Las Hechizadas
Anne Garcia, 2013
Synchronicity Publishing
336 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781891554384
Summary
Las Hechizadas is a novel set in a fictitious Latin American village where Mother Nature and her chosen women work together to care for the community. When Juan Romero, a young photographer living in Arizona, decides to visit his Abuela in Aguas Puras he doesn't realize the magical healing powers that exist in the high mountain valley.
His journey to reconnect with his family's past transforms his life and the lives of generations to follow. He becomes involved in a battle to save the valley from a multinational mining company and the struggle threatens to destroy the village as well as "Las Hechizadas," or the healing women, and their way of life.
Twenty years later his sister, Silvia, makes her way from the U.S. to again discover the secrets of her family's past, but in contrast to her brother, what she learns finally sets the universe straight and the women of the valley are once again in balance. The book is based off of the author's own experiences living and traveling in Latin America. She has woven stories told to and lived by her into this magical novel that connects us all to the power of the extraordinary women of the valley of Aguas Puras.
The novel is separated into Book I & Book II, intertwining the different time periods in which the siblings and their friends, families and lovers struggle to solve the problems of a society in which money and power rule over health, wellness and balance. It also has a spattering of Spanish, using codeswitching to communicate the biculturalness of the characters. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—March 8, 1972
• Raised—the State of Colorado, USA
• Education—M.A., University of Colorado
• Currently—lives in Colorado
Anne García is a writer and a teacher. Her writing career ranges from working as a magazine journalist to writing education professional development books to exploring children's books and fiction. Her day job finds her teaching others in a bilingual elementary school. She lives in the mountains in Colorado with her family.
She has recently started a blog on writing, teaching and a little bit about motherhood—seeing as once a mother it's hard to escape the wonderful stories that children provide. (From the author.)
Visit the author's blog.
Follow Anne on Facebook.
Book Reviews
Great read and great experience. Las Hechizadas was a wonderful read. The entire story was very engaging and beautifully written. There were so many aspects of it that felt like a Gabriel Garcia Marquez story. I loved the re-telling of the family history and its importance. I loved how tradition played such an important role in the plot of this story. Fantastic and interesting read. If you like anything by Isabel Allende, you will like this book.
booknerd (booknerdloleotodo) - Amazon Customer Review
Magical story! Las Hechizadas brought me into the story after the first chapter. I couldn’t stop reading and was fascinated by the characters and the town of Aguas Puras, wishing it exists.… Anne Garcia awakens the reader’s senses with her beautiful description of the colors, textures, sounds, and smells of Aguas Puras. The way Anne Garcia narrates the story has a magical realistic style that reminded me of Garcia Marquez, and Isabel Allende’s books. Thank you Anne Garcia for this beautiful story.
Rosa Medina - Amazon Customer Review
Intrigue in the Andes. Anne Garcia's debut novel is pure intrigue, Latin-style. The story follows a young idealist coming of age, whose sensitivity and actions invite heavy repercussions that will reverberate through the ages. It's a real page turner, and a lovely portrait of Latin America from a very insider point of view.
Carolyn McCarthy - Amazon Customer Review
This book was an enchanting read, one I wished would have went on and on! And it's not a short book, not by any means. I really enjoyed this journey, it was a beautiful book and a true literature masterpiece! I loved it all, the characters, the plot, and the setting. I think this a book that everyone should read at least once, it's a definite keeper in my kindle library.
Cryptic Reads
Discussion Questions
1. How does the structure of the book help or hinder the development of the plot?
2. As the female characters become to show their strengths and weaknesses, how did you feel about their significance in the story?
3. Do you think it is important that small communities be allowed to be autonomous? Compare the situation in Aguas Puras with your own community. Are there any situations in which your community has had to fight for autonomy?
4. What do you think about Juan Romero's political understandings and do you think they would have changed over time? Are people like him actually able to make a difference in today's world?
5. Did you like the book? Why/why not?
6. If you could ask the author anything what would you ask her?
7. What would you change about the plot or structure of the book if you could?
8. Which character or characters did you like best and why?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)
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