Cecilia's Magical Mission
Teen's religious quest has saints, Satan, Day of the Dead.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Cecilia's Magic Mission, by award-winning author Viola Canales (The Tequila Worm), involves a 14-year-old Mexican American child of immigrant parents who lives in San Jose, California, works hard in school, and is getting all kinds of grief from religious family members about her upcoming confirmation in the Catholic church, mainly because she just wants to get it over with and get on with her life. Set in 2012, the story is steeped in saints (including Junipero Serra and Santa Claus), miracles, and death. The stillbirth of the title character's younger sister takes characters from California back to the family village in Mexico, and religious and cultural events are described (the belief that it takes nine days for a soul to reach heaven; the family taking turns cradling and rocking the dead baby at the funeral; there are photos of dead babies; trance-like recitations of the rosary; Day of the Dead celebrations and ghost stories). There's a strong message that finding your particular gift and putting it to work for others is more important than going to school, learning, and achieving, and relentless repetition that Cecilia should have spent less time working hard in school and more time getting in touch with her spiritual traditions.
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What's the Story?
CECILIA'S MAGICAL MISSION finds the 14-year-old title character living in a small apartment in San Jose, California, with her hardworking, loving parents, who have strong roots in their hometown of Santa Cecilia, Mexico. Bay Area-born Cecilia's worried about keeping up in her last year of middle school. Her family, and especially her godmother, Carmen, are giving her grief about her upcoming confirmation in the Catholic church, which they care about a lot more than she does. It's bad that she hasn't picked a confirmation saint, let alone established a relationship with one, because how else will she discover her don, the unique gift she's supposed to nurture and share with her community? When her eagerly awaited baby sister is stillborn, Cecilia is caught up in the community's observances of grief and support, starts to see things from a new perspective -- and finds she's been chosen to combat a curse that afflicts Santa Cecilia. Soon her friends Julie and Lebda, as well as an array of saints from Santa Claus to Junipero Serra, are involved in the quest.
Is It Any Good?
A Mexican American teen caught between her immigrant parents’ world and her own comes to terms with saints, family, mysticism, death, and Satan in a tale of religious tradition. As the story unfolds, Cecilia’s Magical Mission takes her to situations that some readers will find relatable, others bewildering, and still others enthralling. As Cecilia's friend Julie gushes, "This is the most exciting stuff I've ever experienced. It's like stumbling into Harry Potter's world and discovering it's for real."
Here, Cecilia's godmother explains a few ground rules.
"'Okay,' Carmen said. She sat up straight. 'Let me begin with explaining the steps. The Holy Spirit enters a person's soul at baptism, like a seed -- the first step. It sprouted when you made your First Communion. At Confirmation--the next step--it starts to grow so your don can bear fruit.'
"Carmen took in Julie's baffled expression and added, "What's the Holy Spirit? The divine in a person, her highest self, the seed that contains her sacred talent or don. And why is Confirmation important? Because it kick-starts a person's quest, her journey to discover, grow, and ultimately fruit her don. Not just for herself, but to share with her family, her community, the entire world.'
"Julie was transfixed, while Cecilia slumped in her chair and wondered if this was just Mexican superstition or a big, fat story that had been told so many times over so many years that it had morphed into a myth."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Cecilia's Magical Mission shows the challenges some U.S.-born children of immigrant parents face. What pressures do they experience from different cultures? How does living in multiple worlds enrich their lives? What did you learn about Cecilia's family, community, and culture?
This story is set on 2012. What might be different if it took place now?
Where did your ancestors come from? Have you ever wanted to go back there to live?
Book Details
- Author: Viola Canales
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, Middle School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Piñata Books
- Publication date: October 31, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 17
- Number of pages: 344
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 15, 2021
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