The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters

by Lorraine López

Having lost their mother in early childhood, the Gabaldón sisters consider Fermina, their elderly Pueblo housekeeper, their surrogate Grandmother. The mysterious Fermina love the girls as if they are her own, and promises to endow each with a "special gift" to be received upon her death.

Mindful of the old woman's mystical ways, the sisters believe Fermina's gifts, bestowed based on their natural talents, magically enhance their lives. The oldest sister, Bette Davis Gabaldón, always teased for telling tales, believes her gift is the power to persuade anyone, no matter how outlandish her story. Loretta Young, who often prefers pets to people, assumes her gift is the ability to heal animals. Tough-talking tomboy, Rita Hayworth believes her gift is the ability to curse her enemies. And finally, Sophia Loren, the baby of the family, is sure her ability to make people laugh is her legacy.

As the four girls grow into women they discover that Fermina's gifts come with complicated strings, and what once seemed simple can confuse over time. Together they learn the truth about their mysterious caretaker, her legacy, and the family secret that was nearly lost forever in the New Mexican desert.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Cultural, Latino, Fantasy

335 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first grabbed this book at the library, I thought there would be magic. I guess I had Practical Magic in mind. That's not actually what it is about, but the story is excellent! We have sisters that didn't get along very well. The woman who has been like a grandmother to them dies and leaves them with what she calls gifts, and they think of as curses. They use this to shape their lives from then on and that is what the story is about, basically. Although there are some good stories, the characters are a bit hard to stand behind, and unfortunately, I am a character-driven reader. I like a good, strong character. I'm okay with them having faults, but I like them to have at least a few good qualities, too.
Anyway, this is a good story, and I would recommend it to someone who likes books about human failings and no romance.

[F Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's difficult to find a "perfect" novel, but Sisters comes very close.

The structure is well-tuned to the narrative which accelerates in a genuine way as it progresses. The language is both rich and real, reflecting its milieu. The characters, too, are real, exhibiting both flaws and strengths (making them at times sympathetic, and at other times less than sympathetic).

Themes examine the weight of family history on the present, the ties of extended family, the bonds of siblings, what human beings can endure, and how that endurance shapes successive generations.

Highly recommended.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed many parts of this book, but just could not get into the flow of it - I got confused as to who was who and then years would pass.... there was no pull towards a climax, no climax and the end was also disappointing to me. I would read more by this author, though, just because it had some originality to it.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard to follow and keep track of who’s who in the book. It was hard to keep the sisters straight. Parts were good, but I struggled connecting the dots. It was just a series of event that were difficult to weave together.

[Lynn G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not the book for me. I found it hard to follow the storyline, keep the characters separate, and I felt no connection with any of the characters.

[Kelly Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters, by Lorraine Lopez, I am astounded. Lorraine Lopez is the author of Call Me Henri, which won the Paterson Prize for Young Adult Literature, and Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories, which won the inaugural Miguel Marmol Prize for Fiction. She has also had several short stories published in various magazines, is an assistant professor of English at Vanderbilt University, and the associate editor for the Afro-Hispanic Review. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband.
The Gabaldon sisters lost their mother at a very early age and it was their Pueblo caretaker, Fermina, who held them together during that rough period, with love, compassion, and humor. Upon Fermina’s passing, she told them of a special gift each would receive, selected just for them. Twenty years later, the girls wonder about these supposed gifts and if the woman who bestowed them was a witch or plain crazy. Loretta- with the power to heal animals, Bette- the ability to spin stories, Rita- the power to curse others, and Sophia- having the skill to incite laughter; the women delve into their family and Fermina’s woven history. As secrets and mysteries are revealed, it shows the Gabaldon sisters who their guardian, Fermina, really was and teaches them the truth about themselves, as well.
I’m going to issue an age warning, stating I feel this book is appropriate for ages fifteen plus, as there are sexual references, drug abuse, and some sexual abuse references. Though it is very tactfully and eloquently told, it is still present.
I am intrigued by how the idea for The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters came to Lorraine Lopez, which is told in her biography in the back of the book. She comes from a large extended family with ties to central New Mexico. Her adopted grandfather was biological son of his adopted father’s brother and a Native American servant- a Pueblo woman who worked in the family’s home. After having the son, she had a daughter who was surrendered by the family to an orphanage. What a heart-breaking and astonishing story, and one that made for an interesting fictional tale, (or idea), for the book.
The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters, by Lorraine Lopez, is an original, inventive, fierce, and engaging story, sure to invoke thought, tears, and laughter. With a blended mix of tongues, cultures, traditions, and history- it will captivate you from beginning to end, and is a book that will remain with you long after you finish.

