47 pages • 1-hour read
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of religious discrimination, gender discrimination, and graphic violence.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. What were your initial expectations when starting a historical horror novel about witchcraft? How did Brom’s approach to the genre compare to other witch-themed works you’ve read, such as Arthur Miller’s The Crucible or Brom’s own dark fantasy novel Krampus, the Yule Lord?
2. How did you respond to the novel’s escalating violence? At what point did you realize this wouldn’t be a typical historical drama?
3. Which aspects of the story’s atmosphere—the colonial setting, the supernatural elements, or the psychological horror—did you find most effective in creating tension?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Abitha struggles with being an outsider in Sutton’s rigid society. Have you ever felt like an outsider in a community? How did you handle it?
2. The novel explores how people respond when faced with impossible choices. How do you think you would have acted in Abitha’s position when offered Samson’s blood?
3. Throughout the story, characters must choose between conforming to society’s expectations or following their own path. When have you faced a similar choice?
4. How did you feel about Abitha’s transformation from victim to avenger? Could you empathize with her choices?
5. The Carters try to find a middle ground between rigid Puritanism and compassion. Did this depiction of navigating traditional and personal values resonate with you?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to broader societal issues, cultural trends, and ethical dilemmas.
1. How does the novel’s portrayal of colonial American witch trials reflect contemporary issues involving persecution and social control?
2. What does the relationship between Samson and the colonists suggest about humanity’s connection to nature in a historical context? Has that connection changed in the centuries since?
3. How does the novel’s treatment of gender roles in Puritan society illuminate current discussions about gender inequality?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and use of narrative techniques.
1. How does Brom use Abitha and Samson’s parallel journeys of self-discovery to explore themes of identity and transformation?
2. Analyze the significance of the Pawpaw tree as both a literal and metaphorical element in the story. What does it suggest about the relationship between life and death?
3. How do the various names given to Samson (Father, Hobomok, and Slewfoot) reflect different perspectives on his nature? What does this suggest about the power of naming?
4. Consider the role of the wildfolk. How do their actions and motivations complicate the traditional good versus evil dynamic?
5. What narrative or thematic purpose does the 1970s epilogue serve?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book’s content and themes.
1. If you could design a ritual to summon Samson in modern times, what elements would you include and why?
2. Imagine and write (or draft) an alternative ending where Abitha chooses not to drink Samson’s blood. How does this change the story’s message?
3. Create a symbol to represent Abitha’s transformation. What does it look like, and what elements capture her journey?
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