Always needed, always hunted. Witches, female healthcare, and the need for a female history in Ami McKay’s The witches of New York

Abstract

Understanding historical fiction as a hybrid space, both presenting the past and embracing the culture it is written in allows insights into the problems women face within the patriarchal society by setting them at a temporal distance. This paper explores the connections between witches, history, and medical practices in Amy McKay’s The witches of New York. It first looks at how the novel queers history by introducing a female perspective embedded in memory-sharing. The paper then moves on to show how the novel contrasts gendered medicinal practices and segues into explaining how this contrast is superficial. The above serves as the ground for my key claim that, although the novel seeks to present an alternative to what it depicts as male-centric Western medical practices harmful to women, it fails to offer an alternative way of thinking. Even if it relies on the postfeminist discourse by seemingly presenting empowered feminine characters, these, under closer inspection, are shown to reinforce conservative notions of femininity through idealization of the figure of the female healer and gendered tropes of care. The paper concludes with the assertion that, although the novel aims to offer a meaningful alternative to the prevailing system of medical practice through its centering on female experiences, it cannot escape patriarchal discourses.