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Women of Fire and Snow: Short Stories
"Women of Fire and Snow" is a riveting collection of contemporary stories of women straddling the Mexican-American border while finding their place and voice. Cultural identity, gender violence, forced migration, sacrifice, love, and resiliency frame suspenseful tales where realism is tempered by the supernatural and mystical.An undocumented teenager is ripped from her home to fight a monster in a haunted town. A college student confronts evil when ICE detains her father. While rescuing her nephew at the border, a young woman wrestles with her privilege and the power of Santa Muerte.A curandera battles a demon while her granddaughter confronts her violent husband.A young Chicana from Seattle travels to Mexico, plunging into a secret society to combat rampant femicide. From the deserts and volcanoes of Mexico to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, these fast-paced stories blend social commentary with classic and psychological horror.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2021
3 people are currently reading
7433 people want to read
About the author
Nati del Paso
4 books72 followersNati del Paso is a writer, counselor, and student of Indigenous Psychology and Shamanism. She was raised in Mexico by a Mexican mother and an American father and now is a lead counselor in the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity at the University of Washington.
Del Paso weaves psychology, mysticism, and magic realism into suspenseful tales surrounding the immigrant experience, women, environmental and social justice issues. She recently finished her first novel. She lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with her husband.
Del Paso weaves psychology, mysticism, and magic realism into suspenseful tales surrounding the immigrant experience, women, environmental and social justice issues. She recently finished her first novel. She lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 1, 2022
A friend suggested that I read this collection of short stories by Nati del Paso and I am grateful for the referral. In addition to her writing, Nati is a counselor and student of Indigenous Psychology at the University of Washington a position that must inform her perspective on the women who are the subject of her stories.
So many of the characters rang true to me. "Illegal Matters" is the story of Antonia, an undocumented student, a dreamer, who needs an immigration lawyer to prevent the deportation of her father who has lived and worked in the US for decades. She is referred to a lawyer, Lee Welch, who turns out to be a misogynistic predator who demands sexual favors to continue the work. In my work as a social justice attorney, I have met the undocumented "Antonia's" and the predatory "Lee Welches" of the world. The sad truth of Antonia's struggle is laid out in heartwrenching detail.
"Soul Sacrifice" was brilliant and a highlight for me. It is a tale of loss and redemption of women navigating a predatory paternalism that oppresses, belittles, and dismisses their female life force. Here the magical realism reveals the embedded structural societal oppression that immigrant women must navigate every day. One bright spot is Ivan, a male sociology professor whose most admirable trait seems to be that he listens to women. Similar themes play out in the story "The Devil You Know".
When magical realism is woven into a narrative it adds a dimension of truth that is otherwise ineffable. Nati joins a distinguished genre of writers that include Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, Haruki Murakami, and Laura Esquivel.
It was an honor it was to read this book and to hear, for the first time, this important new literary voice!
So many of the characters rang true to me. "Illegal Matters" is the story of Antonia, an undocumented student, a dreamer, who needs an immigration lawyer to prevent the deportation of her father who has lived and worked in the US for decades. She is referred to a lawyer, Lee Welch, who turns out to be a misogynistic predator who demands sexual favors to continue the work. In my work as a social justice attorney, I have met the undocumented "Antonia's" and the predatory "Lee Welches" of the world. The sad truth of Antonia's struggle is laid out in heartwrenching detail.
"Soul Sacrifice" was brilliant and a highlight for me. It is a tale of loss and redemption of women navigating a predatory paternalism that oppresses, belittles, and dismisses their female life force. Here the magical realism reveals the embedded structural societal oppression that immigrant women must navigate every day. One bright spot is Ivan, a male sociology professor whose most admirable trait seems to be that he listens to women. Similar themes play out in the story "The Devil You Know".
When magical realism is woven into a narrative it adds a dimension of truth that is otherwise ineffable. Nati joins a distinguished genre of writers that include Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, Haruki Murakami, and Laura Esquivel.
It was an honor it was to read this book and to hear, for the first time, this important new literary voice!
September 20, 2024
I struggled with this book quite a bit. It was exceptionally repetitive and would have benefitted greatly from the aid of an editor.
The characters were often impulsive, poor communicators, and harmful to people around them. This made it difficult for me to identify with them or care overmuch about their journeys.
One very important, potentially spoiler-ridden question remains.
**********
If rivers didn't exist, would people even die?
The characters were often impulsive, poor communicators, and harmful to people around them. This made it difficult for me to identify with them or care overmuch about their journeys.
One very important, potentially spoiler-ridden question remains.
**********
If rivers didn't exist, would people even die?
Read
December 30, 2021Simply fantastic.
This collection of short stories captures the heart-wrenching and deeply inspiring stories of several undocumented, migrant and marginalized women in the United States and Mexico as they battle for their lives against evil forces of nature. But are these evil forces really supernatural? Or do they simply represent the harsh realities that these women face in their every day lives?
