The Witches of El Paso, Luis Jaramillo
The Witches of El Paso, Luis Jaramillo
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The Witches of El Paso

Author: Luis Jaramillo

Narrator: Raquel Beattie

Unabridged: 9 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/08/2024


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).

About Luis Jaramillo

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 LitHubBOMB MagazineLos 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.


Reviews

Goodreads review by emma on January 15, 2025

are they taking applications? anyway. this is a weird one. nothing quite adds up — i guess the simplest way to put it is that the people who are supposed to be bad aren't that bad and the people who are supposed to be good aren't that good. our protagonist (good) tells her husband (bad) to turn down......more

Goodreads review by Mai on September 22, 2024

Latine Heritage Month I have not been this engrossed in a story in quite some time. I binged half of this at a hair appointment and eagerly sat down the next day to finish the rest. Brujas are a mythos you encounter frequently when you read Mexican and Mexican diaspora fiction. While the witches not c......more

Goodreads review by Kara on May 22, 2024

I want to wax lyrical about this book but I also want you to enjoy it for yourself! Here are all the things I loved about reading the Witches of El Paso, without any spoilers. The themes in this book were *chefs kiss* - the nature of life, boundaries and borders, trust, morality and family. Of course......more

Goodreads review by Judy on October 06, 2024

Luis Jaraimillo is a new author for me. I selected this book because it is about witches, and I do love reading about them - in all their various forms. Description: If you call to the witches, they will come. 1943, El Paso, teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older siste......more

Goodreads review by LadyAReads on October 24, 2024

Short but completely emersive. This is: tejas gothic, atmospheric, haunting magic, and dual pov. It takes place in 3 different times and has everything from Catholicism to Brujas. It’s perfect for spooky season. # The Witches of El Paso # 10/23/2024 ~ 10/24/2024 # 4.5 / 5.0......more


Quotes

"Raquel Beattie’s rich narration takes listeners on this multigenerational journey of self-discovery. Martha, a lawyer who is trying to juggle marriage, career, and two kids, suddenly has to care for her elderly Grandaunt Nena. Spending time with Nena, Martha finally acknowledges the magic pulsing inside her. Nena reveals that in her youth, witches took her to an eighteenth-century convent, where she gave birth to her daughter, who remained in the eighteenth century. Beattie lowers her voice when portraying the nonagenarian Nena, who longs to find her daughter. Martha has a smooth voice that reflects her analytical mind even when she’s faced with the supernatural. Beattie narrates this family saga in a warm, whimsical tone reflecting the power of family and the rich history of El Paso."