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There are currently 21 member reviews
for The Ghost of Milagro Creek
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Gary R. (bolingbrook, IL)
The Wind Talked
It would be easy enough to say this is a book about two friends,one girl,one grandmother,one tragedy and a host of other characters but that's not all this book is about.the landscape of the Santa Fe and Taos area of New Mexico permeates this book! The culture of the area also plays a big part. I found this book to be a very good read, but it helps if you know a little bit of Spanish the stories within the story were a very nice touch. A very good writer who knows the area she writes about and who writes from the heart, read it!
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Terrie J. (Eagan, MN)
Very Impactful Story
At first this story appears to be a simple story about friends/brothers growing up in New Mexico. The story quickly becomes complicated and heart breaking. It takes some unexpected twists that keep you wondering what could happen next.
The story is told from different characters, mixed with narrative in Spanish. This makes is sometimes hard to follow or perhaps, it adds to the charm of the book.
This would be an excellent book group read - as an added bonus, reading group questions are included at the end of the book!
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Julia A. (New York, NY)
Magical Realism
This book is reminiscent of the best Spanish American magical realism novels. the experiences of the Jicarilla Apache, Hispanic and Caucasian residents of the barrio of Taos New Mexico are recounted skillfully by Sumner, who succeeds in capturing all three voices. The novel weaves in events that took place between 1986 and 2001, with the main events occurring over Easter Weekend of 2001. That symbolism is a bit heavy handed, but not enough to distract from this fine novel.
For those who lead reading groups, a set of discussion questions is included. But even without them, the mystical, magical, folk wisdom aspects of this novel give much food for thought and discussion. the more finely drawn characters are the two women, Ignacia/"Abuela," the Jicarilla Apache raising two boys, and Rocky, the gringa they both come to love. The tragedy between the boys when they become young men, Mister and Tomas, though foreshadowed, leaves the reader a bit shell-shocked. It's been several days since I finished "The Ghost of Milago Creek," but I'm still thinking about it and asking myself questions that don't have easy answers. Melanie Sumner is a writer to watch.
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Deb Y. (Blanco, TX)
Hard to Categorize
This book, The Ghost of Milagro Creek, is a most unusual book, set in the Southwest, and, for me, as the title of my review states, it was hard to categorize. I couldn't compare it to anything I remember reading before. The language was perfect, however, such that I didn't want to miss a word...I would recommend it, not to regular bestseller readers, but to someone looking for an interesting, well-written, "hard to categorize" novel.
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Teresa C. (Pickerington, OH)
The Ghost of Milagro Creek
Although this book was not my usual genre I did enjoy it. The author did an excellent job of allowing the reader to witness events both past and present using different narrators...I felt this added to the insight of both the plot as it unfolded as well as to the character development. What I enjoyed most was exposure to a culture I haven't really read much on....a combination of contemporary Native American and Hispanic cultures.
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Tamara S. (Wenatchee, WA)
Something Different
Interesting characters, unusual storyline, a good book to read over a long weekend. I liked the way author used the narrative form in this book.
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Andrea L. (Cottonwood Heights, UT)
Spiritually rich, thought provoking
This book is rich in symbolism and spirituality, and the author has pulled from universal themes, as well as Native American cosmology. The overriding message of this book is death, but not simply the negative connotation that society has given to the concept of death. The author presents death as part of a duality, as being an opportunity as well as a setback. In this sense, death can be a release from the physical realm, a chance for spiritual rebirth, an opportunity to begin a new life. The characters are engaging and well developed, my favorite being Abuela. In Abuela, the author has found a true voice through which to speak to the reader. Overall it is an enjoyable read, with plenty of material for the reader to think through between chapters.
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