When a nanny from war-torn El
Salvador moves in with a wealthy American family, the result is an
inspiring story about the power of love to cross cultural boundaries.
Cecilia
Samartin's most impressive work yet, Vigil is told from the perspective
of Ana, a middle aged woman who is waiting at the deathbed of her
husband as he loses his battle against cancer. While she waits, she
thinks back on her life and the incredible journey that brought her from
war-torn El Salvador, to a convent in the U.S., and finally to a
wealthy California estate where she was employed as the nanny for a
dysfunctional family caught up in the throes of decadent life. Despite
her traumatic past, she is able to bring a wealth of love and harmony to
her affluent yet spiritually bereft employers--gifts that no money
could ever buy.
In the course of Samartin's work as a
psychotherapist, she has been awed by those rare individuals who not
only survive after having endured unimaginable trauma, but flourish, and
are able to promote the same in those around them. Vigil is the story
of one such woman and the family that she sets her heart on saving. A
heart-wrenching story of love and loss, Vigil is Cecilia Samartin's most
powerful novel to date. As Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander said,
"Samartin writes with shimmering grace about homeland, exile, passion,
and loyalty." Readers will be spellbound by Vigil's magical language and
provocative themes.
