Where Mangoes Fall
Where Mangoes Fall by L. K. Dominguez is a novel published by Reader’s Select in November 2024, featuring 370 pages in English. Set in South America, the story explores the intersection of myths, legends, and cultural superstitions through the eyes of Ama, a young girl navigating the complexities of her life in Paraguay. Faced with the dire warning from a local card reader about the potential consequences of searching for her friend’s missing baby, Ama grapples with difficult choices regarding truth and loyalty while uncovering secrets about her own existence.
Readers will find a rich narrative that delves into Ama’s struggles with her past and the gang that haunts her, as well as her belief in Paraguayan myths. The story highlights her journey as she seeks guidance from various figures in her life, including an old blind man and a friend skilled in weaving Paraguayan lace. As Ama confronts the harsh realities of her culture and the challenges of loyalty amidst betrayal, the novel reflects on themes of belonging and the intricate nature of life, likening it to the beauty of spiderweb lace.
Official synopsis Publisher
Set in South America, “Where Mangoes Fall” delves into myths, legends, and a culture of superstitions. Ama believes in Paraguayan myths and legends. Still, when the local card reader tells her that three people will die if she searches for her friend’s missing baby, Ama has to make difficult decisions about truth and loyalty, which is even harder when she discovers secrets about her life.
In the beginning…
Ama is a poor girl growing up in Paraguay. As she tries to obey the rules and accomplish her goals, she is constantly haunted by visions of her past and the gang that terrorizes her. This not only scares her daily but has left her with a confused understanding of truth versus legend: she believes she was saved by a mythical creature on the night the gang dragged her to their lair. As Ama struggles with accomplishing her wants and needs, she again faces the reality of her culture when her friend’s baby is snatched. Once again, Ama must decide what is real and fight against those who hide behind legends to avoid reality. She seeks the advice of an old blind man, a card reader, and her friend who weaves the precious, Paraguayan lace. As Ama fights horrifying truths, she discovers that loyalty is difficult when others have betrayed her, but life is like spiderweb lace: twisted together and beautiful.
In the end…
L K Dominguez has written a novel that truly brings out the beauty, friendships, and superstitions in a culture rarely seen. This is a coming-of-age story, written to be insightful but conscious of the most innocent readers. It incorporates and reflects on the 1922 poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay: “The Ballad of the Harp Weaver,” a poem about a mother’s ultimate sacrifice. It also questions culture and life, as well as the question: Do we belong where we began?
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