Song of the Hummingbird

by Graciela Limón

From Aztec princess to slave and concubine, Hummingbird--or Huitzitzilín in her native Nahuatl--recounts her life during the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Expressing a confidence and freedom that women have strived for centuries to attain, Huitzitzilín passionately relates her tale to Father Benito, the priest who seeks to confess and convert her, to offer her an absolution she neither needs nor wants. Instead, she forces him to see the conquest, for the first time, through the eyes of the conquered.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Novels, Literary Fiction, Book Club, School

217 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

About the author

Graciela Limón is the author of eight widely read novels: In Search of Bernabé, The Memories of Ana Calderón, The Song of the Hummingbird, Day of the Moon, Erased Faces, Left Alive, The River Flows North and The Madness of Mamá Carlota. Her writing has received reviews from Publishers Weekly, library Journals and scholarly journals. The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Houston Chronicle and other leading newspapers have reviewed her work, as well as several anthologies. She was the recipient of the prestigious award for U.S. Literature: The Luis Leal Literary Award. The Los Angeles Times listed her as a notable writer for the year 1993. The Life of Ximena Godoy is due to be published in the spring of 2015. Graciela was born in Los Angeles, California, where she has resided until recently relocating to Simi Valley, California. Los Angeles plays a major role in many of her novels.

Reviews

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself is good, interesting, and fairly accurate to the historical happenings that the novel is based on. However, the writing style and format are severely lacking. Reading this for a college course on Mexican folklore, I was expecting a sophisticated and well-articulated take on this tale. Instead, I was met with juvenile writing and a story telling technique which left little to no suspense within the novel and much else to be desired.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is pretty heavy handed in parts, trying to elicit a specific reaction from the reader through the priest character. I don't know if this is really necessary, honestly. Huitzitzilin's story speaks for itself and makes this novel worth reading. The constant interjections to the priest's perspective are mostly just jarring to one's absorption and emotional impact of the *real* story.

[Amy Alyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel deserves all the fame and canonization, but will probably never get it due to the continuous colonization of literature.

[Sheila Rocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of the conquest of Indigenous Mexico--up close as a first person testimony.
Limon takes the format of interview into an intimate dialogue between Catholic Priest (with his own set of baggage) and an elder anciana, or native woman who lived through the full of the conquest and survived to tell her story as it affected not only her people, but her womanhood. It is more fact than fiction because the value of this woman's testimony is based on the journals, chronicles and codices that recorded the holocaust of mesoamerica during the Spanish invasion.
Touching, rich with passion, and full of sorrow...Song of the Hummingbird is a fast read that keeps you glued to the text from beginning to end. This is decolonizing literature that reclaims essential history.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is one of those books in which I liked the story, but I really did not enjoy the writing, which I think was actually kind of tedious, clinical. I am giving this three stars because of the story, and because I can't give it 2.5 stars. Central to this narrative is witness, the stories of participants, versus what is officially written, with what is officially written being done by the conquerors, and the conquered viewed through the conquerors' lenses.

[Mike Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story, I loved every page and will definitely read more of Ms Limón.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

a 2022 read: took me 3 days to recover, my heart SANK. f colonialism

[AmUrzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful heartfelt story that takes you to a place in time during Spanish colonization in Mexico where a Spanish priest listens to the last confession of an old Aztec woman by the name of Hummingbird. In this book you’ll be shown the suffering and the fall of the Aztec empire through Hummingbird’s eyes while also seeing a friendship between the Priest and the Aztec woman build. Not only is this a must read for all those of Mexican decent like me, but I would highly encourage and recommend for everyone to read this book. If we could all open our minds and hearts to see the suffering of other people through their eyes, we can defeat ignorance and hate. This book will inspire understanding and love.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good little book. Interesting to hear the story told from the perspective of the conquered rather than the conquerors. Yet another indigenous people destroyed by greedy white males claiming to bring salvation from the one and only "true" god. I'm curious about where the actual 16th century accounts from the Aztec people are recorded. Yet another piece of history for me to explore in the future. :)

The book very subtly shows the utter hypocrisy of the prevailing (Christian) religions. The Spaniards forbade the Aztecs from worshiping their ancient gods, saying it was idolatrous and required human sacrifices. And yet Catholicism is one of the most idolatrous religions in existence, with all the saints and statues and symbols. And what was Jesus, if not a human sacrifice, required to die a brutal, agonizing death to appease their god? Somethin' to think about...

[Jacob Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Song of the Hummingbird is a great cultural book. I loved reading how the characters only saw black and white in their lives. The setting takes place during Spain has taken over the Mexica empire. You will really connect to some of the charters weather by their points that they make about civil rights or on religious points of view. The story will let you see the point of view of the Aztecs when they were being conquered by the spaniards. It shows historical and cultural events of the Aztec people before they were forced to change religions and he whole story is told by a old native lady to a young priest in church.

[Deanna Shelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book with a Feminist, New Historicist view of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. One falls in love with the goddess Hummingbird and it is impossible not to espouse her views and sensibilities. This haunting tale, spun in Huitzitzilin's old age, seeks to set the record straight for the indigenous people of Mexico. Her covnersations with a monk causes him to question his own faith and religion. Author Graciela Limon says that Huitzitzilin is her favorite character -- the one closest to her heart.

