The Wind on Her Tongue

Kopacz’s uneven latest (after Shallow Waters) recasts Oya, the heroine of a Nigerian folk story, as a Cuban-born Black woman in 1872 New Orleans. Oya, who was born with magical powers, has had a devastating miscarriage, and to help her overcome her loss, her mother sends her to stay with famed voudon queen Marie. Besides mending Oya, Marie helps her manage her power to control the weather and generate powerful winds and rain. While in New Orleans, Oya witnesses a friend’s death at the hands of a racist, anti-Reconstruction mob. After befriending Ellen and Thomas, a wealthy interracial couple visiting from California, she decides to ride the train with them back west. Thomas, who is white, is “starstruck” by fellow passenger Jesse James, who’s in the custody of armed guards. Oya, however, is disturbed by James, and her intuition prefigures a dramatic and scary turn of events. Kopacz covers a lot of historical and mythical ground in a limited page count, though she too often bogs things down with encyclopedic details. Still, there are flashes of beauty, especially when Oya demonstrates her bravery and supernatural powers. The result is a fresh and welcome perspective on a troubled time. Agent: Ali Kominsky, Dupree Miller. (Jan.)