Jennifer Skutelsky

Deep in the Andean Mountains a small town guards its secrets from outsiders - the unexplained death of a woman named Nita and an unexplained spiritual mysticism that floats around the town as the dead wait for resolution of their nightmares. The tale centers on an annual and brutal ritual that entails capturing a wild Condor tying it to a bull and then letting the two run through the village streets. It is a cruel use of such majestic animals, but the ritual is so ingrained into their society, the cruelty is overlooked while the tourism encouraged.

Gregory’s devastation over the loss of his love, Nita reveals a soft hearted character. He is a doctor for everyone including the animals in the village. Every year he offers to buy the old horse that will be sacrificed to capture a Condor for the festival. Gregory cares greatly for the people around him. He watches over a local teenager who had a very close relationship with Nita. The boy is a bit of a misfit and trouble seems to follow him everywhere. He is innocent and not the best educated. Unfortunately, while traversing the hills he has stumbled onto another murder. Alberto finds the body of a woman who is strikingly similar in appearance to Nita. She is covered in Black Condor feathers, a fallen angel amidst the jungle floor. Gregory struggles to understand the significance of the costumed corpse as his grief is resurrected from the unusual likeness to Nita. The mysterious death of this woman causes controversy as the town struggles to explain the events. Superstition replaces logic as fear about the unsolved murders resonate.

Time moves forward and we catch up to the story as the next festival begins. American characters are introduced into the story characterized as two pilgrims searching for adventure. Sophie, a mother who worries too much. She is a reluctant sidekick to her brash young son as they seek out a trip to remember. They are both beautiful people in their own right. Finn catches the fancy of many a lady and Sophie has a striking resemblance to Nita. They arrive at the time the town festival is about to take place and the townsfolk as well as the supernatural are shaken by their arrival. The two Americans have a similar heart to Gregory and a deep appreciation for the environment around them. They find the pagan ritual less than appealing. This causes a clash not only of culture but of philosophy. Murder increases in the wake of their distress and the supernatural finds opportunity to reach out for help in stopping further bloodshed.

Jennifer Skutelsky is an author who should be watched closely. Her prose are masterful and beautiful. Readers will find layers upon layers of symbolism embedded into the narrative that will drive their subconscious into depths of undiscovered emotion. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself reading and rereading paragraphs to absorb the beauty of the author’s written word. The visuals are far from overblown and effortlessly caress you as you venture through Skutelsky’s storyline. Amazing.… (mere)

Grave of Hummingbirds is a book about secrets and rituals in the high Andean village of Colibri. Though beautifully written, the characters remain too distant to resonate with the reader. As if surrounded by mountain fog, they never reveal who they really are. And when the reader can see through the haze, the images are not as they appear.

The promised hummingbirds aren’t truly present, unless you count the spirits of the dead. Condors, on the other hand, are omnipresent. They soar, watching the land beneath. The boy shoots one; the doctor tends the bird’s wounds. But who will tend his? Nita is dead; her angel is Gabriela. American innocents stumble into Skutelsky’s mystic soup; Sophie, a forensic anthropologist, and her son Finn whose sensory ability takes him into the heads of pumas and condors. To what purpose? Only tragedy. Such is the tenor of the story.

I rate the book 4 stars largely on the basis of its compelling prose.… (mere)