The Woman Who Outshone the Sun

By Martinez

A mysterious woman is exiled, and the village's river follows her. Can they win her forgiveness?

4.2/5 Goodreads · 134 ratings

32 pages· 890 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

In a mountain village, Lucia Zenteno's radiant presence stirs fear and awe. Her exile leads to an unexpected consequence—the village's beloved river follows her. Desperate to restore their water, the villagers embark on a quest to seek Lucia's forgiveness. Will they succeed in bringing back the river, or is it lost forever? This tale, rooted in Zapotec legend, explores themes of fear, beauty, and redemption.

From the publisher

Approved Book, Parents’ Choice Foundation Award for Outstanding Children’s Books, Parenting MagazineBilingual English/Spanish. A legend of Lucia Zenteno, who is part of the oral history of the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico.When Lucia Zenteno walks into a mountain village in central Mexico, some villagers whisper that her long black hair blocks out the sun, and they are afraid. Others say her brilliant hair outshines the sun. Frightened, they banish Lucia from the village and watch in amazement as their precious river follows her, for it loves her and will not leave her. Never had the villagers imagined that their beautiful river would leave them, no matter what they did-and so the whole village sets out to find Lucia and beg for her forgiveness. The legend of Lucia Zenteno is part of the oral history of the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico-a region of Mexico renowned for its rich cultural history with roots that go back many centuries before Columbus. Alejandro Cruz Martinez, the Zapotec poet who wrote down the original version of The Woman Who Outshone the Sun, later gave up his life in his struggle to help win back the water rights of the Zapotec people.

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