other (think Snow White and her stepmother, who are bitter rivals in any familiar recounting of the story, but here are recast as lovers). Donoghue’s interconnected format allows for those who often have no backstory, such as stepmothers, fairy godmothers or even Beauty’s Beast (remade into a woman) to recount their histories.

Not all of these stories are for the faint of heart; like the original Grimms’ tales, many contain disturbing violence or hints of incest. While it can be easy to ignore disturbing images told in the often deceptively simple voice of fairy tale narrative (which Donoghue captures well), some aspects might not sit well with everyone. Also like fairy tales, you almost have to read between the lines for the romance – you won’t find any heart-pounding scenes of passion. However, I definitely would argue for Kissing the Witch’s inclusion here, even sans overt romance or discussion of sexuality for the way it sensitively highlights the strong attractions between women.

Another reason why I liked this book is that it reminds me of The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block, another collection of re-spun fairy tales (though not queer), that were important to me as a teenager. Like that book, Kissing the Witch might also appeal to a YA audience, especially those who love fairy tales, but want ones that celebrate strong and courageous women.