This sumptuous book-length original fairy tale is forged, as were Anna-Marie McLemore's two previous young-adult novels, in the Latin American literary tradition of magical realism. It's a convergence of events that forces Estrella to confront disturbing aspects of her heritage and re-examine everything she thinks she knows. Then a mysterious boy rises from beneath the ground a stranger arrives with underhanded plans and Bay Briar, the girl whom the cousins all not-so-secretly love, disappears. Estrella has always viewed La Pradera as a haven - her ancestors were persecuted for witchcraft - and the Briars, the family that owns the land, as her protectors. Estrella, her four cousins, their mothers and grandmothers must use their inherited magic powers to coax lush gardens from soil that would otherwise remain barren, and if they try to escape, to live somewhere else, the earth will reclaim them. For generations, La Pradera estate has provided refuge for the women of the Nomeolvides family, but at a steep price.
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