Root Worker Book

"The Root Worker is the story of Ellen, an eleven-year-old African-American girl growing up in Detroit in the 1960s. As described in Ellen's own voice, the world is a threatening place. She is afraid of her teachers, nuns at the Catholic school she attends, who instill in her a fear of punishment for sins she doesn't understand. She is afraid of her mother, who holds her responsible for her family's ills and is convinced that Ellen is possessed by evil spirits. But more than anything, she fears the Root Worker, a voodoo priestess who has Ellen's mother under her sway, who feeds her fears and insecurities, and ruthlessly torments Ellen in an effort to find a "cure" for her wickedness." "Through all of these experiences, Ellen is in a constant search for "glue" - a place of safety, where no one can touch her. She finds a way there when she meets Barbara, a neighbor who tries to restore her trust in people. It will take a great deal, however, for Ellen to wrest herself from the people who have power over her."--BOOK JACKET.

Kirkus Reviews

A young African-American grows up under horrendous circumstances in 1960s Detroit. The time period is irrelevant, actually, since 11-year-old narrator Ellen, her family, and their neighbors seem oblivious to the larger world. There are few references to Detroit's distinguishing landmarks or history, and the isolation of Ellen's neighborhood is nothing compared to the girl's isolation from those around her. She calls her mother "the woman," her father "the husband." Told repeatedly that she is ugly and unwanted, slow and mentally "off," Ellen does behave in ways strangely innocent for her age, although she seems to keep up at the parochial school she attends and even to excel in catechism class. No one seems to notice that Ellen's mother is clearly the unbalanced member of the family. Under the power of the "Root Woman," a voodoo priestess, Mom has determined that evil spirits, in particular those belonging to Ellen's maternal grandmother, have invaded her daughter and must be removed. Ellen is forced to drink horrible concoctions, including bodily fluids. She endures countless beatings and instances of sexual abuse. She is raped and impregnated by her older brother before she's 12. Her mother, who blames "the husband" for the pregnancy and Ellen for enticing him, causes her to abort, then tells her she imagined the whole thing. "The husband" remains a sad, passive observer, and the teachers at her Catholic school (a setting of undeveloped literary possibilities) notice but say nothing. Finally, a new neighbor moves in, an educated woman by the name of Barbara, who feels a bond with Ellen-though the author doesn't convey this very persuasively-and becomes her protector. When Barbaratakes Ellen's plight to the authorities, the battle over the girl's future comes to a head. Unconvincing first novel, despite some powerful scenes.