The Lightning Queen

August 17, 2015
Resau’s (the Indigo Notebook series) story of the adventures and growing friendship between a sensitive Mixteco boy and a daring Romani girl is set amid the harsh discrimination and struggles both their peoples faced in Mexico due to cultural, racial, and language barriers. Esma, an enigmatic and enthusiastic Romani girl who calls herself the Queen of Lightning, shows up when Teo needs her most—he’s grieving the death of his sister. “Somehow, the Queen of Lightning put the spark of life back inside you,” Teo’s grandfather marvels, and Teo throws himself into fulfilling a prophecy that predicts he and Esma will be lifelong friends and one day save each other. Told using a Princess Bride–style framing device, with an adult Teo sharing a magical story with his grandson, the narrative is interrupted by their occasional comments, reminding readers of the storyteller and listener. As the lives of Esma and Teo catch up to the present, readers will appreciate how this story comes full circle, and many may find themselves wiping away tears. Ages 8–12. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Starred review from August 15, 2015
A celebration of grandparents' wisdom, cross-cultural friendship, and the idea that nothing is impossible. In present-day Oaxaca, young Mateo visits his Grandpa Teo in his ancestral Mixteco hometown, the Hill of Dust, for the summer. Grandpa Teo shows Mateo a shiny string of coins and begins a story "of marvels. Of impossible fortunes....Of a girl who gathered power from storms and sang back the dead." The lyrical narrative then rewinds to the 1950s, when a young Teo-a grandson of the village's healer-first meets "Gypsy" girl Esma, who arrives with her family's caravan to sing, show movies, read fortunes, and change his life. Taken with her beautiful voice and "aliveness," Teo strikes up a friendship with "Queen of Lightning" Esma that her fortuneteller grandmother predicts will not only last a lifetime, but also extend to their own grandchildren. Each year, the Romany return, and Teo and Esma resume sharing secrets, rescuing wounded animals, and even saving each other's lives. Inspired by the author's time living among the Mixteco, the heartfelt story shifts between timelines to reveal how Teo and Esma form a bond on the Hill of Dust that neither prejudice, time, nor distance can break. Backmatter includes a lengthy note that discusses the Mixteco and the Romany as well as glossaries and pronunciation guides for Mexican Spanish, Mixteco, and Romany words and phrases used in the text. This vibrant, intergenerational tale is nothing short of magical. (Magical realism. 8-13)

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Starred review from September 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-If books were written in black and white, The Lightning Queen would be written in color. Esma, a young Romani girl, meets Teo, a young Mixteco living on the Hill of Dust in the mountains of Mexico, when her traveling caravan makes a stop in Teo's small village. The Romani bring with them the magic of cinema films, and after the loss of Teo's father and sister, Esma gives him a reason to feel alive again. When Esma's grandmother, the Mistress of Destiny, reveals Teo's true fortune-that he and Esma will be lifelong friends and will save each other-Esma and Teo work hard to make sure their fortune comes true. Esma gives Teo the courage to save others and ultimately helps him to save himself. In return, Teo lifts Esma up just when she believes that her own dream is an impossibility. Esma and Teo go their separate ways; she becomes a shining star admired by the world, while he becomes a healer like his grandfather-and it is not until they are both in old age that they meet again. With the help of Teo's grandson Mateo and Esma's granddaughter Ruby, Teo and Esma rekindle their lifelong friendship. Like surviving a lightning strike, this book is rare and incredible. VERDICT The diverse characters, heartbreaking events, and historical and present-day backdrops are excellently executed. Highly recommended.-Selenia Paz, Helen Hall Library, League City, TX

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015
Grades 5-8 Mateo is fascinated by the story of his Mixteco grandfather Teo's lifelong friendship with the gypsy girl known as Esma, the Lightning Queen. Years later, when his healer grandfather feels called to Esma's side, Mateo is able to help reunite the two friends, who are bound by mystical silver threads. Similar in plot and location (Oaxaca, Mexico) to Resau's earlier novel What the Moon Saw (2006), this is a gentle tale of magic realism and nostalgia. It is didactic in parts, and the plot thread with Mateo's mother is neglected and uneven, but the simplicity of the message about friendship and the memorable charactersboth animal and humanwill move readers. Resau is conscientious about being an outsider exploring a culture different from her own, and she includes abundant back matter about the story's inspiration, the Mixteco and Romani people, as well as a glossary and pronunciation guide for the Mexican Spanish, Mixteco, and Romani words that are scattered throughout the text.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)