| Bernardo and the Virgin Contributor(s): Sirias, Silvio (Author) |
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ISBN: 0810124270 ISBN-13: 9780810124271 Publisher: Northwestern University Press OUR PRICE: $17.96 Product Type: Paperback Published: June 2007 Annotation: The year is 1980, and the Sandinistas are newly in power in Nicaragua. Bernardo Martinez, a modest, unassuming tailor in the town of Cuapa, witnesses an extraordinary thing: an otherworldly glow appears around the statue of the Virgin Mary in the church, and soon the Holy Virgin appears. Though a work of fiction, "Bernardo and the Virgin" is based on the real-life experiences of Bernardo Martinez. Silvio Sirias's sweeping novel tells many stories, weaving together the true account of this humble, devout man with the moving and often humorous fictional tales of the people whom he influenced and inspired. It is also a stormy epic of Nicaragua through the long Somoza years and the Sandinista revolution. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Christian - General |
| Dewey: FIC |
| Series: Latino Voices |
| Physical Information: 1.01" H x 5.97" W x 8.64" (1.26 lbs) 464 pages |
| Themes: - Religious Orientation - Christian - Chronological Period - 1980's - Cultural Region - Latin America |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: In 1980, with the Sandinistas newly in power, tailor and pig farmer Bernardo Martinez witnesses an extraordinary thing: an otherworldly glow about the statue of the Virgin Mary in the church where he works as sacrist n. Soon the Holy Virgin appears. She tells Bernardo to forget his money problems and fear of ridicule and spread her message of peace and faith to his neighbors. Though a work of fiction, Bernardo and the Virgin is based on actual events in Bernardo Martinez's life. The visitation of the Virgin Mary at Cuapa, Nicaragua, remains one of the few such events accepted by the Roman Catholic Church in the last sixty years. Silvio Sirias' sweeping novel tells many stories: that of a humble man touched by the transcendent; that same man as a devout boy denied the priesthood because of poverty; and those in his orbit, past and present. It is also the stormy epic of Nicaragua through the long Somoza years to the Sandinista revolution. Sirias' beautiful language mixes English with Spanish and details of dusty village life with wondrous images of Catholic mysticism. His portrayal of the rich recent past of Central America resonates with the experiences of both the natives and the thriving communities of Nicaraguans, Salvadorans, and others putting down roots in the United States. |