• Witches of America

  • By: Alex Mar
  • Narrated by: Amanda Dolan
  • Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (78 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Witches of America  By  cover art

Witches of America

By: Alex Mar
Narrated by: Amanda Dolan
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.00

Buy for $25.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

When most people hear the word witches, they think of horror films and Halloween, but to the nearly one million Americans who practice paganism today, it's a nature-worshipping, polytheistic, and very real religion. So Alex Mar discovers when she sets out to film a documentary and finds herself drawn deep into the world of present-day witchcraft. Witches of America follows Mar on her immersive five-year trip into the occult, charting modern paganism from its roots in 1950s England to its current American mecca in the San Francisco Bay Area. Along the way she takes part in dozens of rituals and becomes involved with a wild array of characters: a government employee who founds a California priesthood dedicated to a Celtic goddess of war; American disciples of Aleister Crowley whose elaborate ceremonies turn the Catholic mass on its head; second-wave feminist Wiccans who practice a radical separatist witchcraft; and a growing "mystery cult" whose initiates trace their rites back to a blind shaman in rural Oregon.

©2015 Alex Mar (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[Mar takes] readers on an expertly crafted spiritual journey." ( Publishers Weekly)

Featured Article: 25 of the Best Witchy Listens to Cast a Spell for Halloween


Spooky season is upon us, and it's the perfect time of the year to sink into some wonderful witchy listens—although to be honest, we don't need an excuse to enjoy great stories about the fascinating world of witches. Whether you're into fantastical fiction tales of magic, the more practical informational guides on how to practice witchcraft, or historical tales about the real lives of famous witches, we've rounded up some of the very best witch audiobooks.

What listeners say about Witches of America

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    38
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    37
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    31
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Author Misses the Point!

What would have made Witches of America better?

The author documents a personal journey to satisfy her yearning for an "authentic" occult experience. Her documentation is at times very entertaining but she is never really able to let go of her rational, analytical mind. If the author were writing a scholarly review then this would not be a problem, it would be entirely appropriate.

However, the author has written a very personal account not a scholarly, anthropological one. She is forever asking, "Is this real?" In the author's mind (as represented in the book) if magic and the occult is "real" then it is worth her pursuing it. Otherwise, she (and those pursuing it) are pathetically mislead. This is not something an anthropologist would concern themselves with. Nor is the author qualified to pursue the question of scientific proof.

No, the author is writing a personal account of someone yearning for a spiritual experience but unable to let go of her skepticism enough to truly let go. Repeatedly the author will come to the brink of a spiritual breakthrough only to step back before any personal transformation is possible. But she never seems to realize this for herself. It is that lack of self awareness that make the book so weak.

Her constantly asking "is this real?" seems so very childish. For people pursuing a spiritual path "real" can have many meanings but it seldom means real in the way a young child might believe that Santa is real. But for this author that is what "real" seems to mean. In other words, she is asking can magic as practiced by witches change the physical world in a way to make all skeptics into believers? To the author this is the ultimate test of whether or not the people practicing witchcraft are legitimate spiritual practitioners or misguided misfits. The problem with this is that for many (arguably most) spiritual practitioners this not an important question at all. Had the author ever realized this the book would have been much better.

What could Alex Mar have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

The author seems very unaware of her own biases and limitations and how they effect her perceptions of the people she is writing about. If the author has taken an authentically anthropological approach she might have been able to avoid this.

Alternatively, has she been more aware of how her

Which scene was your favorite?

The best parts of the book are the ones where she explores her own family. Perhaps because this is the most genuine part of the book.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The writing style is good. I have no fault with the writer's technique. But the book lacks depth for the reasons previously stated.

The reader of the book is excellent and really breathes life into the text.

Any additional comments?

There are some excellent critiques of this book out there right now. Many in the pagan community are offended by how the author exposes very personal details and feel she has behaved in an unethical manner. The author hasn't really addressed these accusations.

Another valid point made by critics is the fact that the author comes from a privileged segment of our culture and critiques her subjects from that position of privilege without ever really acknowledging her privileged position.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

A Half-Witted Survey Into the Hippy Occult

What would have made Witches of America better?

