And then she looked up.
Clara rose from the bench, her bones creaking with age. Her eyes met Juana’s.
“Clara?” The word was barely a whisper, but it found its target in Clara’s heart.
In the moment that followed, there was only the rustling of a small breeze tangled in the leaves overhead. Juana’s eyes brimmed with tears.
The next moment, she was running toward her daughter, with Esteban fast on her heels.
“¡Mi hija!” she cried, pulling Clara into an embrace. Esteban wrapped his arms around Clara’s waist.
“What happened to you?” Juana finally asked, smoothing her hands over Clara’s silver braids. Her fingers traced the lines of age on Clara’s face. She held her daughter’s frail hands, the skin papery and rough. Clara’s fingertips were hard and scabbed.
“It’s a long story,” Clara replied. She smiled at Esteban.
“Come,” Juana said, putting her arms protectively around Clara’s shoulders. “You must tell us everything.” She turned to Catrina. “Will you join us?”
Death shook her head. “Not today.”
Juana led her daughter into their home. When the door opened, a whiff of chocolate drifted out, joining the swirls of scents wafting across Oaxaca City. Through the open door, Catrina spotted Clara’s father dancing with a broom, keeping pace with the rapid beats of his favorite ranchera.
“Hola, Papi,” Clara said.
The broom dropped from his hands as he reached for his daughter.
* * *
As evening fell over the city, the door to Clara’s house opened. All that needed to be said had been said; embraces had been given. The two-headed dragon sat upon Esteban’s shoulder, its small tail curled against Esteban’s back, its scales picking up the light from a nearby lamppost. The black-and-white sun-and-moon pendant rested against Juana’s chest.
Clara and her family approached the bench where Death awaited. Catrina rose to greet them.
“Thank you,” Juana said to Catrina, knowing now the truth of the woman who had delivered Esteban to her care. Then she added, “Por favor cuídala.”
Catrina nodded. “Always.”
Clara released her mother’s hand.
“I’m ready,” she told Catrina, and she took the hand of Death.
Catrina snapped her fingers…and a new story began.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
IN WHICH SOME INTERESTING DETAILS ARE REVEALED
WHAT IS MAGICAL REALISM?
Lotería portrays fantastical events occurring in an ordinary, real-world setting. This type of storytelling is called magical realism, and it is an important tradition in Latin American culture.
Writers of magical realism do not invent new worlds. Rather, we seek to reveal the magic that is hidden within our own world. In writing this story, I owe a huge debt of literary gratitude to some of the most influential and skilled writers of this genre, including Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, Jorge Luis Borges, and Laura Esquivel.
WHERE DID THE IDEAS ABOUT FREE WILL VERSUS DETERMINISM COME FROM?
The philosophical ideas explored in Lotería are not new; they have been debated by great minds throughout history. However, the conclusions at which I arrive are my own.
Free will generally refers to the ability to make choices voluntarily, the idea that one has control over one’s actions. Determinism is a theory that states that all acts or occurrences are determined by preceding events.
In developing my thoughts on the issues of free will and determinism, I researched the work of many writers and philosophers, including:
Plato (c. 428–c. 348 BCE)
Aristotle (384–322 BCE)
St. Augustine (354–430)
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)
Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679)
René Descartes (1596–1650)
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716)
David Hume (1711–1776)
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860)
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
Ted Honderich (1933–)
Robert Kane (1938–)
Galen Strawson (1952–)
WHAT IS LA LOTERÍA?
La Lotería is a traditional Mexican game of chance, similar to bingo. It originated in Italy in the fifteenth century and was brought to Mexico in the late eighteenth century, when the country was a part of Spain.
In the game, each player chooses a board with a randomly created grid of sixteen pictures. In total there are fifty-four different images. The game is played using a deck of cards made up of all fifty-four images. A caller or singer (cantor) flips a card over to reveal the pictograph. In some variations of the game, the caller will sing (or call out) a riddle associated with each image, and players must guess the card. Players who have the image of that card on their board then place a marker (a chip or a black bean) on the appropriate picture.
There are many different versions of Lotería, and the players decide at the outset of the game which version they will play. In the most common form of the game, the first player to get four markers in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal—or any other previously agreed-upon pattern) wins the game.
The fifty-four different images are Arrows, Barrel, Bell, Bird, Black One (Negrito), Bonnet, Boot, Bottle, Brave One, Canoe, Cello, Crown, Dandy (Catrín), Death, Deer, Devil, Drum, Drunkard, Fish, Flag, Flowerpot, Frog, Hand, Harp, Heart, Heron, Ladder, Lady, Mandolin, Melon, Mermaid, Moon, Musician, Palm Tree, Parrot, Pear, Pine Tree, Prickly Pear Cactus, Raccoon, Rooster, Rose, Saucepan, Scorpion, Shrimp, Skull, Soldier, Spider, Star, Sun, Tree, Umbrella, Water Pitcher, Watermelon, and World. Each of these images is referenced at some point in this story.