Kelly Moran
Author and Reviewer

[Sierra The Book Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read, I at first though it was a middle grade so I didnt have a lot of hopes but as the story progressed I was blown away by the very real and dark theams that occur within this book. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Its about these four young girls and they are promsied these gifts after there "so called maid" who is a old lady passed. Now they think and search for the meaning of the gifts there entire lives and things go tragic and uprootingly wrong, so they go to find out the truth of who she was and what these gifts are.

Trigger Warning: mentions of Death, drug use, drinking, rape, child rape, women abuse, miscarage, gangs, and spouce disapearence, slavery.

Please do read its a very important book for hispanic culture

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for Latin American authors: Laura Esquivel, Sandra Cisneros, Paulo Coelho. I randomly chose this book from the new fiction shelf at the library while Evi screamed at me to hurry the hell up. The joys of choosing reading material based on how loud your child is in the library. Oh, about the book! I loved it. The characters are so vivid, their emotions so real I found myself really caught up in the story as told by each sister. Every narrative has a very distinct voice which does wonders for character development. Read this book!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book!

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unremarkable book about sisters. At the beginning of this book I really liked it and then about halfway through it's like the author just quit trying.

[Broughps · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, but other than Fermina there wasn't one likeable character, certainly not any of the sisters.

[Helene Barmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book to use as a light read in between other things but the past weeks I have only focused on this one. I feel like I had to in order to keep track of all the names and dates.
The book centered around four sisters and it follows their lives from childhood to adulthood. We get these short glimpses into their lives in each chapter and we skip over months and years between each chapter. López gives us a summary of what has happened by weaving it into the story and I think that works fine.
The thread that keeps the story together is that in the beginning of the book, the girls have lost their mother and soon after an old woman, Fermina, who has lived with them also dies. Fermina is Native American and she says that she has gifts for the girls that they will get when she’s gone. Each of the girls search within themselves to find what their gift might be and it becomes a big mystery in their lives and also affects them, though differently.
At the end of each chapter we also get a glimpse of a part of Fermina’s story. I like this as we get to know her slowly throughout the book.
This book is not a masterpiece in any way but it is entertaining, emotional at times and it is an interesting story.

[Caijo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The tense changes and point of view changes between chapters was an interesting attempt to differentiate the sisters/narrators and keep us involved in multiple storylines. However, I found it mostly frustrating and difficult to read.
While the story was intriguing and the sisters were fascinating characters, by the end of the book I was anxious to finish reading. The characters lost a lot of their depth as they grew older, and the mystery of the book was obvious too soon, so I wasn't interested in continuing to read until the characters caught up with the secret I had known almost since the beginning of the book.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of South American literature (Isabel Allenda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez etc) and immediately felt drawn to this title.

While it didn't live up to my magical realism-tinged expectations, I found it an enjoyable enough read. I liked the way the story unfolded from each of the sisters' unique perspectives. Also, I found the concept interesting - how the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves have a powerful influence on the way our lives unfold. I guess, like self-fulfilling prophecies.

[Zara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It is well written and the characters are memorable. I had expected the 'gifts' of each sister to be more central to the story than they were. The time jumps are an interesting plot device... I liked that they allow the author to tell a story that spans many years while also being very detailed in each scene, but sometimes it felt like characters were completely different people between chapters, since so much of their lives happens during the time jump

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very disappointing book! There were a lot of pointless details. Dead end stories and the storyline took a real nose dive! The book read like a really bad autobiography. I give it 2 stars cause the last part of the book got interesting. I also learned what Phallus meant in Latin, and what the mother road was .

[Terra Masias · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I didn’t want to end. The flaws, joys and celebrations of 4 young sisters coming to their own after their mom’s premature death. I loved the rich setting of Los Angeles and the comfort of my beloved New Mexico.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sisters searching for their roots.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters by Lorraine López is at once a coming of age story, a testament to the enduring nature of family ties, and a portrait of Chicano subculture in Los Angeles.

