Summer of the Mariposas

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

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Juvenile Fiction. Folklore. In this young adult retelling of The Odyssey, Odilia and her four sisters journey to Mexico to return a dead man to his family and encounter magical creatures along the way. When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero's journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer's original tale. With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother's house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras. Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test, returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them? Summer of the Mariposas is not just a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey, it is a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.… (more)

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MY goodness, this was a good book. I absolutely loved it. My favorite YA book I have read over the last few years. If you like magic realism and mythology this book is for you. (

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cdaley | Nov 2, 2023 |

Summer of the Mariposas is a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey - and a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.

When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero's journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer's original tale.

With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother's house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras.

Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test: returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them?

Gmomaj | Dec 1, 2022 |

A heartfelt tale of family, specifically that of mother and daughter, and the bond between sisters, who, even though they may fight like crazy, always have each other's backs.

Recommended if you're looking for a middle grade story by an #ownvoices author, set in Texas and Mexico, blending legends like La Llorona with magical realism.

Bonus: The author shared this link to the publisher's "Mythological Glossary for Summer of the Mariposas" which shows the parallels between Summer of the Mariposas and The Odyssey. The publisher also has a teacher's guide.

flying_monkeys | Mar 28, 2019 |

Fanciful and inventive, this coming of age novel tells the story of five young sisters as they test the bonds of sisterhood. Their summer is turned upside down when they find the body of a dead man floating in their favorite swimming hole. Juanita suggests they take the body back to it's family and three of her sisters think it's a fantastic plan. Odilia, the oldest, objects but is soon overturned by the excitement and vigor of her sisters. Along the way they encounter many unbelievable things, things of legend that will either make or break them. With the help of the Aztec goddess they try to do right by the dead man, their family, and themselves. Full of ancient lore, family values, and heroic quests this book will entrance young adult readers. (

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ecataldi | Mar 11, 2015 |

Ever since their father abandoned them over a year ago, Odilia and her four sisters have felt a void in their lives. Their mother has buried herself in her work, and the girls are left to fend for themselves.

Read rest of my review at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/summer-of-the-mariposas-guada... (

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ShouldIReadIt | Sep 26, 2014 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Guadalupe Garcia McCall	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Stewart, Isaac	Cover and designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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The Odyssey by Homer

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Eagle Pass, Texas, USA

El Sacrificio, Coahuila, Mexico

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Epigraph

mariposa (mah-ree-PO-sah) from the Spanish, mariposa, the apocopate Mari- (Mary in English) and posa (to rest or repose)
Butterfly. Mariposas are slender, delicate insects with four wide, colorful wings. In almost every culture, butterflies are associated with transformation. The Aztecs held the butterfly, papalotl, in high regard and had a special celebration to welcome the migrating monarchs in early August every year. They believed that mariposas were the cheerful souls of their loved ones, the angels of women and children, their fallen warriors, their ancestors, returning home transformed to assure them that they were well and that life, however brief, was beautiful

Dedication

To my cinco hermanitas whom I love con tod mi corazón: Alicia, Virginia, Diamantina, Angelica, y Roxana the Garcia girls, together forever -- no matter what!

First words

Almost a year after our father left the house, never to be heard from again, the long, miserable drought ended in Texas.

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Publisher's editors

Whitman, Stacy

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Original language

English, US

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▾Book descriptions

Juvenile Fiction. Folklore. In this young adult retelling of The Odyssey, Odilia and her four sisters journey to Mexico to return a dead man to his family and encounter magical creatures along the way. When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero's journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer's original tale. With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother's house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras. Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test, returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them? Summer of the Mariposas is not just a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey, it is a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.

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