Perhaps it's that there isn't a lot of substance and not much rooted in genuine history (other than 1960s drug abuse), but the subjects of this study are quite boring, despite the author's desperate attempts to elevate them beyond their mundane counter-culturalism.

Has Witches of America turned you off from other books in this genre?

I have little desire to explore this topic further. If I wanted to know more about fringe "Wiccan" misfits, I would attend Burning Man.

Have you listened to any of Amanda Dolan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The performance of the book is clean and engaging; without it, the book would be entirely intolerable.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The little devil on this sub-par author's shoulder can be heard--amid the din of this text--screaming to her to embrace this juvenile rustic communal lifestyle against which the better angels of her (insufficient) skepticism wimper their protests.

Any additional comments?

Do not read this unless you want to feel an abiding sense of pity that this author has wasted what seems to be an enormous portion of both her (and now my) fleeting time on Earth with these idiotic people that call themselves "witches." If you're looking for a seasonal Halloween read, find one of several books about Celtic mythology or the Salem Witch Trials that explore consequential historical episodes, as opposed to this (lavatory) rag that will give you more insight than you could ever hope for into the modern gothic--still as ridiculous as it was when Austen wrote Northanger Abbey, and even more despicable for its link to adolescent 60s indolence.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Nope

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I came onto the app to find out how to return this book but I can't figure out how. I don't enjoy this book, from the description I anticipated a more fact based documentary but it comes off as more of a pre-teen book report. I'm so mad that this book is so bad because all the descriptions make it sound like it's going to be so cool. I would love to have experienced all that Alex has but not from her point of view. I couldn't finish the book, and I really tried. There are parts of the book that were interesting when she would talk about the facts of a certain group but as soon as she started talking about herself again I would tune out. I don't like all her opinions on everything it creates a negative attitude toward most of what she is witnessing and makes everything come off very childish. She turns something interesting into something "not for her" which is so obnoxious since she's writing the book she should probably be more interested in the subject. Now if literally anyone she met along the way had written this book then I would have enjoyed it. Someone who is serious about the topic and who believes in what they're writing about. This book is maybe for someone who is skeptical about witchcraft and wants to be proved right that its weird.. which is obviously not her target audience and not what I was looking for when I purchased it.

Would you ever listen to anything by Alex Mar again?

No I would not.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Amanda Dolan?

The reader is fine.

What character would you cut from Witches of America?

The main character

Any additional comments?

I was so disappointed in this book, I had such high expectations and I was really let down.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Terrible Rag!

A disservice to all real Witches who embrace the light. A voyeur's witch hunt.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great intro to American Witchcraft.

I wanted to find out how far Alex would go in the world of witchcraft. Good history of the American practice, in regions as well as covens.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Interesting in some parts, but disrespectful

While listening to the book, I was under the impression that it was written by someone who had become a pagan. She had written some very rude observations throughout, but I thought, hey, maybe that was her journey. By the end of the book, I was scratching my head and did some Googling.

This book has been criticized by many pagans, including people who appeared in the book, such as the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood. The author divulged information given to her in private settings without stating that they would be in the book. She provided copies of the book to some precious few subjects of it just before it went on sale--not just before it went to print, as she had promised. I see no apology on her part either, and I've scoured around the Internet. She's shameless and exploitative.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Don’t bother if you want to learn about witches in America

This isn’t a book about witches in America. This is a book about the author’s experiences, perspectives and opinions, peppered throughout with random and sometimes questionable “history”. She shadows a handful of groups and people, and talks about her experiences, but it is in no way an account of or review of the actual varieties of witchcraft in America, as we are lead to believe in the summary.

Frankly, by the end, I was thoroughly sick of hearing the author talk about other cultures only through the lens of her own personal experiences. Don’t bother with this book unless you want to read an account or how the author personally relates to some people in some groups some of the time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping

I listened to this for my pagan book club and we loved it. I know the reviews are very mixed, but I really think it's like with any journalistic piece - if you don't like how you are portrayed, you complain. I think it's a great piece for those who have found themselves sometimes lost and I don't personally think it was unflattering to the subjects. Morpheus in particular is such a dreamy, interesting character in this. Sad to hear about the backlash.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great book

easy to listen to, well written, great view on the struggle of finding what works for you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

both fun and meh

while an extremely interesting read at the same time it is ultimately disappointing .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!