Spirits of the Ordinary: A Tale of Casas Grandes (Harvest Book)

There are some books that enter your soul and never leave and for me Spirits of the Ordinary belongs in that special category. The magic in Kathleen Alcalá’s writing is vivid and breathtaking. Yet, as the title hints, the supernatural is seamlessly woven into the “ordinary” world she portrays. Her characters are so deeply rooted in their essential natures that when change comes—whether it be a wife’s discovery of her sexuality or a compulsive gold-seeker’s transformation into a healer—the unexpected shift of consciousness is as organic as the blooming of a cactus flower.Living at the turn of the 20th century in a small village in northern Mexico, the secretive Jews of the Caraval family have more in common than they realize with the Tarajumara, an indigenous people hiding from persecution in the mountains. This link between cultures brings both spiritual enlightenment and tragedy to those who dare step outside the strict social and religious boundaries imposed by Catholicism. Ms. Alcalá brings us face to face with a largely forgotten and painful history while at the same time inspiring the reader with glimpses of our potential to experience love and faith in unique and powerful ways.

Well how wonderful was that! Sigh. I felt as I've been visiting with some of my old friends and that the characters in this book are out there mingling with those from The Hummingbird's Daughter, Like Water for Chocolate and Rain of Gold. Like Luis Urrea, Laura Esquivel and Victor Villasenor, Kathleen Alcala is a master storyteller sharing a bit of the country's history along with a richly complicated genealogy, a setting that gallops north and south across deserts and mountains and more than a few hints of magic/paranormal/healing/faith/ (whatever it is I like it).Now to postpone the rest of my life so I can read the next in the trilogy (Flower in the Skull) more quickly

Great price and in good used condition, also, delivered ahead of schedule.So far a very interesting read.