This reading was one that I found very difficult to read. I understand that there were other “cuentos” within the book, but the first one really struck me. The perspective of it being a child made the horrors of what had happened to the little girl even more disgusting and horrific. I sat down to read it and immediately was in shock. The usage of the child’s perspective here made the feelings I would have and did have even stronger. The descriptions were explicit, but enough that I was so heartbroken. I don’t even think heart broken is a strong enough word.

I found it very interesting that in this text, the narrator never was called by name. Lucia had a name, mama was mama, but the narrator was just a girl. This to me made it so that it could have been anyone’s child, anyone’s daughter, anyone’s memories. It made it more personal in a sense as when I was reading it I could place whomever as the girl.

The role of food here was subtle for me. Elote was mentioned once, and the girl had wanted coconut instead. I looked into it and was discussing with my partner, and we think that the coconut could maybe be a symbol for survival or durability. A coconut has a rough outside that protects the soft inside. A mystery of survival. Coconuts follow no rules, though. They will fall from the tree when they want, on who they want when they are ready. There is no obedience here. It contradicts what mama was saying is the key to survival. There was also a mention of the chicken broth. I think food was in essence a comfort. And the lack of food was a response to a trauma. Lack of food, not eating, is a trauma response. When an individual is dealing with trauma, it is hard to put the basic necessities of your body first. This small detail shows how much trauma this little girl has already gone through.