But the soul of the story is the relationship that evolves between the young girl and the timeless god. There are mystical rituals, blood sacrifice, ravenous ghosts, and a terrifying walk on the Black Road (which is even more ominous than it sounds). The story blends historical fiction and Mayan mythology, and the action is almost nonstop. And this perilous undertaking not only has consequences for her - it could doom or save the entire world.
Although Casiopea does eventually cool her heels in the Pacific Ocean, her dreams don’t come true in the way she expected. Their Jazz Age odyssey takes them from the jungles of the Yucatán Peninsula to the city of Merída, and then on to Veracruz, Mexico City, Tijuana, the beaches of Baja California, and finally, into the gloom of the Mayan underworld. Before she quite understands what’s happening, she’s agreed to help him on his quest to reclaim his throne from his villainous brother. One afternoon, left at home alone as punishment while the rest of the household enjoys a family outing, she accidentally awakens the spirit of Hun-Kamé, the Mayan god of death. The revolution passed through it, yet it remained what it had been.’ She yearns to see the sparkling Pacific, to dance to jazz music, and to drive an automobile with the wind in her hair. But she dreams of escaping the dusty drudgery of her hometown of Uukumil: ‘It was 1927, but it might as well have been 1807. Meanwhile, her useless, weaselly, fawning older cousin Martin subjects her to daily abuse and waits to inherit the family estate.Ĭasiopea, named by her parents for the constellation, is regularly reminded of her subordinate place in the world. When her story begins, she’s a cosmic cousin to Jane Eyre or Cinderella, doomed to fetch, carry, and clean for her domineering grandfather.
Intelligent, scrappy, and courageous, poor Casiopea is also put upon. What would you do if your daydreams suddenly came true, but not at all in the way you imagined? That’s just what happens to our heroine - 18-year-old Casiopea Tun - when the Mayan god of death appears to her unexpectedly and, in exchange for a favor, promises her everything her heart desires.
0 kommentar(er)
