Reviews

Mrs. Vargas and the Dead Naturalist by Kathleen Alcalá

abbydee's review

This came from a cavernous, many-roomed book shop off the plaza of Mesilla, New Mexico, possibly my new favorite bookstore in the world, and my introduction to Kathleen Alcalá did not disappoint, either. I loved every one of these imaginative, intertwining stories. I knew I was in for it with Alcalá's preface: "There is a garden surrounded by a crumbling stucco wall where the flowers always bloom and the sound of running water is incessant. There is no time and all time. Cool shadows fall across the warmth of the courtyard, a late afternoon in late summer, a time for remembering." Okay, call me a sucker. I'm in.

I admit that I don't like tales with the writer at the end of them, though. So I'll restrict my favorites to "Sweetheart", "The Canary Singer", "The Transforming Eye", "Reading the Road", "The Fire of San Marcos", and "La Esmerelda".

lizlogan's review

5.0

Beautiful. The stories are evocative and poetic. They are disconcerting at times with their imagery, and sometimes brought me near to tears. I will always love magical realism and its mysterious Latin beauty.
Book bingo category: short stories
unused categories: older than ten years, blue cover, a book you heard about online, female author