The Witch's Daughter

My Mother, Her Magic, and the Madness That Bound Us

By: Orenda Fink

Narrated by: Orenda Fink

Acclaimed indie musician and songwriter Orenda Fink delivers a lyrical and moving memoir of a tumultuous childhood with a mother who battled mental illness and addiction.

From her perch on a kitchen stool each night, Orenda Fink’s darkly charismatic mother spins family lore and tells tales of the supernatural powers she wields, insisting that both she and Orenda are magic. By day, Orenda’s childhood is marked by instability and uncertainty. Her family moves from town to town, chasing a fresh start whenever the money runs out. Orenda’s mother insists that she is a witch, and magic is their means of protection from the world outside of their family. Orenda encounters her mother’s magic in all its forms: a crisp $20 bill materializes from nothing when money has run out and a bottle of congealed blood lurks in the closet for unspoken reasons.

When her mother’s substance abuse and controlling behavior crescendo, Orenda escapes to pursue a music career in Birmingham, Alabama, and then storied Athens, Georgia, forming bands Little Red Rocket and Azure Ray. She orbits the family home, always drawn back by her mother’s dark powers and her own need to solve the mystery of whether that claim of magic—or any magic—is real, or merely an expression of mental illness. Orenda’s journey takes her from churches in the American South—eager to exercise the demons out of her—to even more mysterious practitioners of country magic in the Southeast and beyond.

Finally seeking refuge in California’s high desert, Orenda works to knit together her divided worlds with the help of a Jungian psychotherapist. She is stunned to learn that her mother fits many of the criteria associated with borderline personality disorder, including a sub-type identified by famed thought leader Christine Ann Lawson, known as “The Witch”—an aggressive, dominating figure who operates by fear-driven control, sometimes claiming to wield magic.

Told in spellbinding prose, this memoir of music, self-discovery, and compassion is for anyone who has had to conjure a safe place to call home.

©2024 Orenda Fink (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

The raw truth of having a bipolar mother

I could relate to the author. It was so real. My mother was not a witch but was very narcissistic and manipulative. I too have gone no contact to save myself.

SOOO GOOODD!!✨

Loved it! Writing easy (and not so easy) to take in, raw and poetic! Heartbreaking and truly inspiring! This book had me fixated and is a story that I’m so glad was written✨

Like Riding on the Witches Broom

Wow! You find yourself routing for young Orenda, mesmerized at first then terrified of her mother’s obvious mental illness manifesting in the creative soul. I only put down to take a breath from time to time because the reality of what the author went through was so difficult and painful. But even when I put it down I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Great read! Hard subject.

Intense and Inspiring

Orenda’s story was intense, but so well written. Having her as the reader was a good choice. The reader gets a real sense of what life is like living with a mentally ill parent. There is a sense of hope, though, that is prevalent throughout.

To see and be seen

An important book, allowing others a deep glimpse into the abyss and an opportunity to understand what it’s like to be a witch’s daughter. Love for Orenda forever.

Devoured all at once

Fascinating peek into generational trauma and the *magic* and power of the bonds that can make and break it. Such creative and authentic creatures are Orenda (& Christine).

Wow!

I could not stop listening A life story told so humbly and with such raw energy. It is so relatable even while being completely personal and unique. I came after reading Patrick Teagan’s review. I’ve long followed him for support and validation through my own “no contact” journey. This memoir is a must read; healing and edifying especially for people experiencing narcissistic abuse at any stage. Prayers for the author and her family, and gratitude for her courage to share her pain and truth that others might also find their freedom.

Such a uniquely personal struggle yet so relatable to anyone who grew up in a dysfunctional/traumatic childhood.

As someone who lives in Athens and found so much of this story personal because of this small music/college town and it’s intimate scene (literally married to someone’s brother mentioned in the book lol)… I also found myself relating so much to the struggle of trying to wean away from a parent and family that doesn’t serve you, and never really did because of the throws of emotional abuse. I found this book hitting at home and as much as it stung it also soothed me. Healing takes tremendous courage & also healing is grief even at it’s finest. Could listen to Orenda talk all day, wanted to start all over from the very beginning as soon as I finished. ❤️

Resilience

This is a heartfelt rendering of a tragic upbringing and complicated family dynamic. As a reader, I was riveted by Orenda’s story and attempts to cope with all the dysfunction including a disconnected and enabling father. My heart ached for she and her sister’s pain and for the absence of love and safety that every child deserves. I was moved by Orenda’s writing, her creative use of metaphor and her narration.