The Queen of Water

This compelling collaboration between Resau (The Ruby Notebook) and Farinango%E2%80%94who met while Resau was teaching English at a community college%E2%80%94is based on Farinango's tumultuous upbringing in Ecuador as part of an ind%C3%ADgena (indigenous) family, forced to live under the thumb of the mestizos (the Spanish upper class). As is common for ind%C3%ADgena girls her age, Virginia is sent to live with a wealthy mestizo couple%E2%80%94in her case, Ni%C3%B1o Carlitos and his wife, Doctorita%E2%80%94and she babysits their children and serves as their maid for eight years. While the living conditions are an improvement over her family's small farm, she endures physical and verbal abuse and is denied an education. Narrating in a singular, authentic voice, Virginia dreams of escape, but her broken identity leaves her directionless. Along the way, though, she employs her imagination, persistence, and hard-won wisdom to recover her strength and freedom. The authors' candid narrative richly depicts Virginia's passage from a childhood filled with demoralization to a young woman who sees her life through new eyes. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (Mar.)