[Witty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings. What was a moving story was oddly written in a strange format. A narrative of a narrative, so I felt a bit separated from the events.

[R.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...

This is a short novel that didn't disappoint me, but somehow I had larger expectations from it.
You can guess by the blurb what the key points and issues are and one can guess that there will be a clash of mentallities, way of thinking and conscience, that may or may not lead to a redeeming end.
But somehow, the writting style and narration format didn't grab me so much. At first I was completely cold towards the characters and while the story grew on me somewhat, I still felt something was missing to really make me connect with Father Benito or Huitzitzilin.


3½/5

Το βιβλίο αυτό δεν είναι κακό, αλλά ήθελα να μου αρέσει περισσότερο.
Από την περίληψη μπορεί κανείς να μαντέψει το τι διαπραγματεύεται και να προβλέψει ότι θα έχουμε σύγκρουση κοσμοθεωριών, χαρακτήρων και συνειδήσεων και ίσως ένα τέλος με κάποια καλύτερη αντίληψη μεταξύ δύο εντελώς διαφορετικών χαρακτήρων, ωστόσο κάτι στον τρόπο αφήγησης και γραφής με άφησε μάλλον αδιάφορη προς τους δυο κεντρικούς χαρακτήρες. Η ιστορία σταδιακά μου κίνησε το ενδιαφέρον ως ένα βαθμό, αλλά δεν ξετρελάθηκα κιόλας...

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fascinating topic to tell a story about- and point of view to tell it from with characters that could have relayed it smoothly...but the writing is... I don't want to say "bad" because that genuinely feels too unkind. But it was difficult for me to enjoy this.

The two main characters have choppy, over-expository back-and-forth exchanges that read like an amateur play. They feel one-dimensional, like the author wrote a short story and then shoehorned these two having dialogue into it to pad it out, or something? By midway I was just skipping anything they were saying to one another and essentially just reading the monologue of Huitzitzilin. (Which wasn't awful.)

[Nik Kronick · Rating 3 out of 5]

read as i’m considering teaching this novel. i personally enjoyed it but not sure if it’s best for teens. it’s a bit slow and in my opinion one would have to have innate interest in the topic of the spanish conquest and colonization of the indigenous to latin america to stay engaged. that being said, it’s a beautiful account of the oppressed and the story is told in a compelling manor. would recommend but not required reading.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! Written simply and an easy read. Explores the dynamics between the Spanish conquistadors and the Mexica worldviews and displays the conquest from a Mexica who lived it point of view contrasted with the priest who was there to 1) confess her and 2) to write down her narrative of history.

[Carolyn O'leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely surprised by how good this book is, Graciela Limon is a truly gifted writer, my only recommendation is make sure you have time because you won't want to put this book down once you open its pages.

[simply_chaoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book for class and I really liked it, and I wish I had been introduced to it earlier on. The story is told from HuitzitzIinI's perspective, a native woman's account of the arrival of Cortez and other spanish conquistadors.

[Jacqueline Galvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this historical fiction book. The telling of the conquest of Mexico from the point of view of a mexica to me was great. Brought me to tears. I recommend it for those interested in the subject.

[Mandy Genge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and heartfelt story between two characters who can not be more different. The way the Spanish Conquest is told is mesmerizing and addictive. Two thumbs up!

[Jalyna Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great historical piece. Beautifully written with a bittersweet ending. Not a bad book to start the year off with.

[Sarah Burnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book👍

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a lot better than I would have expected. It is a retelling of the story of an Aztecan woman and the trials and tribulations of living through the pillaging of the Conquistadors. Graciela does an amazing job at explaining the troubles of Hummingbird, not only as a woman, but as a mother, a citizen, and someone who was exiled from their culture by force. It is amazing to see the progression of not only who she becomes but also the priest to who she is telling her stories. Overall, would definitely recommend but I will say that there are a lot of triggering subjects touched upon in the book.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I can't emphasize how much I enjoyed reading this book! It's about an aztec women telling her sins to a catholic priest but as she does, she retells the story of the invasion of the spaniords! I read it in spanish and it not only helped me in my spanish but it's better in spanish! (:

[Daisy Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

"His mind went deeper into his spirit until it became clear to him that it was not absolution or even mercy that she had expected of him, but understanding of her life, of her people, and of their beliefs...he reminded himself that he had captured her words on paper and that her song would live on in Anahuac forever."

[Amandamariacaldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is again about the Aztecs and the history of the fall of these people. Anyway, the narrator is an old woman who had converted to Ctholicism to appease the Spanish. But, she says so much about the the rise and fall and culture of the art from Mexico City. Love it...

[Soccerlover9298 · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is the closest that any of us will ever get to knowing what it really might have been like during the fall of the Aztec Empire.. powerful imagery. You will love the main character the more you get to know her and detest the many villians she is plagued by.

[Tracy Cakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having studied the history of the Aztecs I found the book very interesting. However, there were various parts in which is seemed to get long winded. It came together in the end, however, and I appreciated the story.

[Tere Viramontes-gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful! A moving story about an indiginous woman's experience of "conquered" Mexico...

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally read this book maybe 20 years ago. Rereading for my book club. I stand by my original five stars.