Spirits of the Ordinary, A Tale of Casas Grandes, fiction,
ISBN 978-0-9979468-6-4
eBook Publication date: March 31, PRESALE: $7.99; AFTER 3/31/20: $8.99
In the tradition of Isabel Allende and Laura Esquivel, Spirits of the Ordinary is a magical multigenerational tale of family passions.
“It is testimony to Ms. Alcalá’s vivid talents as a storyteller, and to the mystical allure of the threads of magic realism that run through her narrative, that we come to care about many of her characters, and to wonder what destinies await them in her next book.”—Laurel Graeber, The New York Times Book Review
SEATTLE, WA Raven Chronicles Press is pleased to announce the publication of the first eBook version of Spirits of the Ordinary, A Tale of Casas Grandes, an extraordinary novel by Kathleen Alcalá. This novel won the Washington State Governor’s Writers Award and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award for Fiction in 1997. When the tale opens in the 1870s in a village in northern Mexico, the Caraval family has long been clandestine Jews. To the dismay of his parents, however, son Zacarías abandons religion and wanders in the desert, searching for gold. At home in Saltillo, wife Estela takes the rare and bold step of declaring herself independent from her husband and raises their children on her own. Central to the surprising destinies of these characters, and perhaps even to the future of Mexico, are the momentous events at the ancient and sacred cliff dwellings of Casas Grandes. This wondrous novel of several generations in a passionate family is in the great Latin American tradition of García Márquez and Isabel Allende, but Kathleen Alcalá adds a unique and fascinating dimension: hers is the story of two cultures, of Mexico and the United States, and of the elusive border between them, told by a writer with roots in both worlds.
“An extraordinary debut, this tale of ordinary people in pursuit of honor, decency, and cultural connection is sure to resonate.”—Highly recommended—Eleanor J. Bader, Library Review, New School For Social Research, New York
“Kathleen Alcalá captures the essence of the magical realism in her work. Her stories convincingly move the reader from one reality to the other. Kathleen’s craft illuminates the souls of her characters: the Mexican women who carry the universe in their hearts.”—Rudolfo Anaya
Kathleen Alcalá was born into a Mexican family in Compton, California, and grew up in San Bernardino. With degrees from Stanford University, the University of Washington, and an MFA from the University of New Orleans, her work embraces both traditional and innovative storytelling. A graduate of the Clarion West Science Fiction and Fantasy Program, she has taught creative writing in several programs and workshops. Kathleen is the author of six books that include a collection of stories, three novels, a book of essays, and, most recently, The Deepest Roots: Finding Food and Community on a Pacific Northwest Island, from the University of Washington Press.