The book begins in 1966 as the Gabaldón sisters struggle to adjust to life without their recently deceased mother. The girls live in Los Angeles with their father, their brother and an aging Hopi housekeeper named Fermina. Each sister is named after a movie star: the eldest (an eighth grader) is Bette Davis, and then there is Loretta Young, Rita Hayworth, and Sophia Loren Gabaldón, who is an infant when their mother dies. (In case you're wondering, their brother is named Cary Grant Gabaldón.)

About a year after their mother dies, Fermina, who has lived with the Gabaldóns as long as the girls can remember, succumbs to pneumonia. Just before she dies, Fermina promises that each girl will soon receive a gift. The girls are naturally curious about the nature of the gifts and this becomes a central, yet underlying story line.

Each chapter is narrated by a different sister. The reader follows their lives over the course of twenty years as they attend college and find jobs; fall in love, marry and divorce; and have children. Each Gabaldón sister has a distinctive voice that the reader quickly comes to know and recognize.

In chronicling the lives of the Gabaldón sisters, López portrays in vivid and often comical detail the nuanced form of interaction that is unique to sisters. They are brutally honest and sarcastic, yet full of love and loyalty.

Interspersed throughout the book are notes taken in 1938 by a journalist who was researching the housekeeper Fermina's life for FDR's Works Progress Administration. These notes - which for much of the novel, the Gabaldón sisters don't know exist - reveal a secret about Fermina. This secret will have a profound impact upon the girls when they finally discover it.

López has been favorably compared to Julia Alvarez, and there are indeed parallels between this novel and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters is about the immigrant experience from the perspective of future generations. It's about family, sisters, fathers and daughters. And it speaks to the universal human need to know our cultural and familial roots as a means of understanding who we are and where we came from.

[Elevate Difference · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet the lovely Bette Davis, Loretta Young, Rita Hayworth, Sophia Loren, and Cary Grant—not the nostalgic Hollywood stars of the 1930s to 1950s era, but the Gabaldon Family. Bette, Loretta, Rita, and Sophia make up the story of The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters, a multilayered tale that spans two decades and traces the sister’s lives through joy and heartache. After the premature death of their mother, they are raised by their father with the help of Fermina, their caretaker, an American Indian housekeeper. As the girls grow up, Fermina tells each of them that upon her death, they will receive a special gift, but she never divulges what those gifts might be.

Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of each sister as they grow into adulthood in Los Angeles from the early '60s to the '80s. We also get a glimpse of Fermina's life in reports from the Work Projects Administration as the women try to discover the truth about who Fermina was in the life previous to becoming their caretaker. After her death, the women begin to realize what "gifts" Farmina left behind for them to receive. Bette obtains the skill of making anyone believe anything, no matter how farfetched; Loretta has the ability to heal; Rita can place a curse on anyone with bad things happening; and Sophia has the gift of making people laugh. Even though the gifts are both a blessing and a curse, the sisters begin to learn, handle, and navigate these small additions to their lives.

Lorraine Lopez provides a unique insight into the sisters' bickering, joy, and passion for life, which provides the backdrop for this intoxicating family drama. Even though they make some bad decisions in life, their acceptance of what life brings enables the reader to understand their differences and, more importantly, their similarities. The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters is an enjoyable read that will have you cherish your family bonds, with the added excitement of paranormal gifts.

Review by LaToya Rogers

[Book Concierge · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a Chicana coming-of-age novel set in Los Angeles. The four Gabaldon sisters (and their brother) were all named for movie stars – Bette Davis, Loretta Young, Sophia Loren, Rita Hayworth (and Cary Grant). When their mother died young, their father raised his brood in a modest LA bungalow with the help of their trusted criada (housekeeper/cook) Fermina, though she was quite old and in bed for much of her last year. Before she dies Fermina promises the girls they will each receive a gift on her death – one has the gift of telling stories; another, healing hands; a third makes people laugh; and the baby has the power to curse people.

Lopez tries hard to incorporate these “gifts” in the novel, without much success. If it weren’t for the blurb on the back I’m not sure I would have figured out what the gifts were supposed to be. The book’s chapters are narrated by the Gabaldon sisters – two told in first person, one in third person, and one in second person – and the story follows the family from 1966 to 1987. Interspersed is the story of Fermina, who was born in the 1860s. The result of the various narrators and different styles is a choppy story line that left me cold. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and had trouble with some of the story lines because years would be skipped from chapter to chapter.

