The Lightning Queen Page 21

  In Europe today, the Romani people are still mistreated. Many are forced to move their camps or settle in substandard homes. Many have access to only poor-quality education and health care. Many face discrimination in jobs and are victims of race-related hate crimes. Meanwhile, most governments do little to protect Romani people’s basic human rights.

  Sadly, many non-Rom around the world aren’t aware of these injustices. Instead, they have only a romantic idea of gypsies (lowercase) as simple, carefree, happy-go-lucky wanderers. International human rights movements are trying to raise awareness and promote social justice for Romani people.

  Largely to escape persecution, many Rom have immigrated to the Americas over the past five hundred years. The greatest waves of Rom came between the late 1800s and mid-1900s. These subgroups of Romani people came mainly from Romania, Yugoslavia (Bosnia), Hungary, Poland, Russia, Greece, France, Turkey, and Spain. Some groups first settled in the United States or South America, and then migrated to Mexico.

  Although I easily found information about the Rom in Europe, it was much harder to find sources on their presence in Mexico. The Rom have been dehistorified, as described by David Lagunas of the National School of Anthropology and History in Mexico. “They do not appear in the history of Mexico,” he says. “We know very little about them.” (“Gypsies, or How to be Invisible in Mexico,” IPS News Agency.)

  After much searching, I finally came across several works about the Romani culture in Mexico. I was fascinated to learn more about the traveling cinema (cine ambulante), which was popular work for the Rom in Mexico in the mid-1900s. Since the spread of VCRs in the 1980s, few groups still practice cine ambulante (now traveling in trucks and campers). As alternatives, many Rom have turned to machine repair; buying and selling vehicles; and performing theater, magic, and clowning.

  I was especially thrilled to come across several narratives by gitanos in Mexico. In one, Alfredo Yovani reminisced about his days of cine ambulante: “In the forgotten villages where nothing [new] ever came, the people would become happy [to see us]. We knew just what films they liked … Wherever we’d go, it was a novelty. Everyone was excited about the films. It was wonderful work … and we traveled around, very content.” (Piel de Carpa: Los Gitanos de México, p. 66.)

  I was happy to discover that the Mixteco villagers’ fondness for the Rom was mutual. In the midst of so much prejudice, these two groups embraced each other with appreciation and respect. Now if only the rest of the world could follow their lead …

  agua de jamaica (AHG-wah day hah-MY-kah): sweet hibiscus water

  agua de papaya (AHG-wah day pah-PY-ah): sweet papaya water

  ahorita vengo (ow-REE-tah VAYN-goh): I’ll be there in a second

  amigo (ah-MEE-goh): friend

  atole (ah-TOH-lay): traditional indigenous Mexican corn drink

  brujo (BROO-hoh): witch (male)

  buenas noches (BWAY-nahs NOH-chays): good evening/good night

  buenos días (BWAY-nohs DEE-ahs): hello/good morning

  cabo de año (CAH-boh day AHN-yoh): ceremony for the first anniversary of a person’s death

  centavos (sayn-TAH-vohs): cents

  chile (CHEE-lay): chili

  cine ambulante (SEE-nay ahm-boo-LAHN-tay): traveling cinema

  curandero (coo-rahn-DAY-roh): healer

  Dios mío (dee-OHS MEE-oh): my God

  diositos (dee-oh-SEE-tohs): “little gods,” statues from pre-Hispanic cultures

  el monte (ayl MOHN-tay): the countryside/hilly pastures outside of town

  gracias (GRAH-see-ahs): thank you

  huevos estrellados (WAY-vohs ays-tray-AH-dohs): fried eggs

  huipil (WEE-peel): traditional, handmade indigenous women’s tunic

  indio (EEN-dee-oh): Indian. Can be an offensive term, used as an insult throughout Latin America. The respectful alternative is indígena (indigenous person).

