In this young adult retelling of The Odyssey, Odilia and her four sisters journey to Mexico to return a dead man to his family and encounter magical creatures along the way.
Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education Best Books of the Year, School Library Journal Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force, American Library Association (ALA) Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Finalist, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
In this young adult retelling of The Odyssey, Odilia and her four sisters journey to Mexico to return a dead man to his family and encounter magical creatures along the way.
When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero's journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer's original tale.
With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother's house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras. Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test, returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them?
Summer of the Mariposas is not just a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey, it is a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Original Binding: Trade Paperback
Pages: 384 pages
ISBN-10: 1620140101
Item Weight: 1.0 lbs
Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.45 x 8.3 inches
Customer Reviews: 3 out of 5 stars 1,001 to 10,000 ratings
* "Written in the style of magic realism, this is an enchanting look at Mexican mysticism, coupled with the realistic celebration of the true meaning of family." -- School Library Journal, starred review
"Just as compelling as the vivid fantasy is the realism, especially the standoffs and reconciliations among the caring sisters, and the final shocking truth about their father and themselves is far from a sweet resolution. Readers will be drawn by the contemporary family drama and the magic, and they’ll appreciate the author’s note that discusses the story’s roots in Mexican folklore and The Odyssey." -- Booklist
"Loosely based on The Odyssey, the journey adds interest by moving the girls through elements of Mexican folklore, and McCall’s revision of both la Llorona and the chupacabras as victims in need of sympathy and compassion is particularly compelling. . . The story remains powerful to the end." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"In a witty voice, fifteen-year-old Odilia Garza recounts how she and her four younger sisters discover a corpse in a river near their Texas home and return him to his Mexican family across the border. Magical realism is introduced through several Mexican mythological characters who both challenge and help the girls on their Odyssey-like journey in this story of sisterly love." -- The Horn Book
"A series of adventures that hover somewhere on the border between fantasy and magical realism as the sisters are helped and hindered by supernatural forces including Latin American legends La Llorona, lechuzas and chupacabras. . . Originality and vibrancy shine through to make it a worthwhile read." -- Kirkus Reviews
Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education Best Books of the Year, School Library Journal Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force, American Library Association (ALA) Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Finalist, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Lone Star Reading List, Texas Library Association (TLA)
Guadalupe García McCall is the best-selling author of Summer of the Mariposas and won the Pura Belpré Award for her first novel, Under the Mesquite. She was born in Mexico and moved to Texas as a young girl, keeping close ties with family on both sides of the border. She is a full-time author and abuelita and lives with her husband in South Texas. Find her online at ggmccall.com.
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