Luis Jaramillo On Allowing Characters To Make Not Great Choices

Luis Jaramillo’s The Witches of El Paso showcases the incredible bond between an elderly woman and her beloved grandniece, two women linked not only by their intense devotion to each other but also by their formidable magical prowess. Teenager Nena spends her days in 1943 El Paso, Texas, caring for the children in her family while her older sisters work in the local factories. Yet childcare is the least of her worries. Nena is plagued by dark premonitions and fearful that her close-knit community might label her a witch if they ever glimpsed the extent of her powers. When a foreboding nun, Sister Benedicta, appears one night, Nena thinks she might finally have an answer to her problems. Following Sister Benedicta, Nena finds herself transported to 1790s colonial Mexico, where she cultivates her magic and discovers an unexpected romance. In the present day, readers meet Marta, a lawyer juggling a challenging case along with running her family and caring for her great-aunt, the now ninety-three-year-old Nena. Marta’s problems only increase when Nena asks for help locating a daughter she left long ago, a search that ultimately leads both women to some unexpected revelations. Jaramillo spoke with us about how his family inspired parts of the novel, allowing characters to make bad choices, and writing endings that seem like beginnings.