Kissing the Witch – Kristie Weibling

My favorite story is “The Tale of the Voice.” It’s unique in that it’s introduced as a tale of a woman who is owning up to her mistakes. I particularly like that the “witch” character is realistic and straight-forward, and she resigns herself to letting the woman find herself through the mistakes she’ll make. I’m impressed that the witch isn’t necessarily a villain; I was able to side with her.

“The Tale of the Voice” also captures the situation of many women today. I think a lot of women can relate to both the “Ariel” and “Ursula” characters. At first, Ariel struggles with a need to mold herself to fit in and to meet others’ standards, and it takes her some time to find her voice. Ursula is all for women putting themselves out there, being who they are, and finding someone who likes that.

I interpret “Kissing the Witch” to mean setting aside others’ expectations and doing what’s right for you. I also found that these fairy tales sometimes feature women, or supposed protagonists and antagonists, supporting each other in some way. In that sense, the title could represent a sort of connection between characters that aren’t traditionally on the same side. Kissing is often something ones does with someone they know well, and “Kissing the Witch” gives us as readers–and also some characters–an inside look into the witches of fairy tales.