WHAT IS DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS?
El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is an important holiday in Mexico and other Latin American countries, honoring the lives of those who have passed away. To prepare for the celebration, families create altars in their homes or on their ancestors’ graves, covering them with flowers, candles, photos, food, calaveras (candied skulls), and objects of special significance. The Day of the Dead celebrations unfold over two days, November 1 and 2, as families gather to symbolically awaken their ancestors and reconnect with their loved ones.
The representation of death as a lady named Catrina comes from La Calavera Catrina, an etching by José Guadalupe Posada from the early 1900s. It portrays a female skeleton wearing an elegant European hat. In the mid-1940s, the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera painted a mural called Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central, in which he depicted four hundred years of key historical figures. He included Posada’s Calavera Catrina (though he added a body and a beautiful dress) as a way to represent the Mexican tradition of welcoming death and also the ancient Aztec reverence of Mictecacihuatl, goddess and ruler of the afterlife.
Rivera’s depiction of Catrina has become the iconic image of death in Mexico, and it is quite common to see various representations of her, especially during the Día de los Muertos celebrations.
ARE THE PLACES IN LOTERÍA REAL?
Many of the places referred to in the book are real and have important historical significance.
OAXACA CITY
This is the capital of Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico. In ancient times it was a cultural center of the Zapotec and Mixtec Indigenous populations. It is a World Heritage Site, a landmark city selected by the United Nations as having cultural and historical significance. The cathedral (Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán) and the Zócalo, the large public plaza, are both important locales in Oaxaca City, along with the many artisan and food markets.
LA GRUTA DE ORO
La Gruta de Oro is inspired by Las Grutas de Cacahuamilpa (also known by the local
people as Salachi) in the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park. Cacahuamilpa is a Nahuatl word meaning “peanut field.”
Located in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, it is one of the largest cave systems in the world. For centuries, groundwater has filtered into it, promoting the growth of thousands of stalagmites and stalactites.
The cave system comprises ninety large “salons” (though only about a quarter of them have been explored). The average width of the salons is 130 feet, with a height ranging from 65 to 265 feet. Some of these salons are so large that they have been used to hold concerts and performances (one is even known as the Auditorium).
The pottery Esteban’s brothers found would not have been out of place in Las Grutas de Cacahuamilpa. Excavations in the caverns have uncovered fragments of pottery dating back to pre-Hispanic times.
The massive formations they saw are also quite common in Las Grutas de Cacahuamilpa. Some well-known structures include the Organ (which looks like an organ-pipe cactus and makes the sound of an organ when knocked with a rock), the Fountain (a two-story structure that resembles a bubbling fountain), and the Bottle (a structure that looks like a towering soda bottle overflowing with foam).
EL ÁRBOL DEL TULE
This tree in Santa María del Tule, Oaxaca, is a true wonder and one of the largest of all living things (although not the tallest). According to some estimates, it is almost 50 feet in diameter, with a circumference of approximately 140 feet. The height is difficult to measure because of the tree’s broad crown, but in 2005, laser measurements put it at about 120 feet. The tree is so vast that it was once believed to be multiple trees. DNA testing, however, proved that it is a single entity. Its scientific name is Taxodium mucronatum (Montezuma bald cypress), and its age is unknown, although annual growth rates suggest it is thousands of years old.
MONTE ALBÁN
Monte Albán is another World Heritage Site. This pre-Hispanic settlement was the ancient capital of the Zapotecs. At the height of its power, the city boasted close to thirty-five thousand inhabitants. It is an important archaeological site known for its architecture and the many astounding ancient artifacts recovered there, including a stunning collection of gold objects and jewelry.
ASREAN
The mythical land of Asrean is inspired by Aztlán, the legendary ancestral home of the Aztec people. Aztecah is a Nahuatl word, meaning “people from Aztlán.”
THE KINGDOM OF LAS POZAS
The jungle world of Las Pozas is based on an actual surrealistic sculpture park of the same name in a subtropical rainforest in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. This mind-bending garden was created by Edward James, a British poet, and consists of more than eighty acres of land with twenty-seven buildings and sculptures. Dozens of trails wind around these towering structures, guiding visitors past natural and artificial pools and waterfalls. The park receives more than a hundred thousand visitors annually from all over the world, and the sculptures have been declared a national artistic monument.
THE CHILDREN’S FLOATING ISLANDS
Tenochtitlán, the ancient city upon which Mexico City was built, provided the inspiration for the king’s lake with its floating islands. Tenochtitlán was the capital of the Aztec empire until it was captured by Spain in 1521. At its peak, Tenochtitlán was the largest city in pre-Columbian America.
