Pierced by the Sun

De: Laura Esquivel, Jordi Castells - translator

Narrado por: Roxanne Hernandez

Lupita's hard-knock life has gotten the better of her time and time again. A childhood robbed of innocence set off a chain of events that she still has not managed to control, no matter how hard she tries. Every time she thinks she has a handle on things, unexpected turns make her question everything, including herself.

When Lupita witnesses the murder of a local politician whom she greatly admires, the ghosts of her past resurface as she tries to cope with the present. She quickly falls back into her old self-destructive habits and becomes a target of Mexico's corrupt political machine. As the powers that be kick into high gear to ensure the truth remains hidden, Lupita finds solace in the purity of indigenous traditions. While she learns how to live simply, like her ancestors, she comes to understand herself and rediscovers light within a dark life. And if there is hope for Lupita's redemption, perhaps there is hope for Mexico.

©2015 Laura Esquivel (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Translation © 2016 Jordi Castells.

Boring robot like voice

I really wanted to enjoy this book it's a good story so far, but the readers voice makes it so boring and un bearable to listen. I might just have to read it myself and not listen to the audible. I know this author writes good books. Sadly, the reader is not doing this book justice and probably scaring people away from giving her other books a chance.

Political at Heart?

I'm not very political. I struggled to finish it. The storyline of the main character was worth following and identifiable but the background story was definitely single minded in direction. The narration was a little monotone at times, as well as, animated.

As a symbol of Mexico . . .

Lupita travels through a journey of alcoholism, drug addiction, corruption, and self-defeat, but her triumphs in the end suggest a return to the indigenous way of life as "Mexico's cure." Her healing process is unrealistic, but the indigenous motif symbolically portrays a lost nationalism and refreshes the soul for hope for a country that seems to be lost to the carteles. There are those who are still willing to fight for an honest government. ¡Viva México!

The worst story ever.

I was forced to read this for a class. I was over it by chapter 4, but I had to continue. So, I got the audio version. At least the speaker was good. She helped me "get through" it. If you call it getting through. From what I heard about Laura, is that she usually is a great writer. This one has so much missing, so many jumps to other perspectives (randomly, I would say), they inner thoughts and even dialogue didn't feel cohesive, and worst of all, there is no real ending, just hints of what may happen.

Did not capture me !

Struggled with reading. Could not keep me with the book. When I picked up Memoir of a Geisha I read it in one breath. This I could not go through the first pages. Lacks captivating experience.

Horrible would be an upgrade

Would you try another book from Laura Esquivel and Jordi Castells - translator and/or Roxanne Hernandez?

No

Has Pierced by the Sun turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

Would you be willing to try another one of Roxanne Hernandez’s performances?

Yes

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Pierced by the Sun?

I read a reasonable amount and couldn't make it past the first chapter. The superfluous use of profanity with no real contribution to the story line made it a complete waste of time.

Poor translation and robotic reader

Possibly read the book it's probably better. This is too painful...
The reader sounds like a computer.

A trip into the mind of a fascinating character

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is told from the point of view of a fascinatingly spiritual yet very flawed character. It shows the underbelly of politics and religion in Mexico and it also gives a great look into the native culture. I really loved this book.

What did you like best about this story?

The information about the native spiritual practices and beliefs.

What about Roxanne Hernandez’s performance did you like?

Her ability to accurately pronounce not only English but also Spanish and Nahuatl words really enriched the story.

Any additional comments?

I just wished it had been longer.