The time to absorb Witches, Midwives, & Nurses is now. The bite-sized, nonfiction treasure effectively sets the mood for a contemplative Halloween season as trivialized portraiture of witchcraft encircles us all.

Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English put forward a history of witches as a thread of women’s rights and oppression, telling a larger story about women as healers. Through time, the crisis of the witch and her “aura of contamination” has shapeshifted into suspicion towards midwifery, nursing, and other modern-day occupations where women advocate for themselves and their bodies. This read then also feels like a warm hug and record of resilience for anyone frostbit by frustrating news and/or conversations about abortion access.

All in all, in approximately 100 pages, Witches, Midwives, & Nurses appreciates the women working to resolve human bodies and souls.