V. Castro is one of the most fearless writers working in horror today. Each of her stories is full of grit and determination, coupled with a drive to share her mind with the world. Castro writes from a Mestiza perspective, incorporating culture, history, legend and personal experience to craft her works. The Haunting of Alejandra is her latest book and easily one of the finest.

Many know the tale of La Llorona, the weeping woman. The legends say she drowned her children in grief when her beloved was unfaithful to her, before ending her own life in despair. Her wayward specter stalks unwary children to replace those she lost. Castro reinterprets the myth through a tale of postpartum depression, grief, and tangled family history.

Alejandra is a woman with a seemingly idyllic life: a handsome and successful husband and multiple children, everything that society says she should want. But Alejandra is plagued by multiple specters and begins to harbor dark thoughts that push her to the unthinkable.

Adopted at a young age, Alejandra is noticeably distant from her culture and through the novel begins to reconnect with it, along with her family heritage. She is the moral core of the story and a terrific main character. Castro is not afraid to allow Alejandra to be flawed, highlighting her resentment and frustration, but making it clear how much she cares for her children. Alejandra is not a weak person and the greatest joy of the novel is not merely her growing stronger, but learning how strong she really is.

The apparition of La Llorona is a sinister entity, but Castro refuses to adhere to common stereotypes. No mere scorned woman, this is a demon that has stalked Alejandra’s family line for generations, beginning long ago during the brutal ravages of the Conquistadors. The theme of stolen heritage rings through generations from the moment a woman named Atli gave herself to the Spanish to save her family and made a dark bargain to save her own daughter, as well as take her revenge. Alejandra discovers the mother she never knew while pushing to save herself, her family, and ultimately her own identity.

The Haunting of Alejandra is a personal book, of scars passed through generations and how trauma lingers – but also how trauma can be fought and ultimately contained.

And how even a flood of tears doesn’t make you weak.