The Lightning Queen
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Nothing exciting happens on the Hill of Dust, in the remote mountains of Mexico in the 1950s. There's no electricity, no plumbing, no cars, just day after day of pasturing goats. And now, without his sister and mother, eleven-year-old Teo's life feels even more barren. And then one day, the mysterious young Esma, who calls herself the Gypsy Queen of Lightning, rolls into town like a fresh burst of color. Against all odds, her caravan's Mistress of Destiny predicts that Teo and Esma will be longtime friends. Suddenly, life brims with possibility. With the help of a rescued duck, a three-legged skunk, a blind goat, and other allies, Teo and Esma must overcome obstacles-even death-to fulfill their impossible destiny. Inspired by true stories derived from rural Mexico, The Lightning Queen offers a glimpse of the encounter between two fascinating but marginalized cultures--the Rom and the Mixtec Indians--while telling the heart-warming story of an unlikely friendship that spans gener
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Resau's (the Indigo Notebook series) story of the adventures and growing friendship between a sensitive Mixteco boy and a daring Romani girl is set amid the harsh discrimination and struggles both their peoples faced in Mexico due to cultural, racial, and language barriers. Esma, an enigmatic and enthusiastic Romani girl who calls herself the Queen of Lightning, shows up when Teo needs her most he's grieving the death of his sister. "Somehow, the Queen of Lightning put the spark of life back inside you," Teo's grandfather marvels, and Teo throws himself into fulfilling a prophecy that predicts he and Esma will be lifelong friends and one day save each other. Told using a Princess Bride style framing device, with an adult Teo sharing a magical story with his grandson, the narrative is interrupted by their occasional comments, reminding readers of the storyteller and listener. As the lives of Esma and Teo catch up to the present, readers will appreciate how this story comes full circle, and many may find themselves wiping away tears. Ages 8 12.