The city was built on Lake Texcoco, a feat accomplished by creating a system of artificial islands, or chinampas. The man-made plots were built by weaving reeds into makeshift fences or borders that were anchored to the bottom of the lake. Then mud, sediment, and vegetation were piled up inside those borders until the top layer was visible over the surface of the water. Each plot of land could be used for any purpose (for example, to plant food or build a shelter).
Chinampas were separated by canals wide enough to allow for the passage of canoes. There were also raised causeways, beautiful floating gardens, and bridges that could be pulled away to isolate the city in the event of an attack.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR…?
THE IMMORTAL KING
The scene in the king’s tent and the king’s quest for immortality were in part inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, a story about a young man who makes a nefarious deal: trading his soul for eternal youth.
In Wilde’s story, the passage of time is reflected in the portrait of Dorian Gray, which hangs on the wall and ages with each passing year—while the man himself remains forever young. It is a story about the pitfalls and unintended consequences of making ill-considered choices.
THE WHITE FAWN
The incident with the fawn that Clara encounters at the entrance to Las Pozas was inspired by an ancient Mayan myth. The story tells of a swift and elegant deer whose pale coloring made it easy prey for hunters. One day the deer was drinking water by a lake when it was surprised by a flurry of arrows shot by hunters intent on capturing it. The deer raced away, but it could not escape from the hunters. Just as an arrow was about to strike it, the deer fell into an underground cave.
The deer injured one of its legs in the fall, but it managed to survive. Its moans and groans alerted a group of genies who lived in the secret cave. They healed the deer with magic and allowed it to remain with them until it had completely recovered. The genies became fond of the small animal, and when the time came for the deer to depart, the genies granted it a wish. The deer asked for a way to keep itself safe from hunters, and the genies agreed. They covered the deer with dirt and asked the sun to change the color of the deer’s fur. Little by little, the deer’s fur darkened, until it had attained the same color as the dirt. The genies assured the deer that, with this gift, the hunters would no longer be able to see it. And they were right, or so the legend goes. Since that time, the deer has acquired almost mythical qualities: it is swift and seemingly capable of vanishing as soon as it’s in the hunters’ sights.
ESTEBAN’S TONGUE TWISTER
The tongue twister Clara teaches the parrot is a traditional Mexican trabalenguas. Another version of the tongue twister goes like this:
Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en tres tristes tastros en un trigal,
En un trigal tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en tres tristes tastros.
(Three sad tigers gobbled up wheat out of three sad pots in a wheat field,
In a wheat field three sad tigers gobbled up wheat out of three sad pots.)
Another well-known tongue twister:
Erre con erre guitarra, erre con erre barril.
Mira que rápido ruedan, las ruedas del ferrocarril.
(“R” with “R” guitar, “R” with “R” barrel.
Look at how quickly the wheels of the train roll.)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This story unfolded very much like a game of Lotería. One moment led to another, which in turn was influenced by people and events entirely out of my control. I am grateful for all of it, and especially for the following people, whose auspicious arrival in this book’s journey has played a significant role. In order of appearance:
My parents, who, of course, turned the first card (Life) and, in so doing, gave me Mexico, with all its myth and magic coursing through my veins.
Dave, Nico, Fía, and Santiago, who have rivaled Fate in shaping my destiny, and in whose hands I have placed mi corazón.
Gonzalo and Karin, who chose to host one of the best family-and-friends gatherings on record in Oaxaca City. El gallo kept us company through many a sunrise.
Rachel Atlan, Johnell DeWitt, Jami Gigot, Fiona Halliday, and Jess Townes, whose keen insights, observations, and turns of phrase are woven through these pages like ribbons in Clara’s hair. Thank you for giving me a space in which to be brave.
Special thanks to Becky Shillington for showing me what I could not see (and for not allowing me to walk away). You are a star.
Ammi-Joan Pa
quette, without whose grace and guidance I would be lost. Like a rose in a magical garden, you always elicit a smile.
Katherine Harrison, whose editorial skills and knowledge are unmatched. The crown is yours.
Dana Sanmar, illustrator extraordinaire. I am humbled and honored that you chose my story to illuminate. You have been this story’s sun.
Michelle Cunningham and Jen Valero, whose creativity and inspiration shine through in the gorgeous jacket and interior art. You are the story’s moon.
Erin Clarke, Jake Eldred, Tracy Heydweiller, Melanie Nolan, and all the wonderful people involved in helping produce and edit this book. Your time, knowledge, and commitment to Clara’s story have been a gift. Special thanks to Artie Bennett, Alison Kolani, Jim Armstrong, Amy Schroeder, and Arely Guzmán for your attention to detail and care with words. Gianna Lakenauth has been lovely and essential every step of the way. Each of you has been critical to this story’s ascent, a ladder without which Lotería would never have left the ground.
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