Still Water Saints

October 9, 2006
Perla Portillo, 72, owns the unofficial spiritual center of the Southern California Agua Mansa community: at Botánica Oshún, she doles out relics, potions and sage advice to clients coping with death, wrestling with transsexual identity and seeking refuge from sexual predation. In telling their stories, Espinoza skillfully weaves together the alternating narrative viewpoints of Perla and her customers. Poignantly rendered are Azúcar, a transgendered dancer who is given an unexpected chance at motherhood while mourning the loss of a friend, and Rodrigo Zamora, a Michoacán teen illegal recovering from a traumatic crossing. Encroaching violence in the community shakes Perla's confidence in the talismanic power of her wares and words. The significance of her constant presence amid the changing situation is clear to many of her returning customers, but Perla must redefine her position within the community in order to find strength to change along with the world. The parade of affliction can get wearisome, and Espinoza, making his debut, doesn't quite bring Perla all the way into focus. But he handles the proceedings with a steady, well-rounded reportage that suits the story.

January 1, 2007
This debut novel by Espinoza (creative writing, Univ. of California, Riverside) chronicles a tumultuous year in Agua Mansa, a largely Latino town outside Los Angeles. For decades, locals have flocked to Perla Portillo's shop with an almost religious intensity, seeking charms, herbs, prayers, and candles. Among those Perla helps are Rosa, an overweight teenager trying to find herself; Shawn, an addict looking for peace in his chaotic life; and Juan, who must come to terms with his father's death. The most intense story is that of Alfonso, an illegal immigrant with a disturbing and mysterious past. Perla becomes obsessed with him, in part because his situation forces her to confront her own unfulfilled dreams and concerns about her place in a rapidly changing world. Despite stellar endorsements by such esteemed writers as Sandra Cisneros, this novel follows an overworked theme: the unpredictability of life and the resilience of the human spirit. Reminiscent thematically of Joanne Harris's "Chocolat" and Laura Esquivel's "Like Water for Chocolate", this work unfortunately falls flat in comparison. Not an essential purchase.Sofia A. Tangalos, SUNY at Buffalo

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2006
Espinoza vividly brings a small Southern California town to vibrant life in his magical debut centering on Perla, the proprietor of the town's botanica, and the customers who come to her for help. Armed with statues of Buddha and Vishnu, Kachinas, Santos, candles and soaps, herbs and teas, Perla has a cure for everything from diaper rash to kidney stones. Espinoza sends an intriguing melange of townsfolk to her door, including Rosa, an overweight cashier, and Juan, who has been "quiet and sulky" with his girlfriend ever since his father's death, and whose mother grieves not for him but for Elvis. But 15-year-old Rodrigo is Perla's biggest worry. While in Tijuana, he was coerced into joining a group of young males abused by pedophiles, and now, after escaping, he fears for his life. Espinoza is a refreshing new writer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)