Tarnished Beauty: A Novel [Hardcover]

Cecilia Samartin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2008

Now available in paperback from the critically acclaimed author whose writing is “soulful and unsentimental” (Kirkus Reviews)— a profound story that reflects on the true meaning of beauty.

From the moment she was born, Jamilet’s gruesome birthmark frightened the superstitious villagers in her rural Mexican town, making them believe she was marked by the devil: “It was said by some to resemble a freshly gutted cow, by others to writhe like many snakes in a pit of blood. The few who had actually seen it said it was beyond description and that they were unable to sleep for days after seeing it.” When she enters young womanhood, she can no longer bear her lonely, scorned life as an outcast. She flees her oppressive village and illegally crosses the border to Los Angeles in hopes of finding a medical cure for her physical affliction. Eventually, Jamilet finds work at a mental hospital where she attends to the eccentric and disagreeable elderly SeÑor Peregrino. He begins to share with her the glorious stories from his youth when he embarked on a religious pilgrimage along the legendary and mystical Road to Santiago. An unlikely spiritual connection forges between them—healing their minds, bodies, and hearts in ways that medicine could not. Tarnished Beauty is a compelling story of redemption, faith, and the enduring power of friendship that examines the wounds of the soul.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two travelers from different corners of the world discover that they have more in common than meets the eye in Samartin's smart second novel (after Broken Paradise). Shunned by her small Mexican village for a birthmark (it covers her back and legs) considered to be the work of the devil, Jamilet Juárez sneaks across the border to live with her aunt in Los Angeles, where she plans on saving up enough money to pay for the birthmark's removal. Once in L.A., Jamilet scores illegal papers and takes a job in a mental hospital supervising the cunning and cantankerous Señor Peregrino, who, in short order, snatches Jamilet's forged papers and ransoms them. The price: she has to listen to his stories. As the old man reminisces about his adventurous pilgrimage to the landmark Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Jamilet tries to forge a life independent of the mark that once defined her. Samartin is at her best when it comes to matters of the heart, portraying the anguish of lost love and the thrill of a young woman's first crush with the same dexterity. A few story elements are left dangling, and the ending is abrupt for such an ambitiously assembled tale, but Samartin's rich storytelling overpowers the faults. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Samartin's clear eye and passionate heart imbue this novel with an unforgettably tender portrayal of the determination of the human spirit." --Nora Pierce, author of The Insufficiency of Maps

"In Tarnished Beauty, Samartin has created a splendid tale, peopled with rich characters she fashions with a knowledgeable and deft hand. Jamilet is endearing and tough, a revelation. Samartin is certainly a writer to watch." --Indu Sundaresan, author of The Splendor of Silence

"The greatest message in this wonderful book about believing in miracles, the power of storytelling and the relative value of beauty, is this: you're beautiful if you believe in your own beauty. Written in the vain of Isabel Allende." --In Magzine (a Dutch lifestyle magazine) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books; First Atria Books Hardcover Edition edition (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416549501
• ISBN-13: 978-1416549505
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,223,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

