La Llorona: The Crying Woman

Rudolfo Anaya

Aug 2011 · UNM Press

About this ebook

La Llorona, the Crying Woman, is the legendary creature who haunts rivers, lakes, and lonely roads. Said to seek out children who disobey their parents, she has become a "boogeyman," terrorizing the imaginations of New Mexican children and inspiring them to behave. But there are other lessons her tragic history can demonstrate for children. In Rudolfo Anaya's version Maya, a young woman in ancient Mexico, loses her children to Father Time's cunning. This tragic and informative story serves as an accessible message of mortality for children. La Llorona, deftly translated by Enrique Lamadrid, is familiar and newly informative, while Amy Córdova's rich illustrations illuminate the story. The legend as retold by Anaya, a man as integral to southwest tradition as La Llorona herself, is storytelling anchored in a very human experience. His book helps parents explain to children the reality of death and the loss of loved ones.

Ratings and reviews

I'm so scared now I mean iv herd the story 290time but each one is different. I also heard that a 10 year old girl met La Llorona. 😯🤐

About the author

Rudolfo Anaya, widely acclaimed as one of the founders of modern Chicano literature, is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico. He is best known for the classic Bless Me Ultima.

Amy Cordova lives in Taos, New Mexico, and is a longtime artist and educator. She has illustrated many children's books and has won several awards for illustration, including the ALA Pura Belpró Award.