Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn
Karen McCarthy Brown
Dec 2001 · Comparative Studies in Religion and Society Book 4 · Univ of California Press
3.2star
9 reviewsreport
Ebook
447
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About this ebook
Karen McCarthy Brown's classic book shatters stereotypes of Vodou by offering an intimate portrait of African-based religion in everyday life. She explores the importance of women's religious practices along with related themes of family and of social change. Weaving several of her own voices--analytic, descriptive, and personal--with the voices of her subjects in alternate chapters of traditional ethnography and ethnographic fiction, Brown presents herself as a character in Mama Lola's world and allows the reader to evaluate her interactions there. Startlingly original, Brown's work endures as an important experiment in ethnography as a social art form rooted in human relationships. A new preface, epilogue, bibliography, and a collection of family photographs tell the story of the effect of the book's publication on Mama Lola's life.
Ratings and reviews
3.2
9 reviews
nick long
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November 5, 2013
The book seem unfocused and jumps around. The author also enjoys drawing out simple ideas to 3-5 pages when they could be summed up in a paragraph. Also the book attempts to combine biography with story telling but it does neither well and the constant jump from the contrasting styles of writing are jarring. Most people will probably end up having to read this book for a class and that's about the only way I could fathom someone reading this mediocre work.
5 people found this review helpful
Sarah Reyna
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September 11, 2023
Nice book
Shaniqua Lassiter
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October 9, 2018
A must read
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Karen McCarthy Brown is Professor of Anthropology of Religion at The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies and The Theological School of Drew University.
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