Lopez uses a lot of Spanish phrases throughout, frequently without translation or explanation. . While this doesn’t bother me (since I speak Spanish), I think this would cause many people to give up. As for me, I would have given up due to boredom, except that I was reading it for my Hispanic book club. I give it 2 stars because I found Fermina’s story fascinating – THAT would have made a good book.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I often wonder what prompts authors to write their stories. This story chronicled the lives of a motherless Mexican-American family from the mid-1960s to present. The story centered on the alleged "gifts" bestowed upon the sisters by their nanny. Each sister's story was sad and gritty, ranging from molestation to drug/alcohol abuse to theft. Between the drama at home to the drama at school (sexual assault, battery, nuns with rulers), it's a wonder these girls survived. One might wonder if they actually did.

The story built up to a grand adventure during which the sisters quested for backstory on their nanny and her "gifts." The result? An awful, disappointing two-week sister-bonding trip that revealed very little. And then the book ends. One can only hope I read the ending incorrectly due to extreme tiredness. Otherwise, what would be the point of the story? Four girls live sad, pathetic childhoods, grow into sad, pathetic adults and perpetuate the cycle with their sad, pathetic children?

Once again, I'm left wondering what publishers are thinking when books like this go to print. Do they really believe, with all that goes on in the world, that a sad, gritty story will make for good reading? Because we don't read enough about real people who face all these issues in our local papers? Perhaps my 11th grade literature teacher was right. Perhaps the human condition is miserable and bitter and we get a cheap thrill reading about others who are more screwed up than we are.

How sad and pathetic...

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I'm afraid that my lukewarm reception of this book had more to do with the circumstances around me reading it than the book itself, but I still didn't LOVE it by any means. Anyway, I started this Thanksgiving weekend, but was too busy to read much, then got my new church responsibilities and continued to be swamped, so I finally forced myself to finish today to just get it over with!

I liked the fact that it was hispano lit, so a lot of Spanish was thrown in, as well as the hispano culture. But the story, while and interesting premise, got halted before it began. Each of the 4 sisters takes turns narrating, which is something I enjoy, but they would skip years between narrations and kind of gloss over major events in the other character's lives. For example, in one narration of Rita they end her story saying how surprised she was that Rafe's hands felt so strong and warm on her hands. Okay, fine, but then it skips 2 years and suddenly you find out from a different sister's narration that Rita and Rafe are now married and Rita is pregnant. So, it kind of does that in all of their lives...so it spans a large time period and delves into details of everyday life, without actually spending time on the big changes. Make sense? So, I guess it was more "realistic" in that aspect...

Also, the language of 1 of the sister's narratives is quite strong. Anyway, that's all.

[Carmen Amato · Rating 5 out of 5]

n all honesty, I picked up The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters because it has an eye-catching cover. Luckily, the story inside was just as mesmerizing.

It traces the lives of four sisters, who each seem endowed with a magical ability or “gift.” But it’s not fairy tale magic and it shapes their lives in unexpected ways. The story swings between the lives of the sisters, and the official account of government research into the Puebla tribe. At first I didn't understand the connection but after a few chapters realized that the research was the background story of Fermina, the girls’ caretaker after the death of their mother. Fermina is the one who gives the girls their “gifts.”

The sisters are all named after Hollywood stars from the 40’s and 50’s, which not only made it easy to keep track of the different sisters and their gifts, but also gave a rich feeling of the family's atmosphere and the legacy of their dead mother. My favorite character was Bette Davis Gabaldón, who believes her “gift” is the ability to persuade people to do what she wants. The gifts are both burdens and things to celebrate. This isn't a pulse-pounder that races to a climax but a gentle story of women who believe themselves bound by their gifts. It is that belief that ultimately shapes their lives and draws the reader along on the journey.

This book is recommended for anyone who likes contemporary literature, stories with a bit of magic in them, as well as those who like fiction that draws on history.

[Bobbie Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters
Written By: Lorraine López
Published By: Grand Central Publishing, A division of Hachette Book Group USA Inc., 2008, First Edition, 327 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-0-446-69921-1

The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters is a multicultural, vibrant and multi-layered story about four sisters as they grow up and search for answers to a hidden family secret.”BCM

Loretta, Bette, Rita and Sophia Gabaldón are Mexican-American girls who grow up, mainly without a mother in their lives.
The girls are raised in a bungalow in Los Angeles with their brother Cary and their father.
Though promising each of the girls a gift upon her death, their housekeeper and caretaker Fermina only leaves questions, confusion and loss after her passing.
As the Gabaldón sisters grow up, each of their distinct personality’s flourish and steadily shape their futures.
The girls keep searching for meaning in their lives and wonder if they have already been given the divine, magical gifts from Fermina. Each of the sisters already seems to...


