Complete Book of Voodoo

Rating:
Summary: This book is horrifying in it's racism and inaccuracy.
Review: I don't even know where to start.

Robert Pelton wrote this based on white guilt and wishful thinking.

He makes gross generalizations, lies outright about the "American" treatment of slaves (saying "Punishment for violation of rules was not nearly so harsh as it had previously been under the old order"--old meaning during French/Spanish rule of a single geographic area of the Southern US, as if Louisiana were the only state to host slavery. ).

He inaccuately claims that cannibalism was a common voodoo practice "in many areas of the world."

Really. Don't waste your money or your time. Avoid this offensive book and read Zora Neale Hurston if you'd like to learn something about voodoo history and practice.

The illustrations of supposed veves is a joke. Really. The veve for Papa Legba in this book is a stick figure. Not kidding.

I would have given this book negative stars but that option was not available.