ON THE WINGS OF LA NOCHE

A young woman with a mythic duty struggles to let go in the wake of her girlfriend’s death.

Estrella “Noche” Villanueva is a Lechuza: She’s a 17-year-old girl by day and a legendary black owl at night, responsible for escorting the souls of the dead to their next destination. Her girlfriend has been dead for two months, but Noche can’t bring herself to say goodbye, and instead cherishes the stolen hours she spends with Dante’s spirit on the icy banks of Lake Superior. As the rest of her Duluth, Minnesota, community mourns Dante’s loss, Noche’s extraordinary double life puts distance between her and her best friend, Julien. Meanwhile, a handsome new lab partner, Jax, brings confusion and warmth in equal measure as Noche finds herself drawn to a new flame despite her lingering grief. Torres tells the story with finesse, granting Noche both fragile youth and sturdy wisdom as she learns to navigate death. Noche’s Mexican heritage and her sometimes isolating experiences as the granddaughter of immigrants are depicted with love and nuance. The story never underestimates the tenuousness of life and love but rather celebrates and honors these aspects of Noche’s path to self-discovery. Julien is Sioux, Dante is Latine, and Jax is cued as Asian.

A lyrical, tender, and insightful exploration of death, love, and the Mexican American experience.