The Haunting of Alejandra

Castro (The Queen of the Cicadas) has updated the tale of La Llorona for the 21st century. Alejandra is a wife, mother, and daughter, but in many ways, she doesn’t really know her true self. Nearly consumed by depression and loneliness, all she can think about is a weeping woman in white. With the help of her therapist, she begins to unravel the generational trauma that haunts the women of her family. She discovers that the woman in white is La Llorona, a spirit full of pain and sorrow who has fed off the heartbreak of women in Alejandra’s family for generations. She will not stop stalking Alejandra until she gets what she wants. Raquel Beattie narrates this unsettling generational tale, conveying Alejandra’s ancestors’ struggles to deal with the trauma inflicted by decisions made long ago. Beattie brings a note of rawness and intensity to her narration, effectively giving voice to Alejandra’s conflicted thoughts about motherhood, racism, sexism, and sexuality.