Recommended Reads: Alchemy of a Blackbird

Historical fiction about surrealist, Remedios Varo, by Claire McMillan

Sometimes you discover a book that feels like it was meant for you. Not in an algorithm-has-your-number way, but rather a synchronistic one, as if to say: this work was created by a kindred spirit and has made its way to your hands at just the right time. For me, Alchemy of a Blackbird by Claire McMillan was one of those books.

Photo: Taryn Chase Jackson

I confess that I don't even read a lot of fiction—perhaps only one or two novels a year—generally preferring memoir, essays, and books about creativity and spirituality. But Alchemy of a Blackbird captured my imagination immediately by bringing together a number of my favorite themes: the surrealist art movement, the tarot, the creative journey, and the rare jewel of true female friendship. (In fact, the book's first line is "Remedios had been looking for a friend like Leonora her whole life.")

Spanish surrealist painter Remedios Varo may not be the household name her contemporary Frida Kahlo is, but Varo's work has been gaining attention of late—with the Art Institute of Chicago running an exhibition of her work called Science Fictions for the latter half of 2023. Although I wasn't able to see it in person, a friend who attended sent me some photos that thrilled me vicariously, and some of the exhibition talks are available on Youtube, including one exploring Varo’s taxonomy of techniques—which may have included scratching fine lines with crystals she kept nearby in her studio. I bought the exhibition’s companion book and it is stunning.

Woman Leaving the Psychoanalyst by Remedios Varo, taken at the Art Institute of Chicago at the Science Fictions exhibition in 2023. Photo: Kym Verhovshek

Alchemy of a Blackbird, now out in paperback, was published around the time the show opened in Chicago and tells the story of Remedios Varo's friendship with fellow painter, Leonora Carrington, imagining their ill-fated romances and the roles among the group of (mostly male) surrealist artists and poets who fled Paris as the Nazis arrived in the late 1930s and later reunited in Mexico. Kahlo makes an appearance in the book, as does André Breton, co-founder of the surrealists; artist patron, Peggy Guggenheim; and even the illustrator of the Smith-Waite tarot deck, Pamela "Pixie" Colman Smith.

As someone who reads the tarot, primarily for self-discovery (thanks to a dear friend who bought me my first deck 18 or so years ago), I often roll my eyes when the cards are depicted in film and television. It's painfully clear that the creators have no idea what the tarot is about, as they always have someone pull the Death card and act like it's a terrible omen. But McMillan handles the subject adeptly, dispelling myths without being didactic, and refreshingly demonstrating both her training and regard for the cards throughout the narrative.

Remedios Varo (1908–1963) in Mexico City, circa 1942. Photo: Museo de Arte Moderno

In addition to exploring rich material, the book is both imaginative and well-written—a number of the characters are represented by a tarot card and narrate their own chapter. I also recommend the audiobook, as the narrators' accents added to the authenticity and enjoyment of the tale. Of course, I can't guarantee that it will resonate with you as much as it did for me, but reading Alchemy of a Blackbird made me feel more connected to the long line of women seeking to find their creative voices and deeply grateful for the women friends who have encouraged and kept me company along my journey.