La Flor en la Calavera

by Kathleen Alcalá

In the late 19th century, a village of Opata Indians in the Sonoran Desert is attacked by Mexican soldiers. Driven from family and homeland, Concha--a young woman of the village--makes her way alone to Tucson, where she gives birth. Through the stories of Concha and her daughter, and the related story of Shelly--a Latina living in modern-day Los Angeles fascinated with her ancestry--the author spins a powerful tale of heritage, loss, and acculturation.

Genres: Fiction, Magical Realism, Historical

235 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Kathleen Alcalá's most recent book is a republication of Spirits of the Ordinary: A Tale of Casas Grandes by Raven Chronicles Press (see book giveaway!) The Deepest Roots: Finding Food and Community on a Pacific Northwest Island, is now in paper from University of Washington Press. Combining memoir, historical records, and a blueprint for sustainability, Alcalá explores our relationship with food at the local level, delving into our common pasts and cultures to prepare for the future.

With degrees from Stanford, the University of Washington, and the University of New Orleans, Kathleen is also a graduate and one-time instructor of the Clarion West Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop. Kathleen Alcalá has received a Western States Book Award, the Governors Writers Award and two Artist Trust Fellowships. She is a recent Whitely Fellow, a previous Hugo House Writer in Residence, and teaches at Hugo House and the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network. Her sixth book, The Deepest Roots: Finding Food and Community on a Pacific Northwest Island, explores our relationship with geography, food, history, and ethnicity.

“Not one tale is like another, yet all together they form a beautiful whole, a world where one would like to stay forever.” Ursula K. Le Guin on Mrs. Vargas and the Dead Naturalist.

“Alcalá’s life work has been an ongoing act of translation… She has been building prismatic bridges not just between the Mexican and American cultures, but also across divides of gender, generation, religion, and ethnicity.” —Seattle Times

Reviews

[Liz Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very, very good. I enjoyed the movement from generation to generation and the descriptive language. I love the magical realism genre and this book does not disappoint. The last portion of the book, Shelly, was especially good and brought the reader into modern times and was simultaneously frightening, beautiful and poignant.

[Dani Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting story of inter generational families. My only complaint is it could have been longer.

[Daisy Rivera · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me feel a little strange. It tries to make some kind of connection between the 3 main characters but it is difficult to completely feel that connection. And all 3 characters seem to feel so hopeless from disdain and discrimination. However, I feel it is all too exaggerated...I don't really know how to feel about it.

[Sherry Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was emotional, touching, heartfelt moments,and some of characters that I definitely felt compassion for.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my one issue with the book was I wanted more. I wanted to see more of their lives and more of how everything was shaped. I think the Shelly section also confused me, I wasn't sure if she was related or just the one to discover the story. It was heartbreaking to see how many horrors each of these women went through and I'd definitely want anyone reading this to go in prepared. However, it feels like that's the point. When a person loses their cultural identity, it's not gentle. They're usually ripped from it and that is horrific. It becomes lost and every generation after is impacted by that. I think there were a few moments of hope that the people still existed, but they had forgotten themselves and their history, so bittersweet. I definitely think this story will stick with me.

[Brigid Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the multigenerational aspects of this story but wish it dug deeper into the lives of the characters rather than only giving short anecdotes about their lives. I loved hearing about the indigenous people pushed out of Mexico and their experiences in the southern US where I am now living.

[Kaara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alcala es una escritora evocativa; sus descripciones tienen mucha vida y calidez suave, y leer el libro es una manera interesante de aprender una parte de la historia del suroeste Norteamericano y el norte de Mexico. Pero la narracion brinca bastante, a lo mejor a veces a proposito y como una clase de realismo magico, pero parece a veces por falta de revision o redaccion. Puede ser que espanol no es mi lengua nativa, pero encontre la narracion disconnectada.

[Kimberly Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the multigenerational aspect of this story, as well as the focus on women and what it means to be female in a male-dominated world. But I did not like that so many interesting topics were given only superficial coverage. There was so much more I wanted to know about the characters' lives, or about the traditions of women, or how it felt to have family and tradition ripped away by horrible circumstance. This book could have been a trilogy, with much more depth and detail.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel follows three generations of Opata Indian women, from Mexico to Tucson and New York. It is a tragic, but ultimately uplifting, story.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful book.