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Call Me Cassandra
Call Me Cassandra: A Novel | Marcial Gala
3 posts | 2 read | 3 to read
From Marcial Gala, the author of the award-winning The Black Cathedral, Call Me Cassandra is a darkly magical tale of a haunted young dreamer, born in the wrong body and time, who believes himself to be a doomed prophetess from ancient Greek mythology Ten-year-old Rauli lives in a world that is often hostile. His older brother is violent; his philandering father doesnt understand him; his intelligence and sensitivity do not endear him to the other children at school. He loves to read, especially Greek myths, but in Cuba in the 1970s, novels and gods can be dangerous. Despite the signs that warn Rauli to repress and fear what he is, he knows three things to be true: First, that he was born in the wrong body. Second, that he will die, aged eighteen, as a soldier in the Cuban intervention in Angola. And third, that he is the reincarnation of the Trojan princess Cassandra. Moving between Raulis childhood and adolescence, between the Angolan battlefield, the Cuban city of Cienfuegos, and the shores of ancient Troy, Marcial Galas Call Me Cassandra tells of the search for identity amid the collapse of Cubas utopian dreams. Burdened with knowledge of tragedies yet to come, Rauli nonetheless strives to know himself. Lyrical and gritty, heartbreaking and luminous, Raulis is the story of the inexorable pull of destiny.
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review
GerardtheBookworm
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Set during the political influence of Castro in Cuba during the 70's, young Rauli struggles with their identity and the influence of Greek mythology of the character of Cassandra by secretly adopting her name. However, with their homelife in turmoil and society's pressure to serve the military, Rauli must navigate a balance of their true gender while maintaining appearances in this cultural trans fictional novel.

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sarahbarnes
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“…I await the reply. Lying in my hammock, with my cheek propped up on the pillow and my hands between my thighs as if to warm them up.”
Raul awaits his fate as an answer to his having been born in the wrong body. The story moves beautifully back and forth in time and place, within the span of a paragraph at times. Heartbreaking as only a tragedy can be, and also because Raul is truly a modern day Cassandra.

batsy Sounds really good. If somewhat sad. Nice review! 2y
sarahbarnes @batsy thank you! Yes, it is sad, but very good. 2y
27 likes2 comments
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merelybookish
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RidgewayGirl I also suggested Either/Or. 3y
sarahbarnes Yes! I am on the list for Either/Or at the library and am excited for pure color, too! 3y
merelybookish @RidgewayGirl I would think it and Candy House both have a good chance for making it. 3y
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merelybookish @sarahbarnes I pre-ordered a copy back in the fall. 🙈 3y
thebluestocking Ooh. I want to read Either/Or! This looks like a great list! 3y
sarahbarnes Good for you! And this is such a good list - I‘m adding some of these to my TBR! 3y
vivastory Great list! 3y
batsy Great list! I'm so keen to read Disorientation and Pure Colour. I also want to read Either/Or but after getting to The Idiot... 3y
Cinfhen I‘m loving all these potential reads and I‘m certainly adding to my TBR 🤓 3y
Ruthiella Great list. 👍 OMG, how could I overlook the Batuman book! I LOVED 3y
Hooked_on_books I loved Disorientation and am excited for Either/Or! 3y
BarbaraBB Such a great list. I want to read all of them now! 3y
merelybookish @thebluestocking @vivastory @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB Thanks! Nothing's more fun than making a book list! 😀 3y
merelybookish @batsy Yes to reading the Idiot! but I wonder if Either/Or will stand on its own. Either way, love Batuman! 3y
merelybookish @Ruthiella I adored The Idiot as well. Tempted to re-read it! 3y
merelybookish @Hooked_on_books I saw your review of Disorientation! I had it on my list but your review convinced me. 3y
Megabooks Disorientation would be a great choice. I‘m excited about Either/Or as well. 3y
64 likes17 comments