{"id":2572,"date":"2017-11-09T15:20:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-09T20:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.silvercentury.org\/2017\/11\/chasing-the-jaguar\/"},"modified":"2017-11-09T15:20:00","modified_gmt":"2017-11-09T20:20:00","slug":"chasing-the-jaguar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/78.142.243.82\/~silvercentury\/2017\/11\/chasing-the-jaguar\/","title":{"rendered":"Chasing the Jaguar"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Michele Dom\u00ednguez Greene<\/span> – HarperCollins, 2006<\/em> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a new twist on the stereotype of old lady as evil witch. T\u00eda<\/em> (Aunt) Tellin, a fragile-looking, gray-haired old lady, walks right past the gangs and the homeless people hanging out in the park near her Los Angeles home, and she\u2019s not afraid of anyone. She is descended from a long line of Mayan curanderas<\/em> (traditional shamanic medicine women) and uses her psychic powers to help the police solve crimes. She is also the mentor and trainer of her great-great-niece, Martika G\u00e1lvez, the 15-year-old protagonist, who has just realized that she inherited the same abilities and must learn to use them wisely. A generous smattering of Spanish dialogue is either clear from the context or explained in a glossary in the back.<\/p>\n

Curanderas seek truth and guidance in dreams. Traditionally, they are believed to have magical powers, such as mind reading, seeing the future, communicating with spirits, astral projection and casting spells for healing or harm\u2014even starting fires with their minds. T\u00eda Tellin has to train Martika quickly to use her nascent powers to rescue a kidnapped girl and recover a priceless stolen statue.
\n 
\nThe book juxtaposes the starkly contrasting lifestyles and mindsets of people whose lives overlap. It also offers appealing glimpses of ancient Mayan beliefs and modern Hispanic-American culture. In a climactic scene in which Martika\u2019s life is in danger, T\u00eda Tellin uses her own magical powers to offer a unique form of aid. By the end of the book, when T\u00eda Tellin travels alone to the Yucat\u00e1n jungle to return the ancient statue to an even older curandera, Martika and her unusual great-great-aunt have woven a supple bond of trust and respect that will ensure the continuance of a proud, powerful tradition even in the modern world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s a new twist on the stereotype of old lady as evil witch. <\/p>\n

Read more Chasing the Jaguar<\/span> ›<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

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