08/17/2015
Resau’s (the Indigo Notebook series) story of the adventures and growing friendship between a sensitive Mixteco boy and a daring Romani girl is set amid the harsh discrimination and struggles both their peoples faced in Mexico due to cultural, racial, and language barriers. Esma, an enigmatic and enthusiastic Romani girl who calls herself the Queen of Lightning, shows up when Teo needs her most—he’s grieving the death of his sister. “Somehow, the Queen of Lightning put the spark of life back inside you,” Teo’s grandfather marvels, and Teo throws himself into fulfilling a prophecy that predicts he and Esma will be lifelong friends and one day save each other. Told using a Princess Bride–style framing device, with an adult Teo sharing a magical story with his grandson, the narrative is interrupted by their occasional comments, reminding readers of the storyteller and listener. As the lives of Esma and Teo catch up to the present, readers will appreciate how this story comes full circle, and many may find themselves wiping away tears. Ages 8–12. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Oct.)
"This vibrant, intergenerational tale is nothing short of magical"–Kirkus, starred review"Like surviving a lightning strike, this book is rare and incredible."–School Library Journal, starred review ". . . a magical story. . . [readers] may find themselves wiping away tears. . ."–Publishers Weekly
Be prepared to be swept away. Thom Rivera and Christian Barillas’s narration envelops listeners from opening sentence to final celebration. Their voices speed and slow, fade and boom with the shifting intensity of the action. Their character portrayals are the icing on the cake for a family saga brimming with vitality. Listeners will journey with young Mateo to his grandfather’s village in Oaxaca, Mexico, as the story crosses generations and cultures. With a gentle Mexican-Spanish lilt, grandfather Teo looks back to the 1950s, telling of the native Mixteco people and their Romany (Gypsy) visitors, especially Esma, who, against all expectation, becomes his “friend for life.” The production concludes with a musical suggestion of Esma’s song and an afterword by the author in which she shares her inspiration for writing about the Mixteco and Rom. A.R. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Be prepared to be swept away. Thom Rivera and Christian Barillas’s narration envelops listeners from opening sentence to final celebration. Their voices speed and slow, fade and boom with the shifting intensity of the action. Their character portrayals are the icing on the cake for a family saga brimming with vitality. Listeners will journey with young Mateo to his grandfather’s village in Oaxaca, Mexico, as the story crosses generations and cultures. With a gentle Mexican-Spanish lilt, grandfather Teo looks back to the 1950s, telling of the native Mixteco people and their Romany (Gypsy) visitors, especially Esma, who, against all expectation, becomes his “friend for life.” The production concludes with a musical suggestion of Esma’s song and an afterword by the author in which she shares her inspiration for writing about the Mixteco and Rom. A.R. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
★ 2015-07-22
A celebration of grandparents' wisdom, cross-cultural friendship, and the idea that nothing is impossible. In present-day Oaxaca, young Mateo visits his Grandpa Teo in his ancestral Mixteco hometown, the Hill of Dust, for the summer. Grandpa Teo shows Mateo a shiny string of coins and begins a story "of marvels. Of impossible fortunes....Of a girl who gathered power from storms and sang back the dead." The lyrical narrative then rewinds to the 1950s, when a young Teo—a grandson of the village's healer—first meets "Gypsy" girl Esma, who arrives with her family's caravan to sing, show movies, read fortunes, and change his life. Taken with her beautiful voice and "aliveness," Teo strikes up a friendship with "Queen of Lightning" Esma that her fortuneteller grandmother predicts will not only last a lifetime, but also extend to their own grandchildren. Each year, the Romany return, and Teo and Esma resume sharing secrets, rescuing wounded animals, and even saving each other's lives. Inspired by the author's time living among the Mixteco, the heartfelt story shifts between timelines to reveal how Teo and Esma form a bond on the Hill of Dust that neither prejudice, time, nor distance can break. Backmatter includes a lengthy note that discusses the Mixteco and the Romany as well as glossaries and pronunciation guides for Mexican Spanish, Mixteco, and Romany words and phrases used in the text. This vibrant, intergenerational tale is nothing short of magical. (Magical realism. 8-13)
