A Santo in the Image of Cristóbal García
A Novel
by Rick Collignon

List Price: $24.95
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 039914921X
Publisher: Blue Hen

In 1996, on the publication of The Journal of Antonio Montoya, Tony Hillerman called Rick Collignon a "talented new writer with original ideas." Rudolfo Anaya praised his "haunting storytelling" and his "gifted style." And The New York Times Book Review described his second book, Perdido (1997), as "a novel that captivates and surprises all the way to its chilling end."

Now, translated into ten languages, these "Guadalupe novels" continue to be read around the world.

With A Santo in the Image of Cristóbal García, the eagerly awaited final installment in his trilogy, Collignon brings us the entire saga of the magical village of Guadalupe, New Mexico—from the long-ago winter when it was established by a solitary madman making tiny houses in the snow, to the moment when it is inexplicably set afire.

Flavio Montoya returns as the aged scion of his family, still tending his dead sister's fields and wondering how all of his family could have died before him. When the villagers accuse him of starting the fire, it becomes one more mystery that the simple Flavio must fold into his life, though he cannot quite understand it.

A Santo in the Image of Cristóbal García is a beautiful, funny, and even epic story of how all history is finally personal.

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1. In the novel, A Santo in the Image of Cristóbal García, the story unfolds through the eyes of two old men, Flavio Montoya and Felix García. Of all the characters in the novel, why were they chosen by the author?

2. The village of Guadalupe is seen again and again over a span of two hundred years. Does it change throughout that time and, if not, what qualities remain the same?

3. The founder of Guadalupe, Cristóbal García, not only lost his mind, but in his insanity saw two of everyone so that "whenever someone died, another of them always remained." What impact did this have on the village and how did it affect the sense of reality in the novel?

4. What are the contradictions between the utter sense of loneliness in each character and the concept of family?

5. The women in the novel are always seen somewhere within their homes, usually cooking in the kitchen. Yet how it is that Rosa Montoya and Percides García and Guadalupe García direct the action the men take?

6. Would you consider placing a Santo in your kitchen? And, if so, what would you talk about?

7. There are stories told in the book that often are left unfinished or simply disappear from the narrative. How important is it in a novel for all 'loose ends' to be resolved?

8. Guadalupe García tells Flavio that one day he will be a hero. Was Flavio Montoya the 'hero' of the story?

9. As an outsider, what do we see through Nick Oliver's eyes?

10. How important is a sense of history in where you live or in your own life?

11. If you found yourself in Tito's Bar would your inclination be to get out immediately or would you stay and have a drink with Ambrosio?

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"Collignon deftly blends history and magic realism to create a moving account of the last day of family patriarch Flavio Montoya...a fitting and evocative end to his trilogy."

—Booklist

"Distinctive and appealing."

—Atlantic Monthly

"Collignon delivers his own engaging brand of magical realism with a spare style, deadpan humor and bracingly fresh descriptions."

—Publishers Weekly

"Those who love to find talented new writers with original ideas shouldn't miss The Journal of Antonio Montoya. A lovely book."

—Tony Hillerman

"Driven by Collignon's decisive prose, his strong characters and his deep knowledge of New Mexico folklore, Perdido is a one-sitting read, a novel that captivates and surprises all the way to its chilling end."

—The New York Times Book Review

"Collignon writes with a plain yet evocative (and often moving) style that's sure to appeal to fans of Tony Hillerman and Sherman Alexie."

—Publishers Weekly

"Mr. Collignon has taken readers back to the village he wrote of in his first novel, The Journal of Antonio Montoya. It is a happy return."

—The Dallas Morning News

"Strongly reminiscent of the magic realism of García Marquez...Enchanting."

—Library Journal

"Subtle magic of the deceptively simple, deadpan and at times lyrically beautiful prose...as a meditation on memory and creativity it has a distinctive charm."

—London Observer

"The build-up of atmosphere is intense. Somehow, gentle wisdom is dispensed."

—The Glascow Herald