Summer reading recommendations focus on immersive, memorable stories. Water in the Desert: A Pilgrimage follows Lebanese American Gary Paul Nabhan through ecology, poetry, travel, and Indigenous Mexican community study, shaped by his upbringing and experiences, including being singled out as a student. It frames Earth as “the original scripture” and draws on his ethnobotany and MacArthur “genius grant” insights into culture and land. Martha Anne Toll Muneca by Cynthia Gomez centers Natalia Fuentes, who plans to free Violeta, magically trapped in her own body, using a doll to communicate for a fee. The gothic horror plot blends romance and fear while addressing colonialism, colorism, queerness, feminism, generational trauma, and familial curses.
"Lebanese American Gary Paul Nabhan's new book traces the story of his unusual life. Nabhan grew up along Lake Michigan's southern dunes and was negatively singled out as a student with "disabilities." He found his path through ecology, poetry, travel, studying Indigenous Mexican communities, becoming an Ecumenical Franciscan brother and exploring his own ancestry all of which shape his view that Earth is "the original scripture." An ethnobotanist, Nabhan was awarded a MacArthur "genius grant" for "insights into the relationship between culture and land.""
"Natalia Fuentes has a plan. Violeta, the only child of the Miramontes family and the last in a long line descended from Spanish settlers and Mexican rancho owners, is magically trapped in her own body, and Nati is going to break her out. For a fee, of course. With the help of a doll, she finds a way to communicate with her client, and an unexpected romance sparks between them. But she also attracts the attention of the person who cursed Violeta, and they would do anything to stop Nati from interfering."
"This gothic horror tale touches on colonialism and colorism, queerness and feminism, generational trauma and familial curses. It's at once romantic and frightening. We may be only just heading into summer, but this one is already in my top 10 for the year. (June 2)"
Read at www.npr.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]