Description
Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION Conjuring entrancing tales of Mexican American mystics and misfits, Marytza K. Rubio shatters the boundaries of reality with this fiercely imaginative debut.
Trade Review"In Marytza K. Rubio’s genre-defying debut collection of short stories, the characters—which span from women to animals to the moon—negotiate with nature, invoking Mexican American myths, mystics, and magic.
Maria, Maria & Other Stories stretches across the Americas, reimagines the boundaries of reality and fiction, and expands upon the spaces between life and death." -- National Book Foundation announcement, 2022 National Book Awards Longlist for Fiction
"[A] stunning debut . . . While most of the stories are set in Southern California, a few reach farther afield to Brazil and New Orleans while featuring primarily female protagonists—mothers, sisters, friends, aunts, and cousins—ferociously celebrating feminine power. Rubio confects her moving, disturbing, and intense stories in a variety of styles, voices, and tones, from dark parody to heart-wrenching, grotesque, and violent yet touching. Adorned with illustrations of powerful simplicity . . . Teens will be fascinated by these playful and intense stories featuring young women and girls." -- Sara Martinez, Booklist, starred review
"Rubio is an extravagant storyteller; her prose thrums with life, and her plots take hairpin turns. All of this is on full display in
Maria, Maria . . . this is transporting work . . . Sprawling magical realistic stories with a moral bent." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Purveying characters (both women and animals) with otherwordly powers, Rubio steps across the thin border between life and a dangerous beyond . . . A vividly accomplished debut." -- Barbara Hoffert - Library Journal
"Mysticism and imagination run wild in Rubio’s debut collection, which showcases glittering prose and a fearless approach to form and imagery . . . these 10 tales defy categorization and blur genre boundaries . . . Rubio’s talent is evident, and there’s such a range of tones and genres on offer that any reader will find at least something to enjoy." -- Publishers Weekly
