“‘A curandera cannot give away her secrets,’ she said, ‘but if a person really wants to know, then he will listen and see and be patient. Knowledge comes slowly-‘”
Summary:
Antonio Marez is six years old when Ultima enters his life. She is a curandera, one who heals with herbs and magic. ‘We cannot let her live her last days in loneliness,’ says Antonio’s mother. ‘It is not the way of our people,’ agrees his father. And so Ultima comes to live with Antonio’s family in New Mexico. Soon Tony will journey to the threshold of manhood. Always, Ultima watches over him. She graces him with the courage to face childhood bigotry, diabolical possession, the moral collapse of his brother, and too many violent deaths. Under her wise guidance, Tony will probe the family ties that bind him, and he will find in himself the magical secrets of the pagan past—a mythic legacy equally as palpable as the Catholicism of Latin America in which he has been schooled. At each turn in his life there is Ultima who will nurture the birth of his soul.
My Thoughts:
Bless Me, Ultima is a magical piece of Hispanic literature–really a cornerstone in its genre. Friends and coworkers have recommended this book to me, so much so I had a borrowed copy. I was not disappointed.
Personally, I do not like stories centered around young children but besides that the story is a slow burn. Antonio is six-years-old. He is guided by Ultima through a mythical natural world within his own. Ultima is accused of being a witch by townspeople and when Antonio’s family takes Ultima in they receive criticism. BUT in hours of desperation, Ultima is who is called upon to heal illnesses or fix what seems like unfixable problems.
Ultima herself is an interesting character, the most interesting in my option. Under her guidance, Antonio becomes torn between his growing love for the natural magic around him and his faith within the Catholic church. His mother dreams he will be a priest, his father hopes he will follow in his footsteps, but Ultima encourage Antonio to be his own man.
Like Antonio, I too became obsessed with Ultima. Who was she? Was she a healer or something more? She had telltale signs she was a bruja (witch), but the final decision is left to the reader. Between magic, profanity, violence, and some sexual content you might not find this book in the classroom. BUT I can assure you a reader would hear nothing worse walking down a hallway of their local high school than they would reading this novel.
Should you read Bless Me, Ultima?
Honestly, Bless Me, Ultima is not for everyone. As a younger reader I did not enjoy this novel, as an adult reader I did. You relationship with this novel will depend on where you are in life.
After reading I found out there was a movie released in 2013 directed by Carl Franklin, I was able to watch it on Amazon. It followed the story pretty well and I liked it more than the book.
Have you read Bless Me, Ultima or seen the movie?
Lit Lemon Books 
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