Publisher's Synopsis
El primer barco cargado de esclavos parte de África hacia América. Despojados de libertad, familia y su tierra natal, hombres, mujeres y niños sufren la terrible travesìa del océano desconocido. Sin embargo, no están solos en su desdicha. Madre Sirena, la diosa yoruba de los peces y las aguas salobres, toma la forma de una sirena de piel añil y surca las olas para acompañar al barco del dolor y la muerte. Madre Sirena no trata solo de la mera supervivencia de los africanos arrancados de su hogar, sino también de la transmisión oral de su cultura y su relación con las tradiciones religiosas. Como afirma la autora, al final las palabras son más poderosas que la vida y la muerte.
The first ship loaded with slaves leaves Africa for America. Stripped of freedom, family and their homeland, men, women and children suffer the terrible journey of the unknown ocean. However, they are not alone in their misery. Mother Mermaid, the Yoruba goddess of fish and brackish waters, takes the form of an indigo skinned mermaid and rides the waves to accompany the ship of pain and death. Madre Sirena is not only about the mere survival of Africans uprooted from their home, but also about the oral transmission of their culture and its relationship with religious traditions.
The first ship loaded with slaves leaves Africa for America. Stripped of freedom, family and their homeland, men, women and children suffer the terrible journey of the unknown ocean. However, they are not alone in their misery. Mother Mermaid, the Yoruba goddess of fish and brackish waters, takes the form of an indigo skinned mermaid and rides the waves to accompany the ship of pain and death. Madre Sirena is not only about the mere survival of Africans uprooted from their home, but also about the oral transmission of their culture and its relationship with religious traditions.