From a Mexican journalist investigating femicide in Ecatepec, Mexico, to an undocumented college student in Seattle fighting against ICE to keep her family together, to a Curandera helping her granddaughter escape an abusive husband, each story encapsulates the resilience and courage of various immigrant women living and surviving in an oppressive, racist, misogynistic and patriarchal society.
This wonderful and inspiring literary piece will keep you on the edge of your seat, while making you question what you can do to help put a stop to harmful social norms that perpetuate gender inequality and lead to the normalization of violence against women.
This collection of short stories captures the heart-wrenching and deeply inspiring stories of several undocumented, migrant and marginalized women in the United States and Mexico as they battle for their lives against evil forces of nature. But are these evil forces really supernatural? Or do they simply represent the harsh realities that these women face in their every day lives?
From a Mexican journalist investigating femicide in Ecatepec, Mexico, to an undocumented college student in Seattle fighting against ICE to keep her family together, to a Curandera helping her granddaughter escape an abusive husband, each story encapsulates the resilience and courage of various immigrant women living and surviving in an oppressive, racist, misogynistic and patriarchal society.
This wonderful and inspiring literary piece will keep you on the edge of your seat, while making you question what you can do to help put a stop to harmful social norms that perpetuate gender inequality and lead to the normalization of violence against women.
February 9, 2022
This was a fantastic collection of stories that has left me reeling.
Each story is unique but also carries the same themes of discussing the violence, aggression, forced silence and compliance that women face every day, especially in the Latina community.
There was a strong emphasis on mysticism throughout out each of the stories which I found compelling and really interesting. I am eager to look into more of the author's publications.
This is a must read book. However, be aware that trigger warnings will apply as this book deals with some very sensitive subjects.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Each story is unique but also carries the same themes of discussing the violence, aggression, forced silence and compliance that women face every day, especially in the Latina community.
There was a strong emphasis on mysticism throughout out each of the stories which I found compelling and really interesting. I am eager to look into more of the author's publications.
This is a must read book. However, be aware that trigger warnings will apply as this book deals with some very sensitive subjects.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 16, 2022
This book of short stories of Latino women is significant and should be recommended reading for all social/culture courses. Culture is central in all of our lives as it has molded each into who we are. In a culture that supports and encourages a mindset that females are only alive for male pleasures ….the results are devastating. These short stories are heart wrenching and violent with all calling out for help, comfort, care …any acknowledgment of a female life now in the grave. The lack of accountability by officials is absolutely atrocious. Unfortunately even if government official daughters, wives, mothers, sisters are slaughtered, those seemingly heartbroken officials would only have their male hands out asking for funds to ease their ‘pain’. If one of theirs sons, brothers, fathers or uncles were raped and murdered, I’m sure there would be a near civil war searching for the killers.
November 25, 2022
Beautiful, terrifying and illuminating, "Women of Fire and Snow" is a series of short stories whiuch explores the world of women who are, “... ni de aquí, ni de allá.” In other words, the book is about immigrants from Mexico and the first gen Americans who struggle with ICE and the loneliness of being "pocha," neither truly Mexican nor newly minted American. In story after story, girls and women fight against men who are rapists and murderers and bullies. And, underlying all this rage is a deep abiding love for pre-Columbian Mexico, for a magical connection to the universe that can heal ... anything, balanced by a sense that Oregon, too, has a pre-colonial magic that will save those who deserve to live and thrive.
Recommend.
Recommend.
August 30, 2022
“La suerte de la fea, la bonita la fess,” she’d answered, “the luck of the ugly is desired by the beautiful.”
Strong collection of stories! Set primarily in the Seattle area, specifically Snoqualmie, and telling the tales of "women straddling the Mexican-American border while finding their place and voice." Lots of the stories also include aspects of the mystical and spiritual. And I learned a lot, including that a "curandera" specifically refers to a female healer who practices Traditional Indigenous Medicine.
The women on these pages have been through a lot, and over and over the power of women, especially after their power has been taken, blazes through! I especially liked the entry “The Cicada’s Song” with the stories in quotes at the beginning of each chapter being so powerful! Definitely a good read!
Strong collection of stories! Set primarily in the Seattle area, specifically Snoqualmie, and telling the tales of "women straddling the Mexican-American border while finding their place and voice." Lots of the stories also include aspects of the mystical and spiritual. And I learned a lot, including that a "curandera" specifically refers to a female healer who practices Traditional Indigenous Medicine.
The women on these pages have been through a lot, and over and over the power of women, especially after their power has been taken, blazes through! I especially liked the entry “The Cicada’s Song” with the stories in quotes at the beginning of each chapter being so powerful! Definitely a good read!
