Del Rey Books
The Haunting of Alejandra
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A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona in this "utterly terrifying and wholly immersive . . . story about generational trauma, colonization, systemic oppression, and the horror at the heart of motherhood" (Library Journal, starred review).
"Castro is one of the most exciting genre authors on the scene right now, and this might be her most powerful book yet."--Paste
A POPSUGAR AND CRIMEREADS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.
Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.
When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family's history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.
Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.
But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers--and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9780593499696
EAN:
9780593499696
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
272
Authors:
V Castro
Publisher:
Del Rey Books
Published Date: 2023-18-04
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This is an extremely depressing book. As a male, I will never be able to fully understand the difficulties of motherhood, but this book was very eye opening. I didn't expect this book to connect with me in another way. As someone who was adopted at birth and has never been able to know my birth parents, not even a first name, this book hurt. I can fully understand the emotional turmoil that comes with not knowing. Seeing her closure and knowing I will probably never get the same dug that knife in a little deeper.So, for anyone who struggles with never knowing your birth parents, this may open some wounds for you. Otherwise an enjoyable book, although the flashbacks felt slightly repetitive and long-winded, which is why I gave it a 4.
Alejandra has a lot on her plate.She has what most call PPD, but looking deeper, she's haunted like her mother and her mother before her.Going back generations to find the root cause of this pain is an alien force pretending to be La Llorona in order to trick mothers into killing their children and feeding off of their grief.Really a pretty crazy story.Her husband is not as helpful as he'd like to appear, trying to convince her that it's all in her head. Seems supportive, but really he's just trying to convince her that she's the problem.The strength and courage she musters in order to overcome her pain is something only women seem to be able to achieve. I was so happy that she finally realized that her happiness isn't tied to the success of her marriage, but rather her ability to overcome a generational curse that she herself fell victim to when her mother disappeared during her childhood.The realization that her mother was only doing the best she could to keep her safe and alive was cathartic only after she walked in her mother's shoes.Excellent story with women's empowerment and selfless acts only a mother can achieve are the basis of this hauntingly delicious story!
Not only does Alejandra have real life problems. She's written so beautifully that any troubled woman could be her and see herself in this story. I cried a lot.
It’s a common phenomenon, generational curses and demons. Breaking those chains to start something new is something we know well.This book wove true and real fears women experience throughout their lives and added a very real monster into the mix.Loved this read so much. Amazing way to start the year
I absolutely love this book!
