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DIADEMA Mary Black receives a deathbed request from her best friend Diadema, to find a son that she gave up for adoption and let him know his mother always loved him. Diadema is a fictionalized account of actual events, which came together in Paseo, a Texas border town. San Benito, across the U.S.-Mexico border, shares with Paseo centuries of history. Close by there is a set of small, strange, volcanic rock mountains, an ancient archeological site that also reminds Paseños of a deeper, mystical past. Mary leaves the Midwest and finds her way to Paseo where she meets Carlos Alvarado who embodies the many historical contrasts of the city. Carlos is obsessed about his Mexican Native heritage and frustrated with what he considers the colonized reality of the present. Haunted by his past involvement with the American Indian Movement he unwittingly leads Mary into a labyrinth of mystery and intrigue. Their search for Diadema intertwines with the theft of ancient skeletal remains from the local university museum, an L. A. medical examiner, and a Harvard anthropologist doing research at the site. The mystery of Diadema's name and efforts to find her son blend into the mythology of the Virgin of Guadalupe to give an insightful look at the underground Indian traditions that still permeate Mexican American culture. "The spiritual path is the search for authenticity. From Mexican American to Chicano and finally Native American, the author of DIADEMA presents the steps one takes in traveling on this path that all of us must travel in our search for true meaning of who we are. Carlos Aceves paints a fascinating picture of a Southwest city (which we all know), a spiritual search for identity, the indigenous cultures of the area and a cast of characters who represent the people inhabiting this area." -- Pete T. Duarte, Former Professor at UTEP "A great story that brings to life the vibrant culture of a West Texas town." -- Mary Luckie, Educator "Es una encantadora historia que dice realidades profundas del ser humano en forma tierna y mágica." -- Angelia Flores, Teacher "DIADEMA truly reminded me of my childhood. In its pages I could almost hear my mother's voice once again speaking to me. It took me back to a very happy time of my life." -- María E. Saenz, Educator Floricanto Press
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