"Her powers were growing now, like her body. No one knew where the strange things came from. Some said they sprang up in her after the desert sojourn with Huila. Some said they came from somewhere else, some deep inner landscape no one could touch. That they had been there all along." Teresita, the real-life "Saint of Cabora," was born in 1873 to a 14-year-old Indian girl impregnated by a prosperous rancher near the Mexico-Arizona border. Raised in dire poverty by an abusive aunt, the little girl still learned music and horsemanship and even to read: she was a "chosen child," showing such remarkable healing powers that the ranch's medicine woman took her as an apprentice, and the rancher, Don Tomás Urrea, took her—barefoot and dirty—into his own household. At 16, Teresita was raped, lapsed into a coma and apparently died. At her wake, though, she sat up in her coffin and declared that it was not for her. Pilgrims came to her by the thousands, even as the Catholic Church denounced her as a heretic; she was also accused of fomenting an Indian uprising against Mexico and, at 19, sentenced to be shot. From this already tumultuous tale of his great-aunt Teresa, American Book Award–winner Urrea (The Devil's Highway) fashions an astonishing novel set against the guerrilla violence of post–Civil War southwestern border disputes and incipient revolution. His brilliant prose is saturated with the cadences and insights of Latin-American magical realism and tempered by his exacting reporter's eye and extensive historical investigation. The book is wildly romantic, sweeping in its effect, employing the techniques of Catholic hagiography, Western fairy tale, Indian legend and everyday family folklore against the gritty historical realities of war, poverty, prejudice, lawlessness, torture and genocide. Urrea effortlessly links Teresita's supernatural calling to the turmoil of the times, concealing substantial intellectual content behind effervescent storytelling and considerable humor."

What a wonderful book! Long, yes - 580 pages - but very captivating, interesting, and kind of harsh and charming at the same time. Loved this story - and luckily I went to the author's web page and saw that there is a sequel to this book, I have to get it too.

Sending this to Mecu next, enjoy!

I found this interesting looking book in my mail, thank you so much Chania for thinking of me! I think this will make an excellent train reading next week. :)

What a wonderful, powerful story! From the first pages I knew this was one of those books I really want to read with time, to extend the enjoyable reading experience. All but the last hundred pages I managed to read slowly; the end was so thrilling that I had to read it fast. I will definitely read the next novel, too - I have to know how the story continues!

The novel tells a lot about Mexico and it's people. Here's one quote:
"Mexico - the sound of wind in the ruins. Mexico - the waves rushing the shore. Mexico - the sand dunes, the snowfields, the steam of sleeping Popocatépetl. Mexico - across marijuana fields, tomato plants, avocado trees, the agave in the village of Tequila.
Mexico..."

next reader said HEP! :)

Thank you very much for this book! I look forward to reading a lot about Mexico!:)