"Women of Fire and Snow" is a riveting collection of contemporary stories of women straddling the Mexican-American border while finding their place and voice. Cultural identity, gender violence, forced migration, sacrifice, love, and resiliency frame suspenseful tales where realism is tempered by the supernatural and mystical.
An undocumented teenager is ripped from her home to fight a monster in a haunted town.
A college student confronts evil when ICE detains her father.
While rescuing her nephew at the border, a young woman wrestles with her privilege and the power of Santa Muerte.
A curandera battles a demon while her granddaughter confronts her violent husband.
A young Chicana from Seattle travels to Mexico, plunging into a secret society to combat rampant femicide.
From the deserts and volcanoes of Mexico to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, these fast-paced stories blend social commentary with classic and psychological horror.
"Women of Fire and Snow" is a riveting collection of contemporary stories of women straddling the Mexican-American border while finding their place and voice. Cultural identity, gender violence, forced migration, sacrifice, love, and resiliency frame suspenseful tales where realism is tempered by the supernatural and mystical.
An undocumented teenager is ripped from her home to fight a monster in a haunted town.
A college student confronts evil when ICE detains her father.
While rescuing her nephew at the border, a young woman wrestles with her privilege and the power of Santa Muerte.
A curandera battles a demon while her granddaughter confronts her violent husband.
A young Chicana from Seattle travels to Mexico, plunging into a secret society to combat rampant femicide.
From the deserts and volcanoes of Mexico to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, these fast-paced stories blend social commentary with classic and psychological horror.
EMILIANA MANEUVERED A POT of dried black beans under the flowing faucet. A skull materialized on the surface of the water making her drop the pot clattering in the sink. The skull disappeared. She shut off the faucet and listened to see if the noise had awoken Estela, but there was nothing. Estela was so medicated, she could sleep through a mariachi band playing full blast. It was Sunday afternoon. Luis, her grandson, was working, and his wife Estela was taking a nap.
I must have imagined it, thought Emiliana, setting the pot on the counter. The skull looked like Tzitzimitl. That old demon hadn’t bothered her in years. Just thinking about her sent a shudder down Emiliana’s spine. Emiliana put on her raincoat and went on her mile-long afternoon walk in Seward Park in South Seattle. Her hips, knees, and hands blasted with pain, but she forced herself into the pouring rain, wading through puddles in her child-sized boots, the cold drops kissing her cheeks.
I’m too old for this! I should be spending my last days in the sun, slowing down into the rhythms of nature. Instead, I’m in this dark place, still caring for the family. I don’t know how long I can keep doing it. She crossed from Luis’s low-income neighborhood into the more expensive blocks encircling the park. As she approached, the trees, lots, and homes became larger. She entered the park and stood on the bank of Lake Washington. In the distance, Mount Rainier loomed, a curtain of clouds partially drawn across its profile. Emiliana removed her boots and socks, gracefully balancing on each ancient foot in turn, despite her arthritis. The shock of the cold, wet grass ignited a longing for Mexico.
Something darted in the periphery, catching her eye. She searched the shadows of the cedars, where tree trunks and hawthorns took on menacing forms. Blinking, she bent to study the mycelium, which extended to the soles of her weathered feet. “Thank you, Mother Earth,” she prayed, “please give me energy.”
Eyes closed, Emiliana hummed an ancient song. With each exhalation, she blew away every thought … every sensation. Her mind quiet, she opened another sense, one with no name, and fear gripped her heart. Tatiana was in danger! She inhaled and opened her mind’s eye. Her great-granddaughter struggled in a pool of black sludge; a fiend hovered over her.
Emiliana visualized Tatiana. Average height, toned, strong limbs covered with lean muscle from swimming and running. Brown hair fell heavily below her shoulders to frame a heart-shaped face, with large almond eyes and caramel skin. Smart, kind, respectful. Never a problem until six months ago, when she’d invited them to dinner to introduce them to a new husband and house.
Emiliana’s pulse quickened. She put on her boots and hurried home. The urgency made the uphill walk back more strenuous than usual. Gasping for breath, she stood at the corner as the cold night air stung her cheeks. The lights from homes in the valley spread out like so many earth-bound stars.
“He’s coming for her,” a low guttural voice said. The words were Zapotec, of the ancient valley peoples.
She turned, expecting a man, but the street was empty
Women are the absolute protagonists and heroes in this short story collection. The Women of Fire and Snow are both strong and vulnerable; they are usually trying to help or rescue someone—be it a father who is in detention, a missing niece, an abused great-granddaughter, a mother at risk from a forest fire—; they share a Mexican heritage but also have a connection to the picturesque Snoqualmie region of Washington; they come in all ages, shapes and sizes. And, above all, they have strong family ties. As it happens in real life, especially among families of Latin American origin, family can be a savior for the women, but other times it can be an oppressor, and usually it is a complicated mix of both.
Fantasy—of the type known as “magical realism”—is present, in one way or another, throughout the stories. However, this is not mild-mannered, benevolent fantasy, but dark fantasy. The women in the stories are facing different kinds of evil, usually in the form of toxic masculinity.
This book by Nati del Paso draws from her experiences, knowledge and legacy. You can tell that the author knows well the issues she writes about and cares deeply about them.
I loved the titles of the stories; several of them are very creative. The first few paragraphs—always a challenge for a writer—are well written and draw the reader in right away. The stories are fast-paced and have a cinematographic quality to them. There is also some beautiful and powerful imagery, as is the case with the dance described in “The Cicada’s Song.” The legends, cultures and history of the ‘old Mexico’ are nicely intertwined with the challenges faced by today’s Mexico.
My favorite stories were both the longest, most complex ones—“Soul Sacrifice” and “The Cicada’s Song”— and the shortest ones—“A Safer Place” and “Honor Your Mother.”
Although the stories are interesting, some of the situations and antagonists felt rather repetitive after a while. Also, I wasn’t so sure about the resolution of the conflict in a few of the stories. Even within a fantasy world, the events that take place should make sense to the reader.
I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in strong female protagonists, in Mexican culture and traditions, and also in dark ‘low fantasy.’
Although the writing isn’t too gory, there are depictions of violence, in most cases of abuse towards women.