BOOK SPOTLIGHT: MARIPOSA by Candis C. Coffee
Mariposa
by Candis C. Coffee
Literary Fiction/Historical Fiction/New Age Fiction
Behler Publications
by Candis C. Coffee
Literary Fiction/Historical Fiction/New Age Fiction
Behler Publications
A spiritual, intellectual, brave young woman creates the life of her dreams, only to be deeply disappointed by its inability to sustain her.
The setting of Mariposa is 1920s and 1930sWest Texas , Los Angeles Mexico Texas
As a child inWest Texas , Annarose sees life and intelligence in everything. She finds herself in a relationship with an invisible “Presence,” which beckons to her spirit and with whom she feels most alive. A friendship with a Mexican boy and her love of the landscape also nurture this young girl who feels rejected by her Mother.
Annarose is deeply hurt when she is banished toLos Angeles Texas Mexico
Her philosophical studies and supportive friendship with Estelle, a gifted musician, lead to an awakening for Annarose. She becomes a writer, and she travels toMexico
In the end, Annarose returns to West Texas alone, ready to give birth to their child. Over a period of three days, the “Now” of the story, she spends time with her family, and she recalls her experiences. She finds peace, and she finally comprehends the true nature of joy.
This is first person literary fiction – an experience of self-discovery for educated women, particularly ethnic minorities between the ages of 16 and 60. The book contains about 87,000 words.
Mariposa is divided into three stages of Annarose’s life. The first is her youth in 1923 West Texas. Here I tell the story of Annarose’s childhood, her relationship with the Presence, her family, and her friend, Ismael. I introduce a young girl in love with mystery. The second section is 1930s Los Angeles. In this part I write about Annarose’s life in LA, her inspiring friendship with Estelle, and her new spiritual quest, which now involves reading and thinking rather than direct experience. The third stage is 1930s Mexico, the story of Annarose’s connection with magic, her love affair with Mexican muralist, Crisanto, friendship with Frida Kahlo, and the understanding of her true motivations for being in Mexico, with these people. She acknowledges her need to find connection to Spirit and magic outside herself.
The idea is to bring to light passages in Annarose’s life, with the most important occurring at the age of 13, then again thirteen years later. At the beginning of the story we meet the adult Annarose, who at 26 must decide what to do with herself, now that she has begun to see that, though her quest and objectives were honorable, the path she chose toward them was misguided. We then meet the child Annarose at the age of 13. This is a significant period, due to her spiritual life, her feelings for her friend, Ismael, and her eventual exile to Los Angeles. I divided the story into 13 chapters, with the idea that each would describe meaningful events or themes in her life. I chose the title Mariposa because the story is about transformation.
About the Author:
Candis C. Coffee grew up in West Texas where her family has lived since 1848 when they immigrated from Ireland. The house in Mariposa is based on the 150-year-old home of her grandparents on the banks of the Concho River in San Angelo.
Candis spent nearly fifteen years in Santa Monica, California, where she was employed as a writer for various organization
s. She later moved to New Orleans where she helped Chef Paul Prudhomme write the cookbook of his dreams and titled it Fork in the Road. Candis longed for the desert, however, which inspired a move to Santa Fe and graduate school at the University of New Mexico. She has since returned to her birthplace in West Texas where she currently resides.
After receiving a BA in Literature from the University of Texas, she pursued graduate studies in Creative Writing, Literature, and Spanish. She is presently at work on a children's book and is pursuing a doctoral degree in alternative health care and the healing arts.
You can visit her website at www.candiscoffee.com.
The setting of Mariposa is 1920s and 1930s
As a child in
Annarose is deeply hurt when she is banished to
Her philosophical studies and supportive friendship with Estelle, a gifted musician, lead to an awakening for Annarose. She becomes a writer, and she travels to
In the end, Annarose returns to West Texas alone, ready to give birth to their child. Over a period of three days, the “Now” of the story, she spends time with her family, and she recalls her experiences. She finds peace, and she finally comprehends the true nature of joy.
This is first person literary fiction – an experience of self-discovery for educated women, particularly ethnic minorities between the ages of 16 and 60. The book contains about 87,000 words.
Mariposa is divided into three stages of Annarose’s life. The first is her youth in 1923 West Texas. Here I tell the story of Annarose’s childhood, her relationship with the Presence, her family, and her friend, Ismael. I introduce a young girl in love with mystery. The second section is 1930s Los Angeles. In this part I write about Annarose’s life in LA, her inspiring friendship with Estelle, and her new spiritual quest, which now involves reading and thinking rather than direct experience. The third stage is 1930s Mexico, the story of Annarose’s connection with magic, her love affair with Mexican muralist, Crisanto, friendship with Frida Kahlo, and the understanding of her true motivations for being in Mexico, with these people. She acknowledges her need to find connection to Spirit and magic outside herself.
The idea is to bring to light passages in Annarose’s life, with the most important occurring at the age of 13, then again thirteen years later. At the beginning of the story we meet the adult Annarose, who at 26 must decide what to do with herself, now that she has begun to see that, though her quest and objectives were honorable, the path she chose toward them was misguided. We then meet the child Annarose at the age of 13. This is a significant period, due to her spiritual life, her feelings for her friend, Ismael, and her eventual exile to Los Angeles. I divided the story into 13 chapters, with the idea that each would describe meaningful events or themes in her life. I chose the title Mariposa because the story is about transformation.
About the Author:
Candis C. Coffee grew up in West Texas where her family has lived since 1848 when they immigrated from Ireland. The house in Mariposa is based on the 150-year-old home of her grandparents on the banks of the Concho River in San Angelo.
Candis spent nearly fifteen years in Santa Monica, California, where she was employed as a writer for various organization
s. She later moved to New Orleans where she helped Chef Paul Prudhomme write the cookbook of his dreams and titled it Fork in the Road. Candis longed for the desert, however, which inspired a move to Santa Fe and graduate school at the University of New Mexico. She has since returned to her birthplace in West Texas where she currently resides.After receiving a BA in Literature from the University of Texas, she pursued graduate studies in Creative Writing, Literature, and Spanish. She is presently at work on a children's book and is pursuing a doctoral degree in alternative health care and the healing arts.
You can visit her website at www.candiscoffee.com.
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This sounds like a great great! I love the title. Good luck with your book, Candis!
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Mayra Calvani
This sounds like an interesting book - quite unlike anything I've heard of before. Thank you for spotlighting it.
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