**Please follow the link to read the whole review:
http://bookreviewsbybobbie.wordpress....

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters is a chronicled coming-of-age story about four sisters living in Southern California from the 1960s to present. The sisters lose their mother early in their lives and are raised by an in-house caretaker named Fermina, who was a Mexican-American Indian born in the late 1800s. However, soon after the mother's death, Fermina grows ill and promises to leave each of the girls with a special gift after her death. The story then continues with each of the sister's lives trying to discover their gift.

I was disappointed with this novel. It was difficult to follow at times and uninteresting. At one point I did not want to finish the novel. I usually love Mexican-American novels, but this one was a dud. I would not recommend this novel to anyone who wants to learn more about Mexican-American life in the United States.

However, there were a few good aspects of the book. The author weaved "historical" stories of Fermina's past that included old Indian traditions and slave trade, which made for a very interesting read. I wish there would have been more insight about the woman who's promise structured the novel.

[Tera · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. What a misleading, boring 300 pages of a total teasing let-down. There is nothing like a good coming of age book with a twist of sisterhood and magic, and this was nothing like a good coming of age book with a twist of sisterhood or magic. Don't let the title fool you, or the back flap they aren't given "gifts". Not in any sense of the word, not a physical or mystical gift. They got nothing, and the reader gets even less. Don't lie to me and tell me each of the sisters get these magical gifts when straight away it's clear that none of them have the gifts they imagined they did when they were 8! And then spend the next 200+ pages confirming again and again that none of them have any gifts. I suppose it would have helped if any of the characters were develeoped well enough to care about them, but they weren't. All of the big moments in their life happen without the reader being there for them. Weddings, funerals, death, heartach, addiction, struggles, and triumps all happen without the reader. Total disappointment. Ticked off I stuck with it and read it until the end. Even more mad I paid 1.00 for it from a thrift store. Teach me to leave my library!

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I liked about this book was the bits of history entwined with the lives of these sisters. It made the context of the characters richer. The dialogue was hilarious at times with the mixing of Spanish and English, and even though I missed a couple of meanings (because the author doesn't translate all of it for you which I love) I definitely knew what was going on. I liked the way the years were spaced out and the juxtaposition of Fermina's history between certain chapters. Overall, the book is about relationships and it's interesting how the misinterpretations continued from childhood on to adulthood between certain siblings. Lots of adult situations and freakishly composed attitudes towards sexual abuse. The only time you see the depth of hatred and emotion is at the end of the offending uncle's life. My overall take was that this book was gritty and definitely not a kids' book. And lastly, I resent the way the Mormon boy is portrayed in this book. I have NEVER met a Mormon boy/man who was not fiercely dedicated to providing for his wife and family.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I would suggest this book to a friend, but I enjoyed a lot about this book.
First, it had 2 time lines intertwined, which was well done.
Second, I loved the fact that the 4 sisters narrated the book, each taking a chapter here or there and there was no one sister that ruled the book. One would narrate and you would sympathize with them, then another would narrate and it would completely change your mind about character's attitudes. This is so different than most books that let multiple people narrate, but the author still only sets it up for you to sympathize with the main character.
Third, I thought there was a lot of character growth. This was important because how gritty the subject matter could be. Sometimes the sisters would make really stupid mistakes, but they recovered from it.
I may not suggest it because of the gritty subject matter--not only were the characters victims of some horrible crimes, but they sometimes relied on illegal drugs, alcohol, and really stupid men.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of a disappointment.

This book started with interesting and engaging characters but instead of coalescing into a solid plot, or even a character study of each, it sort of rambled around rather aimlessly.

I kept waiting for something to bring it all together, or for some deeper insights on life, love, class, race, anything - but instead, I got cardboard male characters - each their own bad stereotype, a weak mystery, and a group of sisters who kept each other - and unfortunately the readers - at arm's distance. We never really get close, we never really understand them beyond the surface, and we get a reveal that was obvious from the beginning.

I wanted to like this book. But it was only okay. I give it two stars because the beginning really did engage me...it just fell flat along the way.

I wished there were some elements of magical realism to spice the story up. But lacking that, I wish we got less characters and more character development.