Queen of Water, an autobiography, tells the story of young Virginia, an indigenous girl, growing up as a servant to a Mestizo family. Given away to be a servant at the age of seven, Virginia finds that the promised pay and visits to her family never come, and she is essentially a slave. Despite this, she is determined to have a future, and secretly educates herself using stolen textbooks. When she finds her sisters telephone number one day, she leaps at the chance to escape and see her family again, only to find she doesn’t fit in with the world she left behind.
This is an amazing, touching novel, and one of my favorite books. Virginia carries so much hope and determination, you find yourself rooting for her throughout the story. Since she is a real person, her character is vivid and captivating. When she cried, I cried, and when she was crowned Queen of Water in an indigenous beauty pageant at the end of the story, I smiled and wept with joy. This is a wonderful insight into the lonely, forgotten world of servant girls, and a must read for anyone who loves a true story.