The life of Paloma Zubiondo, wealthy widow and art collector, is well-ordered and full of discipline. Her beach-front home in Laguna Beach, California serves as a fortress. Everything is in its right place. Paloma has spent years building her collection of rare books and fine art from the Spanish Colonial period. Nothing can disturb her world, or so she thought…
…When the telephone rings one day, the end result of the call is total confusion for Paloma. Is her beloved nanny from childhood really being held captive as a sex-slave? Are the preposterous claims of the mysterious caller actually true? Is one of her pieces of art, the Immaculate Conception by 17th century Quito artist Isabel Santiago really stolen? And is the caller the true heir to the painting? Her pursuit of clarification on these matters leads only to greater confusion and sets her on an adventurous course that takes her far from the ordered world she knows and into the seedy underground of thieves, miscreants, and sex-slave traffickers. With the help of her childhood friend Jen, Paloma begins to unearth a harsh reality buried deep within the past but strongly tied to the problems of the present. Who said fine art was boring? Follow Paloma through the trial of Gathering the Indigo Maidens, the new novel from Cecilia Velastegui. This author skillfully blends historically accurate tidbits (many of the historical characters described in the novel were real) with a great understanding of world cultures and symbolism inherent within artistic work. Velastegui’s life-experience proves an excellent foundation upon which to build an intelligent and suspenseful story: she has traveled extensively in 50 countries and knows four different languages. She also has served on the board of directors for several cultural and educational institutions. This contribution to the world of books should not be missed. Gathering the Indigo Maidens is perfect for anyone who enjoys exciting and intelligent suspense charged with mystery and informed by a high degree of historical accuracy. If you want to learn more about this novel or its author, look to the following website: http://www.gatheringtheindigomaidens.com.
