Shadowshaper

In Chapter 32, Sierra learns that Lucera is the spirit of her dead grandmother, Mama Carmen. Mama Carmen explains to Sierra that Lucera is a role, not an individual, and that all the women in their family have the potential to take on this title: “The role of Lucera has been passed down the line” (219). Sierra’s unique gifts and her aptitude for shadowshaping suddenly come into focus as she realizes she was born to take on this role. Here, Sierra’s potential as “the one” comes to fruition. Though Sierra hopes that Mama Carmen will be able to join forces with her to stop Wick, Sierra is disheartened when she realizes that Mama Carmen will be leaving her now for good. Sierra protests, “I can’t do it alone, Abuela!” (223). Mama Carmen reminds Sierra that she has her friends along with the aid of the spirits who have come to protect her, so she will never be truly alone.

In earlier chapters, Sierra felt excluded from the shadowshaping world because it seemed to be comprised of mostly men, and because her grandfather’s machismo biases kept her from learning about the family heritage. However, Sierra now learns that the true power of the shadowshapers comes from a matriarchal line, passed from mother to daughter, grandmother to granddaughter. Mama Carmen, too, shows her resentment for Grandpa Lázaro’s “little boys’ club” (219), and she reminds Sierra that the Lucera power runs through her lineage, not Lázaro’s. As Mama Carmen leaves, Sierra hears someone singing a song:

It wasn’t Mama Carmen’s voice; it was someone else, even older than her. Sierra inhaled; the smell of fresh soil and recent rain surrounded her. And something else: garlic. Garlic simmering on a stovetop nearby (224).

This moment connects Sierra to the maternal spirits of her family, showing the power unique to women in the household: a nurturing mother singing songs to her children, the smell of delicious food cooking on the stovetop, filling the home with comfort and warmth. Sierra will need to rely on her own abilities as the new Lucera, but she also learns that she carries on the traditions and power of all the women who came before her—a significant development that bolsters the theme of accepting one’s ethnic identity.

In this section, Sierra is also buoyed by the support of friends and family members. At first, Sierra is afraid to tell her friends the truth about shadowshaping, fearing they’ll think she’s making things up: “Sierra wasn’t sure if she would even believe herself” (196). Indeed, two of Sierra’s friends—Izzy and Big Jerome—decide to leave after hearing Sierra’s story. However, Tee, Bennie, Juan, and eventually Robbie all prove their devotion to Sierra by following her to Coney Island. In addition to the emotional support she receives from her friends, Sierra is also saved on various occasions by the help of others, such as Nydia, who reassures Sierra she’s on call at the library if Sierra needs anything, and Robbie, who uses his shadowshaping to ward off corpuscules that are attacking Juan and Sierra. Though Grandpa Lázaro, Mama Carmen, María, and even Juan have all kept secrets from Sierra that make her feel like an outsider, she has found a system of support among her friends and community that give her a sense of belonging and strength. As Mama Carmen explains to Sierra, “The true source of shadowshaper magic is in that connection, community, Sierra. We are interdependent” (220).