  La Devoradora (lah day-vohr-ah-DOHR-ah): the devourer/the man-eating woman (a classic Mexican film)

  La Mujer Sin Alma (lah moo-HAYRR seen AHL-mah*): the woman without a soul / the heartless woman (a classic Mexican film)

  limpia (LEEM-pee-ah): spiritual cleansing ceremony

  los viejitos (lohs vee-ay-HEE-tohs): the old people (affectionate term)

  maestra (mah-AYS-trah): teacher (female)

  Mamá (mah-MAH): Mom

  más o menos (MAHS oh MAY-nohs): so-so, more or less

  maza (MAH-sah): tortilla dough

  mija (MEE-hah): my daughter (contraction of “mi hija”)

  mijo (MEE-hoh): my son (contraction of “mi hijo”)

  milpa (MEEL-pah): cornfield

  mole (MOH-lay): chocolate-chili sauce, a traditional food in Oaxaca, Mexico

  momentito (moh-mayn-TEE-toh): just a moment

  nada (NAH-dah): nothing

  Nosotros los Pobres (no-SOH-trohs lohs POH-brays): We the Poor (a classic Mexican film)

  oye (OH-yay): hey

  pan dulce (PAHN DOOL-say): sweet roll

  panela (pah-NAY-lah): raw, whole, brown cane sugar

  Papá (pah-PAH): Dad

  petate (pay-TAH-tay): woven palm mat

  pobre (POH-bray): poor

  pobrecita (poh-bray-SEE-tah): poor thing (female)

  pobrecito (poh-bray-SEE-toh): poor thing (male)

  por favor (pohrr fah-VOHRR*): please

  pues, adiós (PWAYS ah-dee-OHS): well, good-bye

  querido (kay-REE-doh): dear

  ranchera (rrahn-CHAY-rah*): a traditional style of Mexican music

  ruda (RROO-dah*): rue, an herb used in spiritual cleansing ceremonies

  señor (sayn-YOHRR*): sir, mister

  señora (sayn-YOH-rah): ma’am, lady

  señorita (sayn-yohr-EE-tah): miss (young lady)

  tamal (tah-MAHL): tamale (singular form)

  * “rr” represents a rolled r

  Note that Mixteco includes several dialects, and can vary even from village to village; spelling can vary as well. The dialect I’ve used is spoken in the village of San Agustín Atenango, in the Mixteca Baja region. Mixteco is a tonal language, so the meaning of a word can change depending on whether your voice goes up or down.

  yo’o sunii* (joh-oh soo-neee): I’m fine

  yo’o naa yo* (joh-oh naah joh): hello/good day/good morning (formal)

  taxiini (tah-sheee-nee): calm down

  kuu ini (kooo ee-nee): love

  sikita’an* (see-kee-tah-ahn): hug

  ñamani (nyah-mah-nee): please

  nixi yo’o?* (nee-shee joh-oh): how are you?

  tatsavini (taht-sah-vee-nee): thank you (formal)

  yeu (jay-oo): good

  * The apostrophe represents a glottal stop, similar to the sound represented by the “-” in “uh-oh.” You stop airflow in your windpipe for a split second.

  Romani dialects vary from country to country, and even from group to group within a country. Most Rom in Mexico nowadays speak Spanish and/or some form of Spanish-Romani, which includes some Spanish words interspersed in the traditional Romani language. Spelling can also vary widely; I’ve chosen to use the most standard.

  boria (bo-ree-ah): women who have married into a family (daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law)

  gadjé (ga-jay): non-Romani people

  gadjo (ga-joh): non-Romani male

  marime (ma-ree-may): unclean, polluted, impure, contaminated (a cultural concept)

  Rom (rrom*): noun form for Gypsy**

  Romani (rro-ma-nee*): adjective form for Gypsy

  * “rr” represents a rolled r

  ** There are many different terms that the Rom use to refer to themselves, including Rrom, Řom, Roma, Rroma, Romani, Rromani, Řomani, Romany, Řomany, and Rromany. After weighing various expert opinions, I have chosen to use the term Rom as the noun form and Romani as the adjective form in this book. This was apparently the most common terminology among the Rom in the Americas in the mid-twentieth century, the setting of this story. Non-Romani Mexicans usually refer to the Rom a
s gitanos or húngaros (Hungarians), even though only one subgroup immigrated from Hungary.

