About This Book
Nothing exciting happens on the Hill of Dust, in the remote mountains of Mexico. There's no electricity, no plumbing, no cars, just day after day of pasturing goats. And now, without his sister and mother, eleven-year-old Teo's life feels even more barren. Then one day, the mysterious young Esma, who calls herself the Gypsy Queen of Lightning, rolls into town like a rush of color. Her caravan's Mistress of Destiny predicts that Teo and Esma will be longtime friends, against all odds.
Suddenly, life brims with possibility.
And magic.
And danger.
With the help of a rescued duck, a three-legged skunk, a blind goat, and other unexpected friends, Teo and Esma must overcome obstacles—even death—to make their impossible fortune come true. Their destiny will span generations and ultimately depend on Teo's American grandson, Mateo, to be fulfilled.
Inspired by true stories from rural Mexico, this astonishing novel illuminates two fascinating but marginalized cultures—the Romani and the Mixtcco Indians. Award-winning author Laura Resau tells the exhilarating story of an unlikely friendship that begins in the 1950s and reaches into today.
