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.
Alejandro Cruz Martinez was a promising young Zapotec poet who spent many years collecting the oral traditions of his people. He published his own version of the story of Lucia Zeneno as a poem in 1986. Alejandro was killed in 1987 while organizing for Zapotec water rights.
Fernando Olivera is an internationally acclaimed painter from Oaxaca, Mexico. His work has been shown internationally, in places like Mexico, El Salvador, and the US. His work is influenced by traditional Oaxacan ways of life, myths and legends, and political and social concerns.
Rosalma Zubizarreta is a bilingual teacher and translator living in Sebastopol, California.
• American Library Association Notable Book
• Parenting Magazine Award for "Outstanding Children's Books"
• Parent's Choice Approved Book
• Recommended by the Elementary School Library Collection
"This original Hispanic folktale is skillfully told, and is solidly and colorfully steeped with imagery of earth and sky. Both the Spanish and English read gracefully, and the poetic use of language suits the story well for telling. An excellent discussion starter, dealing as it does with issues of the differences between people and respect for nature, the book has a natural place in multicultural and environmental units." —School Library Journal
"An excellent addition to any folklore collection; one of the handsomest yet of this publisher's fine multicultural books." —Kirkus Reviews
"The story is beautifully told in each language with little impetus, if any, being lost in the translation." —MultiCultural Review
"Surreal illustrations, calling to mind a stylistic mixture of William Joyce and Karen Barbour, highlight the richness of the folktale convention and perfectly capture a sense of place." —Publishers Weekly
"Powerfully illustrated by Fernando Olivera, whose work is reminiscent of the early 20th century Mexican artist José Clemente Orozco, principle and integrity flow through this story like the river that Lucia literally wears in her lovely black hair." —San Francisco Chronicle
"Luminous, dreamlike paintings perfectly complement the text." —Parenting Magazine
