Full of sensual dreams [and] unexplained phenomena, this best-known and most-respected coming-of-age classic from the godfather of Chicano literature follows a young boy growing up in the llano, or plains, of post-World War II New Mexico, and the generous curandera who introduces him to the sacred side of life ( New York Times ).
Includes a Reading Group Guide..
A rich and wondrous story that reveals universal truths about the human condition and celebrates the beauty of Chicano culture. and will nurture the birth of his soul. . .
And at each life turn there is Ultima, who was there the day he was born .
As Ultima shows Tony how to cure ailments, reverse curses, and restore peace to those who have lost it, he embarks on a singular quest, one in which he probes the family ties that bind and rend him, questions the Catholicism that shaped him, and explores the Spanish, Mexican, and Native American influences that informed not only his heritage, but his very sense of self.
Suddenly, the ordinary challenges and triumphs of childhood become extraordinary.
Venerated by some as a miracle-worker--and disparaged by others as a bruja--Ultima, a curandera, or healer, opens Tony\'s eyes to the spiritual roots of his culture, and introduces him to a magical, if sometimes frightening, new world: a realm in which she operates as a shaman.
Antonio Marez is six years old when the woman who helped usher him into the world comes to stay with his family in New Mexico.
Only I will know his destiny. . .
A PBS Great American Read - Winner of the Premio Quinto Sol Award - Recipient of the National Humanities Medal I pulled this baby into the light of life .
Full of sensual dreams [and] unexplained phenomena, this best-known and most-respected coming-of-age classic from the godfather of Chicano literature follows a young boy growing up in the llano, or plains, of post-World War II New Mexico, and the generous curandera who introduces him to the sacred side of life ( New York Times )
