Introduction

At turns heartbreaking, uplifting, fiercely romantic, and riotously funny, QUEEN OF AMERICA tells the unforgettable story of a young woman coming of age and finding her place in a new world. Beginning where Luis Alberto Urrea's bestselling The Hummingbird's Daughter left off, QUEEN OF AMERICA finds young Teresita Urrea, beloved healer and "Saint of Cabora," with her father in 1892 Arizona. But, besieged by pilgrims in desperate need of her healing powers, and pursued by assassins, she has no choice but to flee the borderlands and embark on an extraordinary journey into the heart of turn-of-the-century America.


Teresita's passage will take her to New York, San Francisco, and St. Louis, where she will encounter European royalty, Cuban poets, beauty queens, anxious immigrants and grand tycoons-and, among them, a man who will force Teresita to finally ask herself the ultimate question: is a saint allowed to fall in love?

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Excerpt

Prologue

At first, she found it dry. Soon, and forever after, she would find it vast, dreadfully open, more sky than prairie, more prairie than mountain, more mountain than city. The whole would outstrip her ability to see, and she knew her days would... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. A newcomer in a strange land, Teresita Urrea embarks on a wild adventure through turn-of-the-century America while simultaneously coming of age. Ultimately, Queen of America is the story of Teresita’s immigrant experience. What are some of the challenges that face her along the way?


2. Discuss how the supernatural and spiritual elements of Teresita’s Mexican life intersect with the gritty reality of twentieth-century industrial America.



3. Infused with religious mysticism, historical drama, folktale, and western adventure, Queen of America has been described as a magical realist novel. Do you agree? Why or why not?



4. Urrea’s novels often confront borders—borders between Mexico and the U.S, men and women, rich and poor, and practical and mythical. Discuss these recurring themes. Can you think of others?



5. Teresita has been described by both readers and reviewers as the Joan of Arc of Mexico. What is implied by this, and do you think the description is apt? How does it change, if at all, throughout The Hummingbird’s Daughter and Queen of America?



6. In what ways are The Hummingbird’s Daughter and Queen of America similar? How do they differ?



7. Can Teresita’s gift for healing be explained in contemporary terms? Do you think that a saint or a healer can exist in a modern world? If so, can you think of any who are living today?



8. The Hummingbird’s Daughter and Queen of America are based on Luis Alberto Urrea’s own family history. Did you recognize any parallels between your family’s history and any of the themes in Urrea’s two books?

Weblinks

»	Read a Sample
»	Author Luis Alberto Urrea's web site
»	Read the NYT review

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Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 1 members.

by cindywiser (see profile) 07/12/13

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