Bless Me , Ultima Review
This is a book that is based on a young and very thoughtful child that wants to figure out what it means to grow from a boy to a man. Throughout the story he had a hard time figuring out what path he would take because he was trying to understand the different cultures, himself, and the conflicts happening around him. In the story there was a person who he ended up turning to for advice which was Ultima, that one older lady who seems to know more than everyone else. I say this about Ultima because she used ancient ways to cure others and had the solution for the curse that was put on his mom’s brother. The story has a lot of action and meaning this is said because some themes found in this book were revenge like how Tenorio would always think of revenge for his daughter’s death. Ultima is launching him to a journey that will forever change his life. At each turn in his life there is Ultima who will nurture the birth of his soul. The novel moves quickly, changing scene and location and sometimes a disorienting speed as readers struggle alongside Tony to make sense of the world. Anaya treats the reader to life`s full range of beauty and terror, exemplifying those elements through the conflicting Catholic and Indigenous peoples of Mexico`s traditions that are ever present in Tony`s life. The novel provides a beautiful, but tragic, and yet ultimately triumphant examination of growing up, heritage, and of life itself. You just have to read the book. There is a lot of symbolisms in the book, you’ll be reading but pondering over the symbols in your mind. There is no boring or slow part in this book. There is always something happening which keeps you alert.