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Santora, The Good Daughter
Candela Desantos is a confirmed spinster and thereby, designated mother's care-giver in the ancient Spanish tradition. While keeping psychic company with blasphemous Virgins, grinning rattlesnakes, and saints real enough to be street people, Candela believes she is falling prey to the hereditary insanity affecting only the women on the distaff side of the family. When word spreads about her healing powers, she is glorified as a saint and hounded for cures and miracles. But when her popularity attracts the attention of the Church, she becomes the subject of a modern-day witch-hunt, spearheaded by a priest who has lost his faith. And to complicate matters, a devilishly handsome stranger is determined to seduce her... Chicano/Hispanic Studies
Women's Studies
Women's Spirituality
Latina Literature
Women's Studies
Women's Spirituality
Latina Literature
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 22, 2015
:. Absolutely Stunning. Like the Saints themselves sent this book to me, at the time I needed it. I mean that quite literally; I found 'Santora' lying abandoned on an outside coffee shop table, quite alone. I collect books, i can't help it, and this one had a particularly Awe-inspiring South American/Mexican Cover, and looked either self published or small press, but i never judge by the cover...
The author is what many would call a "Genuine Santo," (or "Saint" - meaning a Full Priest of Santeria - though I don't think she would call herself that, as most of what she describes practicing, having learned it from her mother and her mother's mother; both of whom she is forced to live with even though she is almost forty years young and still drop dead gorgeous.
Her family seems to be particularly and specifically practitioners of "Curandismo," which ultimately is a collection of rituals, prayers, and fairly trivial practices like: cracking open a white egg after resting it in a glass of water under your bed for one night, Next morning the 'Curandismo,' cracks open the egg and depending what comes out tells them what, if anything, need be done for their client. Used to treat all manner of ailments for, well, 3000 years at least I think.
The Author & main character are one of the very few last Shamanic Remains of the last of the Aztec Indians powerful Medicine (gee i hope im correct abut the "Aztec" part...) though this fact is never once actually mentioned by her.
She is narrating her real life to the reader, to us, to the world that cannot, by it's very nature, understand her. Because the other half of her is that she seems to be just naturally Psychic, seeing auras and spirits normally & such - Her confessional, almost her catharsis diary is this book & though we are very different people indeed; I cried many times for her, just in the first half alone.
Her 100% accurate descriptions of a real world Magickal life is so blase and almost bored-sounding, though; All those powers she chooses at first mostly to view as "Curses". But these "Gifts" which are isolating her from the world at this time in her life, not helping her integrate, because she is so tired or bored or just plain scared to use them.
The reason i give this book 5 stars in this authors sheer braveness in sharing honestly and in a simple manner which anyone can understand: The Kind of Problems _We_ "Santeros" have to deal with all the time!! I've never before read such an honest admission of one's possible failings about such a topic. I have been through many almost identical situations and i, myself, have my own fair share of psychic power too, which is exactly why i love this book. It's the firsst plain, honest explanation of how it can feel to be Psychic.
I think she lives in the Mission, where I often am & Pray that i will get the joy of meeting her one day (though with my SF History its quite possible we have met, at least at one large ritual)...
END, for me. Eentially, about 75% through it has gotten so dark and sad for her that I cannot even continue to read because it hurts so much, feeling her pain as i do. So i never finished it technichally, but will one day.
Anyone new to the "Yoruba-Diaspora-Santeria" world should read this for homework. Very Well done. <33
The author is what many would call a "Genuine Santo," (or "Saint" - meaning a Full Priest of Santeria - though I don't think she would call herself that, as most of what she describes practicing, having learned it from her mother and her mother's mother; both of whom she is forced to live with even though she is almost forty years young and still drop dead gorgeous.
Her family seems to be particularly and specifically practitioners of "Curandismo," which ultimately is a collection of rituals, prayers, and fairly trivial practices like: cracking open a white egg after resting it in a glass of water under your bed for one night, Next morning the 'Curandismo,' cracks open the egg and depending what comes out tells them what, if anything, need be done for their client. Used to treat all manner of ailments for, well, 3000 years at least I think.
The Author & main character are one of the very few last Shamanic Remains of the last of the Aztec Indians powerful Medicine (gee i hope im correct abut the "Aztec" part...) though this fact is never once actually mentioned by her.
She is narrating her real life to the reader, to us, to the world that cannot, by it's very nature, understand her. Because the other half of her is that she seems to be just naturally Psychic, seeing auras and spirits normally & such - Her confessional, almost her catharsis diary is this book & though we are very different people indeed; I cried many times for her, just in the first half alone.
Her 100% accurate descriptions of a real world Magickal life is so blase and almost bored-sounding, though; All those powers she chooses at first mostly to view as "Curses". But these "Gifts" which are isolating her from the world at this time in her life, not helping her integrate, because she is so tired or bored or just plain scared to use them.
The reason i give this book 5 stars in this authors sheer braveness in sharing honestly and in a simple manner which anyone can understand: The Kind of Problems _We_ "Santeros" have to deal with all the time!! I've never before read such an honest admission of one's possible failings about such a topic. I have been through many almost identical situations and i, myself, have my own fair share of psychic power too, which is exactly why i love this book. It's the firsst plain, honest explanation of how it can feel to be Psychic.
I think she lives in the Mission, where I often am & Pray that i will get the joy of meeting her one day (though with my SF History its quite possible we have met, at least at one large ritual)...
END, for me. Eentially, about 75% through it has gotten so dark and sad for her that I cannot even continue to read because it hurts so much, feeling her pain as i do. So i never finished it technichally, but will one day.
Anyone new to the "Yoruba-Diaspora-Santeria" world should read this for homework. Very Well done. <33
June 3, 2010
A beautiful story full of magic and family drama! I was a little off-put by the treatment of HIV as a "death-sentence." That aside, I'm all love for this novel
December 10, 2016
Absolutely fantastic. Magic, religion, mental illness, sexuality, set in the Mission District of San Francisco in the 1990s. I loved this book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews