Always in search of a book to read, I found myself in a local bookshop when a title caught my eye: Lotería by Karla Arenas Valenti. I learned that this newly published novel is meant for the middle school reader, yet I couldn’t help myself from purchasing it. The awkward, curious middle schooler in me ached for an adventure of wonder, especially one with Hispanic heritage as its backdrop.
After reading this book, I truly was amazed. It was an authentic tale of magical realism, with the same elements as that of the famous Gabriel García Márquez, Laura Esquivel, and Isabel Allende. What exactly is magical realism? It is a form of writing that has deep Latinx roots and is extremely prominent in Latin storytelling tradition. It essentially curates an ordinary world that has magical elements to it. In the words of author Karla Arenas Valenti, “writers of magical realism do not invent new worlds. Rather, we seek to reveal the magic that is hidden within our own world.”
In this edge-of-your-seat novel, Life and Death (literally, as characters) play a role in the fate of a young Mexican girl, Clara, who cares deeply for her younger cousin, Esteban, and will go to any lengths to ensure his safety. The story addresses topics such as the debate of free will versus determinism, the innocence of children, the power of intuition, choosing to remain hopeful and imaginative in desperate and depressing situations, making sacrifices for those we love, and the bonds of family. Author Arenas Valenti uses inspiration from her own Mexican and Indigenous roots to create this story, even the magical aspects of it: Asrean, the magical land the children enter, is inspired by “the legendary ancestral home of the Aztec People,” called Aztlán.
La Lotería is a common Hispanic (particularly Mexican) game of chance in which each player “chooses a board with a randomly created grid of sixteen pictures” of which there are fifty-four potential images. A deck of cards with all fifty-four options is shuffled, and a card is flipped one at a time. In some versions, the card contains a riddle that the player must then use to figure out the picture, while others simply show the picture. The game is similar to bingo, as it is entirely by chance and each player’s board is different. Throughout the novel, this game was the method in which Life and Death chose the fate of Clara, as they must meet once a year to reveal either a long life or unfortunate death for a person chosen by fate.
The ending (don’t worry, no spoilers!) is certainly not one the reader would expect or hope for in considering the challenges the protagonist goes through. However, it provides even more meaning: it reminds the reader of sacrifice, hope, and the power of both love and imagination. Overall, this read left me feeling refreshed, as if my inner child had fun throughout the process of reading it. Rich with Hispanic culture, magical realism, and imagination, Lotería is a profound story in reminding Hispanic girls of their power and determination. It brings me joy to know that Hispanic girls can read a story that reflects a protagonist from the same culture as themselves, with hope and a free spirit.