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lchamberlin97's review against another edition
4.0
I managed to read this book with either never reading the reviews/summaries in depth. This was pretty refreshing. It also meant that I really didn't know what I was getting myself into/where any of the plot was going - it all felt pretty disconnected and...wandering (not in the least because sometimes the people were literally wandering), between Teresita's early life and stuff with Tomas and Teresita's sainthood and...so many things. So expansive, both in time and mood.
But...I didn't really mind, for the most part. I will say this: I only read it when I was going on some sort of trip and I wanted to read just from my Kindle, so I read it in patches. Each patch pulled me in with something different. If I had to pick something, though, that kept me intrigued overall, I have to go with Urrea's writing. He's got this mix of satire, beautiful description, and genuineness that makes even the weirdest part of the plot seem interesting.
I wasn't so interested in her interactions with God. Sorry. I loved Teresita when she was younger because she was so real and charismatic and cute. I loved Tomas despite all of his infidelity. I loved everything about Huila. Once that was over, I was significantly less enthusiastic, yet the latter part was what it all was leading up to, right, so I felt some obligation to stick around. I'm glad I finished.
I think what the reviews say about Urrea's 20 years of research and writing are TOTALLY valid: he did a pretty kickass job with this story - with patching together her strange life and making it into this novel. I feel like I learned a lot about Mexico during that time period. I loved the Spanish sprinkled in.
In summary: I really respect this book. It might not have ranked 5 stars for me, but definitely worth it to read!
But...I didn't really mind, for the most part. I will say this: I only read it when I was going on some sort of trip and I wanted to read just from my Kindle, so I read it in patches. Each patch pulled me in with something different. If I had to pick something, though, that kept me intrigued overall, I have to go with Urrea's writing. He's got this mix of satire, beautiful description, and genuineness that makes even the weirdest part of the plot seem interesting.
I wasn't so interested in her interactions with God. Sorry. I loved Teresita when she was younger because she was so real and charismatic and cute. I loved Tomas despite all of his infidelity. I loved everything about Huila. Once that was over, I was significantly less enthusiastic, yet the latter part was what it all was leading up to, right, so I felt some obligation to stick around. I'm glad I finished.
I think what the reviews say about Urrea's 20 years of research and writing are TOTALLY valid: he did a pretty kickass job with this story - with patching together her strange life and making it into this novel. I feel like I learned a lot about Mexico during that time period. I loved the Spanish sprinkled in.
In summary: I really respect this book. It might not have ranked 5 stars for me, but definitely worth it to read!
mrspdb's review against another edition
4.0
The lists in this book charmed me. Lists of food that made me hungry, lists of plants that made me miss the desert. The depiction of the desert reminded me why I find it so beautiful. Incredible writing.
emmamgregory's review against another edition
4.0
This stunning historical novel is based around Terresita, a young lady who has almost magical healing properties. The Hummingbird's daughter is set in 1880's in the deserts of Mexico, where Indians, politicians and Mexicans all have different opinions on how Terresita with her mystical powers should be treated. I loved the almost fantastical way the novel was written and if it wasn't translated from Spanish to English with long sentences left in Spanish it would of deserved 5 stars.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
4.0
this book is the story of teresa - a healer. the story is set in the countryside of mexico. teresa's mother abandons her when she's two. teresa is then adopted by her town's healer and thus begins her calling in life.
hoserlauren's review against another edition
4.0
In late 19th century Mexico, Teresa is born an unknown father and mother known as the hummingbird. Her mother abandons her with her aunt quickly and Teresa questions who her family is. She makes friends with the local healer and midwife Huila. Huila takes Teresa under her wing, recognizing something special in this girl. Teresa's aunt eventually abandons her as well, and Teresa is taken in by Huila, who works in the household of Don Tomas, which ends up being Teresa's real father.
Life is tough during this time. There are dangers from many different sources. Teresa witnesses these dangers as she grows up and knows that she wants to care for people, same as Huila does. She learns how to bring children in the world and finds that she can take pain away from the mothers as they give birth. Huila tries to nurture these skills in Teresa.
Mexico itself becomes a character as the country, its landscape, and its people provide the perfect backdrop to the magical nature of Teresita and her healing powers. There are some supernatural elements that lost me a little, but eventually brought me back on board to the story. It's obvious that Urrea, who at the end states he believes Teresa is in relation to him, has done an incredible amount of research for this project. His passion for his homeland and the history flows off the page. Even when there were hiccups in the story for me, this passion kept me glued to the story.
Life is tough during this time. There are dangers from many different sources. Teresa witnesses these dangers as she grows up and knows that she wants to care for people, same as Huila does. She learns how to bring children in the world and finds that she can take pain away from the mothers as they give birth. Huila tries to nurture these skills in Teresa.
Mexico itself becomes a character as the country, its landscape, and its people provide the perfect backdrop to the magical nature of Teresita and her healing powers. There are some supernatural elements that lost me a little, but eventually brought me back on board to the story. It's obvious that Urrea, who at the end states he believes Teresa is in relation to him, has done an incredible amount of research for this project. His passion for his homeland and the history flows off the page. Even when there were hiccups in the story for me, this passion kept me glued to the story.
bookish_wendy's review against another edition
5.0
This was recommended by my friend Emily. I love recommendations that lead me to stories I would have never otherwise encountered. It is a lovely story, rich characters and a glimpse of a time and culture that I have had not been exposed to. I listened to the audiobook and, while unbelievable long, I believe it added to the story. The author read and his accent and pronunciations brought depth to the characters.
proseandpostre's review against another edition
2.0
The books started with such promise but left me sorely wanting more. For loose ends to be tied up; for the storyline to actually appear; for the writing to stop shifting from great descriptive paragraphs to weird “script-like” banter. I also felt, as a bilingual reader, that the random Spanish words sprinkled about were done in such a weird and frankly unnecessary way. Rather than add to the book it took something away from it.
apokras's review against another edition
5.0
This is a meticulously researched, fictionalized account of Teresa Urrea, also known as Teresita and Santa Teresa. The language is lyrical, and you can tell that the author, Luis Alberto Urrea, is also a skilled poet. The story follows her life from her birth until approximately age 19 or 20, and what a packed life it is.
I don't want to review the plot here, because it is worth the read to discover it. The book also provides a rich portrait of life in west central Mexico in the 1880s to the turn of the century, history I knew nothing about. (Having grown up in Texas, I think it is crazy we were never introduced to this in school.) The book explores the relationships between the wealthy Mexicans of the day, the political struggles, and the wars between the government and native peoples. The character development seemed slightly thin, but given the expansive history that needed to be covered, I can overlook that in giving it a 5-star rating.
The author is a distant relative of Teresa.
I don't want to review the plot here, because it is worth the read to discover it. The book also provides a rich portrait of life in west central Mexico in the 1880s to the turn of the century, history I knew nothing about. (Having grown up in Texas, I think it is crazy we were never introduced to this in school.) The book explores the relationships between the wealthy Mexicans of the day, the political struggles, and the wars between the government and native peoples. The character development seemed slightly thin, but given the expansive history that needed to be covered, I can overlook that in giving it a 5-star rating.
The author is a distant relative of Teresa.
modeislodis's review against another edition
5.0
More than 5 stars. An epic, sweeping saga complete with characters you can fall in love with, magical realism and sprinkles of humor. Yes, you can have it all.