February 8, 2022
Nati del Paso presents stories of the disenfranchised Latina.. I hesitate to call them 'short stories' as they are passionate, involving, engrossing, and complete in their presentation of their present day struggles with identity, perseverance, abuse, etc... and empowerment. There is a strong element of mysticism..but whether you believe in spirits or that it is the spirit inside the person that led to their 'victories', it is a powerful read.
April 30, 2022
Written with a clear and honest voice, these stories have staying power. The heroines face the ugliest abuse and dehumanization with grace and strength, often with the help of the forces of nature and ancestral spirits, finding power by letting go and listening to those with wisdom or to their own intuition. Others suffer heartbreak realizing their own failures too late. Engaging and strong. A good read.
July 10, 2024
This book weaves together short stories about the myriad monsters that hinder women's lives across the US-Mexican border. The problems depicted are not exclusive to woman of a particular nation; they resonate universally. As you delve into these well-crafted narratives, emotions surge like ocean weaves, hearts race and vulnerability consumes you. Despite the obstacles, resilience prevails-a compelling read, indeed.
August 19, 2023
The message was beautiful. Sure there are lots of things that I would've made different but the entire message of the book was written in such an inspiring and empowering way. 🔋🔋🔋
Ps. I'm very disturbed by the knife-in-cat-skull scene. So please 🙏 😫 erase that from my mind if you have the ability.
Ps. I'm very disturbed by the knife-in-cat-skull scene. So please 🙏 😫 erase that from my mind if you have the ability.
February 24, 2022
This was a unique read for me. I actually enjoyed the short stories and experiencing a different culture. Recommend reading this book.
July 28, 2022
Great short stories about imigrante women and the stuggles they have on both sides of the border. I really hated those that took advantage of these brave women.
April 26, 2024
These short stories were all very captivating, and portrayed a side of reality not many people dare talk about. Written from Mexican immigrants’ POV, all of their female main characters, these stories gave a voice to all the women and families that struggle with real-life problems, abuse, and fear by overcoming their obstacles with the help of some mysticism and magic. These magical realism stories will guide you along beautiful scenery, both in Washington State and in Mexico, while weaving a heart-breaking dimension of truth that will leave you reeling.
I was able to connect with the FMC in all stories, especially because I was born and bred in Mexico and I lived in the US for almost six years while studying and working, so I was immersed in the chicano culture and understood where these women were coming from: too Mexican to be true American, and too “gringa” to be “real Mexican”. I personally visited Mineral del Chico just a few months ago and, through one of these stories, I was easily transported back; my mouth watered when thinking of the jícama with lime and tajin. I felt very proud when girls were the first to get a college degree in their families. These stories hit home for me; I cried and I felt raw emotions, such as frustration, fear, shame and rage.
The book is beautifully written, if only for a few misspelled words in Spanish. The women’s struggles are laid out in heart-wrenching detail, allowing the reader to connect with them, to feel with and for them.
This is truly a fantastic collection of stories, each one unique with different female main characters at different ages and stages of life who tell their stories from their own point of view. I consider it is important to mention that trigger warnings should apply while dealing with sensitive subjects of aggression, violence and abuse.
The only reason I feel compelled to give this book 4 out of 5 stars is the fact that all stories had a happy ending. Maybe I’m just taking it too personal, but these stories are so real that I feel torn about the fact that happy endings are not part of this reality as well. The magical component was a little bit too much for me, almost like the fantasy side of the stories take away some of the truth, and the pain of real women and real families that struggle with something similar even nowadays. However, I loved the book and can’t wait to read more from this author!
I was able to connect with the FMC in all stories, especially because I was born and bred in Mexico and I lived in the US for almost six years while studying and working, so I was immersed in the chicano culture and understood where these women were coming from: too Mexican to be true American, and too “gringa” to be “real Mexican”. I personally visited Mineral del Chico just a few months ago and, through one of these stories, I was easily transported back; my mouth watered when thinking of the jícama with lime and tajin. I felt very proud when girls were the first to get a college degree in their families. These stories hit home for me; I cried and I felt raw emotions, such as frustration, fear, shame and rage.
The book is beautifully written, if only for a few misspelled words in Spanish. The women’s struggles are laid out in heart-wrenching detail, allowing the reader to connect with them, to feel with and for them.
This is truly a fantastic collection of stories, each one unique with different female main characters at different ages and stages of life who tell their stories from their own point of view. I consider it is important to mention that trigger warnings should apply while dealing with sensitive subjects of aggression, violence and abuse.
The only reason I feel compelled to give this book 4 out of 5 stars is the fact that all stories had a happy ending. Maybe I’m just taking it too personal, but these stories are so real that I feel torn about the fact that happy endings are not part of this reality as well. The magical component was a little bit too much for me, almost like the fantasy side of the stories take away some of the truth, and the pain of real women and real families that struggle with something similar even nowadays. However, I loved the book and can’t wait to read more from this author!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews