Title: Plague of Flies: Revolt of the Spirits, 1846
Author: Laurel Anne Hill
Publisher: Sand Hill Review Press
ISBN: 978-1949534207
Pages: 252
Genre: Teen & Young Adult / Magical Realism
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Synopsis
In 1846 Alta California, Catalina Delgado daydreams about her future: roping cattle, marrying Angelo Ortega and raising children. But now, invaders from the United States—the Bear Flaggers—have declared war against Mexico, her country. Bear Flaggers have imprisoned one close friend of her family and murdered others. What fate might befall her parents, grandfather and younger brothers? And what about her best friend, a Costanoan servant girl? How can Catalina, only sixteen, help protect all those she loves?
About the Author
Laurel Anne Hill—author and former underground storage tank operator—grew up in San Francisco with more dreams of adventure than good sense or money. Her close brushes with death, love of family, respect for honor and belief in a higher power continue to influence her writing and her life. Laurel classifies her 2021 award-winning third novel, PLAGUE OF FLIES: REVOLT OF THE SPIRITS, 1846, as historical fantasy/magical realism. It relates the gripping tale of a young Latina in Mexican Alta California during the early days of the Bear Flag Rebellion. Her second novel, THE ENGINE WOMAN’S LIGHT (a spirits-meet-steampunk adventure set in an alternate 19th Century California), has won a total of 13 honors and awards, including a Kirkus Star—plus a Kirkus listing as one of the top 100 Indie books of 2017 and one of the top six Indie teen books. Laurel is the author of over thirty published short stories and many short nonfiction pieces. She’s edited three Fault Zone anthologies for California Writers Club, SF Peninsula Branch. FAULT ZONE: REVERSE is an Independent Press Award Gold Winner. Laurel swears that the spirits of her beloved husband and her Mexican ancestors inspire her. More at https://laurelannehill.com.