Becoming Baba Yaga
Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods

This book is equal parts folklore, history, anthropology, and etymology, the fragments of which come together to form a portrait of a very complicated woman. Baba Yaga lives on her own, shunning the rules of society for herself, yet enforcing them onto others. She is sometimes old and sometimes not,......more

This was very disorganized and difficult to get through. I think the concept is great, and some of the sentences show a potential for great storytelling and diction. But the author’s trains of thought start and end all over the place. The retellings are cursory, and the research doesn’t feel well-in......more

Baba Yaga has had a special place in my heart for a long time. I was enchanted with her stories as a child, and she's been living in the back of my mind rent-free ever since. When I saw Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods listed in a catalog I knew I needed to read it and......more

Reframing Baba Yaga as a complex character that is sometimes evil, yes, but also has motivations that aren't evil, and could perhaps even be empowering to those who willingly walk into her clutches. There's something compelling about a wise and intelligent (FICTIONAL) woman using power and fear to i......more

This book has been a saving grace over the last few days. Not only is it informative in terms of the lore of Baba Yaga, it’s insightful as well. I will continue to ask myself, “do I come to do deeds, or run from them.”......more