the queen of water

Co-written with Maria Virginia Farinango, this novel based on a true story begins in an impoverished Andean village where seven-year-old Virginia is taken from her Indigenous family to be an unpaid servant in a mestizo household. For the next eight years, she struggles to hold on to her spirit. After escaping as a teenager, she must build a life for herself and reclaim her identity.

Ages 12 & up, Delacorte/Random House, 2011, available as hardcover, paperback, and ebook.

awards and honors

praise

* "This is a poignant coming-of-age novel that will expose readers to the exploitation of girls around the world whose families grow up in poverty." -- School Library Journal, STARRED

* "Narrating in a singular, authentic voice, Virginia dreams of escape, but her broken identity leaves her directionless. Along the way, though, she employs her imagination, persistence, and hard-won wisdom to recover her strength and freedom. The authors' candid narrative richly depicts Virginia's passage from a childhood filled with demoralization to a young woman who sees her life through new eyes." -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED

* "A moving, lyrical novel that will particularly resonate with teens caught between cultures." -- Booklist, STARRED

* "[A] riveting tale... Bright spots of humor and warmth are woven throughout, and readers will agonize for Virginia while seething at her tormentors. The complexities of class and ethnicity within Ecuadorian society are explained seamlessly within the context of the first-person narrative, and a glossary and pronunciation guide further help to plunge readers into the novel's world... By turns heartbreaking, infuriating and ultimately inspiring." -- Kirkus, STARRED

"A richly described coming-of-age story set in a culture both foreign and familiar... by turns shocking and funny." -- VOYA

extras

• Discussion Guide (by Laura)

• Teacher Toolkit (by Global Reads/ Primary Source)

• Educators' Guide (by Vamos a Leer: Teaching Latin America and Literacy)

• Teaching Books Audio Resources — intro, reading, and name pronunciation

• Outreach Project Idea— Here’s an article about a meaningful virtual cultural exchange project between students in an Indigenous community in Ecuador and students in a Massachusetts high school… inspired by The Queen of Water! There’s also a 25 minute video interview with teachers and a student behind the project— really interesting, informative, and inspiring! If you’re reading this book with a class, I encourage you to learn more about what they’ve done so that you can consider something similar in your school…

• Audiobook —We don’t have a publicly available audiobook, unfortunately. However, if you (or one of your students) have a qualifying reading or perceptual disability, a visual impairment, or a physical disability that affects their ability to read printed works, they can go to Bookshare to get a free audio version of this book!

interviews

• Q&A with Laura in English (with slides)

• Video Interview (TV show) with Laura in Spanish

• The Pirate Tree (social justice and kids lit) Interview

• Waging Peace (social justice)

• Girls of Summer Blog Interview 

maria virginia

• See Maria Virginia's updated bio and contact info here.

• If you are taking a student group to Ecuador, or if you teach students in Ecuador, you might be able to arrange for a presentation with Maria Virginia. She has equipment to host presentations in her home in Otavalo, and she may be able to travel to Quito or elsewhere in Ecuador to do presentations. Please contact her for more details.

blog post links

• Here you can read more about The Queen of Water and see photos of Maria Virginia as a teen in a real-life scene that also appears in the book.

• Here you can see photos of Maria Virginia dancing at Laura's release party for The Indigo Notebook (also set in the Ecuadorian Andes).

• Here you can see photos of Maria Virginia at a party in her honor with our good friends who helped us with The Queen of Water.

• Here you can get the inside scoop on the cover design.

• Here you can read about how Laura used her cultural anthropology background in writing The Queen of Water.

• Here you can read a deleted scene from The Queen of Water.

• Here you can read about Laura's research trips to the Ecuadorian Andes, get Andean recipes, and see photos of the setting of The Queen of Water.

• Here is a link to all posts on my blog labeled The Queen of Water. (After clicking the link, please continue scrolling down and clicking on "Older Posts" to read further.)

Maria Virginia and Laura split their advance and royalties for this book in half, each receiving 50%. In addition, Laura donates 5% of her royalties to indigenous rights organizations in Latin America, including the Tandana Foundation (empowerment through education in Ecuador.)

order the book

You can order the book on Barnes and Noble, indiebound, amazon, or at Old Firehouse Books (for signed copies).