During family parties when I was a kid someone would occasionally turn up the music, and move the furniture aside in order to make more room. Moments later everyone would swarm the dance floor and begin gyrating their hips, and moving their feet to the enticing rhythms of our homeland. We kids didn't have all the moves down yet, but we tried our best to emulate our elders all the while fascinated by the transformation that had taken place in them, as though all of a sudden they'd been transported to a paradise where there wasn't a care in the world. On one occasion I remember well, my parents weren't dancing with the rest. I found them in the kitchen where my mother was weeping while my father tried his best to console her. This is the moment I first confronted the reality that my family had experienced a tragedy of some sort, although it would take years for me to know and understand the details of what had happened to us, and why we were living in the United States and not in our native land.
I grew up as a typical first generation Cuban American girl. My parents worked very hard to learn English, and get ahead in a new country. Because they were so busy, my grandparents helped to raise us, and thanks to them we didn't forget our Spanish. My sisters and I went to school, played with our friends, and tried our best to blend in a town where there were virtually no other Cubans and very few Hispanics. Our family mantra was 'Work hard, and for God's sake be careful'. Everything went smoothly until I reached adolescence, and then more than a little conflict was generated by the disparities between the Cuban and American versions of an ideal teenage life. We somehow survived those years, and after High School I attended the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) where, aside from acquiring a more integrated sense of myself and my roots, I developed a keen interest in clinical psychology. After a few social service internships I decided to pursue an advanced degree in psychology in order to work with the Latino community, and most especially with new and first generation immigrants like me. I've been practicing as a psychotherapist and social worker with individuals and families from Mexico, and Central and South America for more than twenty years. It's gratifying work, and the most compelling inspiration I could hope for as a writer.
My husband and I settled in the San Gabriel Valley only a few miles from the small town where I grew up, and I'm constantly amazed by how quickly the years fly by. My parents are getting older, my step children are in High School, and my nieces and nephews will soon be off to college. But I'm happy to say that every New Year's Eve my family still dances together, although Cuban music is now interspersed with rock and roll, disco, alternative rock, and even rap. And of course now I understand why my mother wept while the others danced all those years ago. In fact some times she still does, and I join my father in consoling her by saying, with as much confidence as I can muster, that one day we will dance together in Cuba. 'We'll see,' she says, not very convinced, but it's enough for the moment, and as we rejoin the party I can't help but think of how fortunate we are to be living in this country, to be together, and to be able to experience the warmth and beauty of our culture no matter where we are.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tarnished Beauty, April 16, 2008

By 

Donna B "The momma" (Lexington Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tarnished Beauty: A Novel (Hardcover)

Cecilia's writing draws you into a story in a way other writers only hope they can. The vivid pictures that I created in my mind as I read this book, the characters were as if I had known them forever. I was so involved with the story and characters I could not put it down and yet I tried to pace myself because I did not want the story to end. I am a true fan of all her work.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars True Meaning of Beauty, April 14, 2008

By 

Jennifer Lawrence (DC Metro) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tarnished Beauty: A Novel (Hardcover)

Jamilet is a beautiful young woman from a small town in Mexico. Throughout her life she has been shunned by local townspeople because of a horrible birthmark that taints her back and part of her legs.

She flees to Los Angeles illegally in order to seek treatment for her birthmark. She begins work at a local mental institution. Her patient is Señor Peregrino, a difficult and angry man. Peregrino steals Jamilet's illegal immigration documents and promises to return them upon the condition that she listen to his story.

Jamilet agrees, and thus begins an unbreakable bond.

The ending of the story was a bit sudden; several aspects were left hanging, but this doesn't detract from the powerful storytelling.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book both beautiful and untarnished, May 15, 2008

By 

Liviania - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tarnished Beauty: A Novel (Hardcover)

I love this novel. It pulled me in and did not let go even after I turned the last page. I did not want to leave the world Samartin so vividly brought to life.

Jamilet possesses a beautiful face, but a hideous birthmark causes her superstitious Mexican village to shun her. She lives, unable to attend school, with her sickly and sad mother. Once her mother dies, she crosses the border to live with her aunt. Having grown up in scorned seclusion, Jamilet has trouble relating to others. Yet the boy across the street still helps her find employment at a local hospital. There she attends to the mysterious Señor Peregrino (Mister Pilgrim).

He forces Jamilet to listen to his story in the beginning, but she, like the reader, becomes entranced and listens of her own free will. He tells of his time as a pilgrim on the Road to Santiago in Spain. He and his friend Tomas eventually join with the beautiful Rosa and later the bold Jenny. It's a tale of tangled loves, dedication, and dashed hopes. The story-within-a-story is perhaps even more beautiful than the tale that frames it.

Samartin's characters are incredible. They are all flawed, but strong. Some are insecure; some are bold. Some are jaded; some are naïve. Every one of them seems real. Their stories resonate because of this strong sense of character.

People do not do great things in TARNISHED BEAUTY. Instead, they live. They connect. That's enough for me.

Excerpted from In Bed With Books