  With every new book there are even more wonderful people to thank! I’ve been thrilled to work with the enthusiastic team at Scholastic, who have been a burst of sunshine in my life. My talented and dedicated editor, Andrea Davis Pinkney, has been the brightest sunbeam of all. Andrea, I can’t tell you how honored I feel to be creating with you. I also offer a heartfelt thanks to my brilliant agent, Erin Murphy, for connecting me with Andrea, and for being so much fun to work with over the past decade, along with Tara Gonzalez, Bon Vivant Dennis, and the other shining stars at Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

  Mountains of gratitude go to early readers Carrie Visintainer, Chris Resau, Dana Masden, Janet Freeman, Jeannie Mobley, Karye Cattrell, Laura Pritchett, and Tara Dairman. Abrazos and gracias go to Gloria García Díaz, magnificent writer friend who offered valuable feedback on Mexican culture and Spanish language elements. My spirited tribe of Colorado writer friends and my beloved EMLA gang provided me with plenty of support and laughter along the way.

  Laurie McMahon, an extraordinary teacher in Half Moon Bay (who knows my books better than I do), offered me precious feedback on this manuscript. I started writing this book in my head while walking along the succulent-covered sea cliffs of Half Moon Bay, feeling elated from a visit with Laurie’s students and conversations with exuberant librarian Armando Ramirez (who shared some gitano memories from his own childhood). Thank you, fantastic Half Moon Bay community!

  I couldn’t have written this without inspiration from Fidelina López López and the late María Chiquita López Martinez, Oaxacan women who shared tales of the queridos gitanos, welcomed me to a beautiful cabo de año, and brought magic into my life. Other generous friends in the Mixteca—Melissa Ferrin and Marcelino Ramírez Ibañez—reviewed the manuscript and offered excellent suggestions. Their extended family, including Francisco Ibáñez Martínez and the late Catalina Ibáñez Martínez, graciously shared their memories of the gitanos and answered un montón of detailed questions about Mixteco villages in the mid-twentieth century. I am eternally grateful for your help.

  Thanks, also, to Sonia Castro Pozos and her family for Mixteco language assistance and years of friendship. A giant gracias to Baruc Cruz Blanco and my other friends in Oaxaca who have welcomed me into their families’ homes and shared their stories with me over the years. This book truly would not exist without you all.

  A big thank-you to Baby Goose Grape, who sparked the idea for the rescued animal characters after becoming a brief but meaningful (and very cute and poopy) part of my life. Thanks, also, to Ronald Cree and Alexis Gerard, who kindly shared some fun and quirky animal stories of their own. Rob Sparks, birder extraordinaire, was my awesome go-to guy for Mexican waterfowl questions. And I have Les Sunde and Kathleen Pelley to thank for their words of wisdom that found their way into this story. I’m also grateful to my creative young friend Roxi for her thoughtful title feedback.

  A huge thanks to Charlie Cox, who, after our serendipitous encounter at the farmers’ market, took the time to show me his gorgeous vintage caravans and share his knowledge of Romani culture. I’m indebted to Matt Salo of the Gypsy Lore Society for directing me to little-known academic sources and patiently answering my many questions about Romani culture, history, and language in Mexico.

  My extended family has been an essential part of my writing journey since I was a young girl. Thanks to you all for your endless encouragement, especially Mom, Dad, Mike, Aunt Liz Neal, Susan and Bruce Hansen, Wolfger Schneider, Gertrude Vuynovich, and Grandmom Winnie, who recently passed away. Thanks, also, to my wildly creative friends (since middle school)—Andrea, Megan, and the Amandas—who spent summer afternoons with me at the Scream Stream long, long ago.

  As for the two biggest treasures of my life, Ian and Bran, thank you for inspiring me to laugh and love and feel so happy to be alive. As Bran says nearly every day, “This is the best day EVER!”

  Finally, I want to thank you, dear reader—whether you’re young or old, a teacher or student, a librarian or patron—for letting me do this job, which I love with all my soul.

  Laura Resau is the author of several highly praised novels, including Star in the Forest, The Queen of Water, Red Glass, and What the Moon Saw. She is also the author of the acclaimed Notebook series, which includes The Indigo Notebook, The Ruby Notebook, and The Jade Notebook. Laura’s books have gathered many state and library awards as well as multiple starred reviews. The Lightning Queen is drawn from Laura’s experience of living in rural Mexico. She now lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, and donates a portion of her royalties to indigenous rights organizations.

  Copyright © 2015 by Laura Resau

  All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

  First edition, November 2015

  Author photo by Harper Point

  Cover illustration © 2015 by Greg Ruth

  Cover design by Elizabeth B. Parisi

  e-ISBN 978-0-545-80086-0

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