Bendíceme, Ultima

Synopsis

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).A PBS Great American Read · Winner of the Premio Quinto Sol Award · Recipient of the National Humanities Medal · With a new Foreword by author, playwright, and stage director Denise Chavez; a new Afterword by award-winning journalist and author Carmela Padilla; and a new essay by Manuel Muñoz, a Macarthur Fellow and winner of the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. &“I pulled this baby into the light of life . . . Only I will know his destiny.&” 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. 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. Suddenly, the ordinary challenges and triumphs of childhood become extraordinary. 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. And at each life turn there is Ultima, who was there the day he was born . . . and will nurture the birth of his soul. A rich and wondrous story that reveals universal truths about the human condition and celebrates the beauty of Chicano culture.Includes a Reading Group Guide.

Copyright:

2024

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781538772201

Related ISBNs:

9780446600255

Publisher:

Grand Central Publishing

Date of Addition:

09/17/24

Copyrighted By:

por Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Horror, Literature and Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy

Grade Levels:

Eighth grade, Ninth grade, Tenth grade, Eleventh grade, Twelfth grade, College Freshman, College Sophomore, College Junior, College Senior, Graduate Student, Undergraduate Student

Reading Age:

13 and up

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.

Foreword by:

Denise Chávez