A rich and enchanting story of the turbulent and beautiful ways we come together

This Fierce Blood is an absolutely beautiful book. From the stunning cover to the writing, to the story, this book had me enchanted from the very start. The pacing, the beauty, the subtle magic, and the thoughtful internal conflict were so gripping that I found myself unable to put it down. This Fierce Blood surprised me in ways that I didn’t anticipate. It woke my sense of wonder and opened my heart to generations of women in the Sylte family.

Quick Summary: Wilhelmina Sylte is a settler starting her life with her immigrant husband when she becomes inexplicably drawn to mountain lions around their property. Two generations later, Josepa is accused of witchcraft in her village for using healing practices passed down from her Native mother. Another generation past, Magdalena inherits her great-grandmother Wilhelmina’s farm and turns it into a summer science camp for teens. As summer progresses Magda finds the lines between science and myth begin to blur in her life.

This Fierce Blood gives us a unique and beautiful look into the joining of cultures in the American Southwest. It cleverly highlights how traditions can clash and come together as one all at the same time. Through three different generations of women, we see both discordance and weaving of culture and how each of these helps our cultures grow. Márquez does a wonderful job of showing the deep complexities that come with growing up in a multicultural and multiracial home. Being multiracial is so often being pushed and pulled from one piece of yourself to another but never fitting quite right anywhere. It’s being drawn in and rejected from every side and not knowing how to identify when you identify with all sides but none of them at the same time. The portrayal of this cultural family growth is nothing short of stunning. Continue reading here...

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