Title: Curva Peligrosa
Author: Lily Iona MacKenzie
Genre: Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Book Blurb:
When Curva Peligrosa arrives in Weed, Alberta, after a twenty-year trek on the Old North Trail from southern Mexico, she stops its residents in their tracks. With a parrot on each shoulder, a glittering gold tooth, and a wicked trigger finger, she is unlike anything they have ever seen before. Curva is ready to settle down, but are the inhabitants of Weed ready for her? Possessed of an insatiable appetite for life and love, Curva’s infectious energy galvanizes the townspeople, turning their staid world upside down with her exotic elixirs and unbridled ways. Toss in an unscrupulous americano developer and a one-eyed Blackfoot chief, stir them all together in the tumult of a tempestuous tornado, and the town of Weed will never be the same again. A lyrical account of one woman’s journey and the unexpected effects it has on the people around her, Curva Peligrosa pulses with the magic at the heart and soul of life.
My Review:
Curva Peligrosa is a magical free-spirit who embraces life to the fullest. She’s traveled the Old North Trail for the past twenty years and when she arrives in Weed, Alberta, the townsfolk are wary at first. All she wants to do is settle down but with gold teeth, sexy curves Mae West would be envious of and a wicked trigger finger, she makes an imposing impression. Yet people are drawn to her (as was I while reading), and the magic that seems to follow her. But when slick oilman Shirley tries to buy all the land rights of the townfolk (there’s oil aplenty supposedly), Curva stands up to him with the help of the same people who once called her an outsider. Will Weed, Alberta ever be the same after Curva Peligrosa?
I loved Fling! and when I heard that MacKenzie had a new release, I was ecstatic! Curva Peligrosa is filled with quirky characters, lyrical narration and a strong message of embracing all that life has to offer. Blending history with the present, MacKenzie weaves an addictive tale. I loved the supernatural parts (who wouldn’t love to make flowers bloom wherever she goes?) and while it’s steeped in fantasy, it’s believable and thus the reader can suspend their belief. The main conflict between the oilman and the small town is a familiar one in Alberta and MacKenzie sheds new light on this political issue.
Free your inhibitions and pick up this book today. You’ll fall in love with the effervescent Curva Peligrosa, just like I did!
Favorite Character/Quote: Curva. I loved everything about her and soaked up her essence. We all have a little Curva buried deep in us. We just need to unleash her.
My Rating: 5 stars
Buy it now:
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/curva-peligrosa-lily-mackenzie/1126643085?ean=9780998839806
Author Biography:
I'm devoted to following the intricacies of language and where it takes me. I'm ardent about words and what they evoke in our minds and imaginations, the worlds they create. And I'm constantly learning, a student of the writer's craft, eager to open myself each day to the endless possibilities this calling presents. No wonder I love to write! Writing requires exertion, the ability not to give in when we've received yet another rejection. Some people call this perseverance. But is that what it takes to keep writing in the face of adversity, rejection, and lack of recognition? The word sounds so duty bound, so driven. To me, a better word is discipline because at the root is disciple, though there are many lovely variations on this word that I actually prefer: student, follower, learner, devotee. About me? A Canadian by birth, a high school dropout, and a mother at 17, in my early years, I supported myself as a stock girl in the Hudson’s Bay Company, as a long-distance operator for the former Alberta Government Telephones, and as a secretary (Bechtel Corp sponsored me into the States). I also was a cocktail waitress at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, briefly broke into the male-dominated world of the docks as a longshoreman (I was the first woman to work on the SF docks and almost got my legs broken), founded and managed a homeless shelter in Marin County, and eventually earned two Master’s degrees (one in Creative writing and one in the Humanities). I have published reviews, interviews, short fiction, poetry, travel pieces, essays, and memoir in over 155 American and Canadian venues. My novel Fling! was published in July 2015 by Pen-L Publishing. Curva Peligrosa, another novel, will be published in September 2017. A third novel, Freefall: A Divine Comedy will be released in 2018. My poetry collection All This was published in 2011. I also taught writing at the University of San Francisco and was vice-president of USF's part-time faculty union. When I’m not writing, I paint and travel widely with my husband. I also blog at https://lilyionamackenzie.wordpress.com .
Social Media Links:
Website/Blog http://lilyionamackenzie.wordpress.com/
Twitter @lilyionamac
Reviewed by: Mrs. N