The Witches of El Paso - by Luis Jaramillo

About the Book

"A ... multigenerational tale of magic, sisterhood, and borders spanning centuries--from modern-day El Paso, to the 1940s, to 18th century colonial Mexico. It's 1943 in El Paso, Texas, and 18-year-old Nena spends her days caring for the infant children of her older sisters, while longing for a life of adventure and purpose. She also has a secret: her vivid premonitions are what's causing her to faint, and she fears she'll end up like the scary old curandera who lives down the street. When the mysterious and stern Sister Benedicta arrives late one evening, Nena is taken across borders of space and time for a life-changing experience in colonial Mexico"--

Book Synopsis

"Luis Jaramillo weaves a captivating tale of family, tradition, and the enduring power of love." --Reyna Grande, author of A Ballad of Love and Glory

A lawyer and her elderly great-aunt use their supernatural gifts to find a lost child in this "wild, wondrous novel about the magic that is singing all around us" (Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing Earth)--in the vein of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina and La Hacienda.

If you call to the witches, they will come.

1943, El Paso, Texas: teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older sisters and longing for a life of adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells she has endured since childhood are getting worse, and Nena worries she'll end up like the scary old curandera down the street. Nena prays for help, and when the mysterious Sister Benedicta arrives late one night, Nena follows her across the borders of space and time. In colonial Mexico, Nena grows into her power, finding love and learning that magic always comes with a price.

In the present day, Nena's grandniece, Marta, balances a struggling legal aid practice with motherhood and the care of the now ninety-three-year-old Nena. When Marta agrees to help search for a daughter Nena left in the past, the two forge a fierce connection. Marta's own supernatural powers emerge, awakening her to new possibilities that threaten the life she has constructed.

"Sexy, smart, and soulful, Luis Jaramillo's The Witches of El Paso pulls us across borders and time to get to the essence of what it means for families to survive this beautiful, fractured world" (Mira Jacob, author of Good Talk).

Review Quotes

"Jaramillo's debut novel strikingly portrays a family's unrelenting love and survival across borders, generations, and adversity with vivid descriptions of El Paso, Juarez, and the supernatural. Fans of Isabel Cañas, Zoraida Córdova, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia who enjoy historical fiction and subtle fantasy will devour this book."--Booklist

"Jaramillo's atmospheric prose conjures the dusty El Paso of the past, and depictions of La Vista vibrate with 'colorful knots of waves, ' glowing indigo, maroon, and bright pink, yielding 'a wild spell, like yeast in the air.' This riveting page-turner affirms the adage, 'Family stories teach us how to live. Family secrets teach us to kill parts of ourselves.'

"Gripping and cinematic, the novel's worlds of El Paso past and present will bewitch and enrapture."--Kirkus (starred review)

"Gorgeous and thrilling, The Witches of El Paso casts a revelatory spell. I didn't want it to end."--R. O. Kwon, Bestselling author of Exhibit and The Incendiaries

"Luis Jaramillo weaves a captivating tale of family, tradition, and the enduring power of love. His vivid prose and intriguing plot make his novel hard to put down!"--Reyna Grande, author of A Ballad of Love and Glory

"Sexy, smart and soulful, Luis Jaramillo's The Witches of El Paso pulls us across borders and time to get to the essence of what it means for families to survive this beautiful, fractured world."--Mira Jacob, national bestselling author of Good Talk

"Spanning borders and centuries, The Witches of El Paso is a wild, wondrous novel about the magic that is singing all around us. With this story, Luis Jaramillo shows us how to catch the tune."--Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing Earth, an international bestseller and National Book Award Finalist

About the Author

Luis Jaramillo is the author of The Witches of El Paso and the award-winning short story collection, The Doctor's Wife. His writing has appeared in LitHub, BOMB Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books, and other publications. He is an assistant professor of creative writing at The New School. He received an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and an MFA from The New School. Find out more at LuisJaramillo.com.