The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo
I do love a good witch story, and this one gets bonus points for partially taking place in 1943 and for this sentence in the blurb: “If you call to the witches, they will come.” Phew.
In 1943 El Paso, the teenage Nena cares for her young nieces and nephews, and longs for freedom and exploration. But her fainting spells and premonitions are getting worse, and she wonders if she’s doomed to a life of obscure shamanism. Then Sister Benedicta arrives one night, as if in response to her prayers, and the two traverse space and time. Soon enough, Nena comes into her power. Decades later, in the present day, the 93-year-old Nena is being cared for by her grandniece, Marta, who struggles with a legal aid practice and motherhood. Marta agrees to look for a daughter of Nena’s that was left in the past, and Marta’s own powers surface, but they threaten to upend the life she’s made for herself.
