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In the fictional town of Agua Mansa (just outside of Los Angeles, California), when problems arise -- family, romantic, health, what have you -- the citizens go to see local healer Perla Portillo at her shop, the Botanica Oshun. A place where she practices her own special brand of a sort of white magic. Here, Perla has therapy chats with her neighbors and then customizes a package for them. Usually the package is made up of teas, candles or herb mixes but it varies with the situation. While each client's story has its unique challenges, one man will prove to be more difficult to help than the rest.
Elderly Perla meets young Rodrigo when he mysteriously shows up outside her shop one day, just observing her for awhile. When he gets up the nerve to speak to her, he asks her to teach him how to speak English better. Perla is a little surprised by the request but is concerned about the somewhat sickly look the boy has, not to mention the numerous, mysterious burn marks she spots all over his body. She decides she needs to help him any way she can but soon finds herself fighting against his elusiveness, his unexplained fear and constant desire to flee at any moment. In the process of trying to help Rodrigo, Perla finds herself having to confront her own inner demons.
Though this is considered a novel, the chapters almost read like individual short stories. Each chapter focuses on one particular resident of Agua Mansa and their interaction with Perla. Sometimes the chapters are told from Perla's perspective, but all the chapters weave together so as a whole you get to see the inner workings of this small community, with chapters often referencing something or someone mentioned in a previous chapter.
I liked all the diversity within the Agua Mansa community!Read more ›
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Gripping. A tantalizing view into a world I knew nothing about. Alex Espinoza made me see the world differently. A welcomed new literal author to a world filled with commercialism. I want to go back to Agua Mansa. I wanted to stay but there was no more. I spoke to the author; he's humble and grateful about filling my world with awe. His answer, "Thank you so much for the kind words regarding my book; it is a big compliment when people react the way you do."
This novel's not for the faint of heart; it is filled with elements that may shock you, but the way Alex raps the characters in a mantra of words you swear they are real folks, everyday people you knew nothing about, peppered with delightful insights into quirky lives not everyone's privileged to see.
The Botánica Oshún's a place I want to visit. Teaming with worldly and unworldly oddities. The connection to the unworldly is always around us but we do not see it. Most of us walk this Earth in a fog, neglecting to fan the watery veil to see beyond. If I was a believer before, this cements my pathetic insight to something beyond biological--we've all experienced the warnings, the déjà vu, the "oh had I done it this way," the thought of someone close and the phone rings and it's them on the other end. Confess, we've all been touched by the supernatural and we were all dismissive, calling it `weird'. I was half way through, went to the market and then bought a candle. I lit it. It stayed lit until I finished the book.
Every chapter took me into a different direction--a different life with a different viewpoint. He (Alex) switches from third person to first with such ease that it threw me the first few chapters. Then I understood why he did it.Read more ›
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This story revolves around Perla Portillo, a 72 year old widow who runs Botánica Oshún (a spiritual Center) in the small town of of Agua Mansa on the fringes of LA. The town is mainly a Latino town, and gives us a wonderful view into the families living there, their culture and the problems they each have. Perla, is an integral part of the community for many, offering tools for people to manage their problems whether through herbs, Saints, candles, or prayers, she is there to help all seeking her knowledge. The story is divided into the lives of different families or individuals all connected somehow to Perla and her store. They are not always happy stories, but all are interesting and well worth a read. I particularly enjoyed the story, since I grew up in a Latin Culture and because of my love for what she offers in her Botanica. I love how he, the author began a lot of the sections with the "Feast" of a saint and then a description and what they represent, and why people pray to them. Beautifully written.
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I never wanted this book to and. I felt an intimate connection with all the characters and I wanted Perla to be part of my life in the real world.A book that lingers with you after you close the final page is a remarkable book. Espinoza has an ability to get these characters under your skin and make you feel a real connection to their lives.
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I picked this book up while on a trip to Santa Barbara. When I saw the cover and the title it drew me in. I then read the authors bio and I discovered that he was from La Puente. La Puente is my city a place like Agua Mansa with characters and people from all paths of life that often are missing from literature. I was pleasantly surprise to see these characters brought to life through their everyday mishaps and ritualistic ways by Alex Espinoza. This book is a must read. The author does a great job of taking the reader through a roller coaster of emotions through the spiritual and challenging world of its characters.
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