May 16, 2022
Mexican writer Lozano (Loop) delivers a layered narrative about healers, storytelling, and family trauma. Feliciana is a curandera, or folk healer, living in a village in San Felipe, Mexico. Zoe, a 30-something Mexico City journalist exhausted by never-ending stories of femicide and rape, nevertheless feels obligated to cover them “from the trench dug at the newsroom,” and agrees to report on the murder of Feliciana’s cousin Paloma, also a curandera. Zoe is also eager to meet the famous Feliciana, despite having “never been into supernatural stuff.” The author alternates between Zoe’s urbane narration and transcriptions of her interviews with Feliciana, whose elliptical and mystical language makes for a sharp contrast. A story emerges of Feliciana’s and Paloma’s struggles to become curanderas in a male-dominated family (Paloma, a Muxe, or third-gendered Zapotec person, was assigned male at birth, and Feliciana’s abilities don’t match Paloma’s, whom Feliciana claims could see the future “like it walked in front of her”). Feliciana demonstrates her power with Zoe, though, by helping her work through her sister’s sexual abuse when they were teens. Lozano does a wonderful job distinguishing the disparate characters and their fluid identities, and Cleary’s translation strikes the perfect balance of immersion and clarity. Powerful and complex, this marks a new turn from an intriguing writer.
June 10, 2024
Mexican author Lozano (Loop) tells the story of Paloma, Feliciana, and Zoe, whose lives intersect after Paloma is murdered. Paloma was a traditional healer who was assigned male at birth but later identified as Muxe, a third gender among the Zapotec people of Oaxaca; she passed on her knowledge of the healing arts to her cousin, Feliciana. Zoe, a journalist from the city, is sent to interview Feliciana in the village of San Filipe. There, Feliciana tells Zoe of Paloma's desire and painful struggle to be accepted as a healer. Beautifully narrated by Kyla Garc�a, Lozano's tale is steeped in Mexican folklore and imbued with a hint of magical realism. Garc�a lyrically gives voice to Lozano's poetic language, portraying Paloma's path as one that is faced by many who too often meet the same end. Listeners will appreciate the book's introduction, in which translator Heather Cleary explains her decision to leave some words in Spanish, to not lose their meaning in translation. VERDICT Lozano's tale of culture, womanhood, gender, and expectation in a world created by and for men is a must-add for any collection.--Elyssa Everling
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