LOLA

Seeing both her beloved brother and a special tree succumbing to a mysterious disease, a child in Mexico City sets out to find a cure.

Ever since what 10-year-old Lola will only call “The Thing That Happened,” she’s been helping Alex, her 14-year-old brother who’s struggling with “the Darkness.” But her concern takes on real urgency when she spots gray spots on his skin that grow along with his increasing exhaustion and withdrawal. At the same time, plants in their garden and the Tree around which their house is built develop crusty spots and gray leaves, despite the care of the chaneques (nature spirits invisible to all but Lola). And when, in hopes of finding help for the Tree, she travels to its progenitor, the mighty Tree of Sources in the magical realm of Floresta, she discovers that the malady has been caused by a new young queen whose struggles offer a clue to the cause of Alex’s affliction. Frequent glimpses of wondrous sights and folkloric creatures give the tale a flavor of magical realism, and on the way to a transformative closing twist, Valenti’s characters reflect on the importance of letting some things go in order to allow others to grow, offering much food for thought for readers who are similarly stuck. Final art not seen.

A quest undertaken for love and healing, replete alike with astonishing marvels and provocative themes.