Tarnished Beauty: A Novel

Now available in paperback from the critically acclaimed author whose writing is “soulful and unsentimental” (Kirkus Reviews)— a profound story that reflects on the true meaning of beauty.

From the moment she was born, Jamilet’s gruesome birthmark frightened the superstitious villagers in her rural Mexican town, making them believe she was marked by the devil: “It was said by some to resemble a freshly gutted cow, by others to writhe like many snakes in a pit of blood. The few who had actual...