Summer of the Mariposas

by Guadalupe García McCall (Author)

Summer of the Mariposas
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

In this young adult retelling of The Odyssey, Odilia and her four sisters journey to Mexico to return a dead man to his family and encounter magical creatures along the way. When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero's journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer's original tale.

With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother's house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras. Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test, returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them?

Summer of the Mariposas is not just a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey, it is a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.

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School Library Journal

Gr 7-9-While swimming in the Rio Grande, the five Garza sisters find a dead man, and, against the better judgment of Odilia, the eldest, decide to return his body to his family in El Sacrificio, Mexico. Their decision is partly altruistic and partly personal, for their paternal grandmother, whom they have rarely seen, lives nearby. Thus begins their journey, guided by supernatural forces, both good and evil, and the ever-present mariposas (butterflies) that guide their way. Succumbing to the false promises of the sorceress Cecelia, the shape-shifting donkey (nagual), and the vampiric chupacabras, they finally reach their destination. Although the man's family does not welcome his corpse, the girls' main purpose is fulfilled, and they reestablish their relationship with their abuela, who helps them return home, wise enough to spurn their rogue-father's false promises and recognize their mother's true love for them. Written in the style of magic realism, this is an enchanting look at Mexican mysticism, coupled with the realistic celebration of the true meaning of family. The sisters' relationships are believably drawn, and the juxtaposition of modern realities and ancient Aztec mythology elucidates the importance of the spiritual side of life in Latin cultures. The plot is well paced, with the illicit nature of the girls' entry into Mexico adding drama to their adventure. While some readers may find the interweaving of the magical elements somewhat unsettling at first, they are sure to be intrigued by both the unusual qualities of the mythical characters and the sense of adventure that lies behind every twist and turn of the girls' revelatory journey. As with McCall's Under the Mesquite (Lee & Low, 2011), this is a peek into Mexican American culture, but its ties to the supernatural add an interesting dimension.

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781620140109
Lexile Measure
840
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Tu Books
Publication date
September 25, 2012
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV012020 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Country & Ethnic - General
Library of Congress categories
Adventure and adventurers
Families
Family life
Sisters
Supernatural
Dead
Paranormal fiction
Texas
Mexican Americans
Llorona (Legendary character)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 12/01/12
Library Media Connection, 05/01/13

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