Luis Alberto Urrea’s most recent novel, Queen of America, relates the story of his real-life great aunt Teresa “Teresita” Urrea, a legendary 19th century Mexican healer whose followers proclaimed her the “Saint of Cabora.” Urrea’s historical novel picks up where The Hummingbird’s Daughter, his 2006 book, left off, with Teresita fleeing Mexico for America after inadvertently inspiring a bloody rebellion against Mexican dictator, Porfirio Diaz.
In this slideshow, Urrea explains how for many years he thought she was a figment of his aunt’s imagination, and how he came to see her epic and ultimately heartbreaking journey as a classic immigration story — albeit with miracles.
Voice of Luis Alberto Urrea. All images courtesy of the Urrea family.
