Spirits of the Ordinary: A Tale of Casas Grandes
Kathleen Alcalá's first novel,Spirits of the Ordinary, opens in  1870s Mexico where Zacarias Caraval abandons his family and the religion of his  fathers--Judaism--to search for gold in the desert. His wife, Estela, responds by declaring  herself independent and taking a lover--an action frowned upon in the small village of  Saltillo. Zacarias's wanderings take him into the mountains of Northern Mexico and to  the cliff dwellings of Casas Grandes, where he witnesses a massacre--an event that will  have a profound affect on him and will eventually send him back to the faith he has  abandoned.Spirits of the Ordinaryis the first book of a projected trilogy and  judging by the quality of Ms. Alcalá's work so far, the next two volumes will be  eagerly awaited.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.