I see it now as a place that is full of culture and concrete traditions. So Far From God , by Ana Castillo, seemed bizarre and unreal, but then I began to see the purpose and irony of the book. I began to enjoy the way the author portrayed these four sisters and their mother. They each, except for La Loca, fall prey to unreliable men, but with hard work and a smattering of miracles, manage to lead productive, women oriented lives. Placed in a small central new Mexico town, poverty, healing, miracles, and everyday hardships are a way of life.
Women are the true healers.
I really enjoyed Ana Castillo's portrayal of Hispanic women in this book. They are strong. They support and heal each other and they solve their own problems. Hispanic women's issues, such as coping with a patriarchal religion, and employing curandarismo as a healing art, are dealt with using humor and compassion. The one woman who had not dealt with mortal man, La Loca, could heal, abort, and perform more miracles than those who had been in touch with men in their lives.