The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez

“Three months ago, Mom and I stood on a hot tarmac and stared at Dad’s back as he boarded a big-bellied airplane to Afghanistan. It was our fourth time watching him fly away, his shoulders hunched a little more with each deployment. I gripped Mom’s hand, my palm sweaty, and pretended it was the strong sun making my eyes water. Now Dad is across an ocean, playing catch with someone who is not me. Dad says all this moving, all this being separated, is part of the job […] every time the Army says ‘move,’ you move. And it sucks.”

This quote highlights the difficult realities of military family life. Nestor’s separation from his father during deployment and the experience of constantly uprooting to move at the Army’s demand are two things that weigh on Nestor throughout the novel. The first-person narration lets the reader see the resilient way Nestor handles these situations, as well as the inner emotional conflict these experiences create. The image of Raúl’s hunched shoulders suggests it’s as difficult for him to leave his family as it is for them to miss him.

“‘Chao, Pescao,’ Abuela calls after me as I leave her house. I wave and shout back, ‘Y a la vuelta, picadillo!’”

This popular Cuban saying when saying goodbye translates to “Bye, fish. And tomorrow, ground beef” and references ration cards once used in Cuba that would allow shoppers to purchase essential foods only on specific days. Abuela and Nestor have a tradition of saying goodbye with this saying, highlighting Nestor’s Cuban American heritage and how it shapes his identity.

“I didn’t want to leave Abuela’s house this morning. It wasn’t the usual ‘I don’t want to go to school’ tantrum. I wanted to stare and take in every wall, every corner of the house. There are lines on the doorframe in the dining room marking Dad’s height as he grew up. Abuela has a framed picture of her and Abuelo standing in the living room in their wedding clothes. Her house has a history. It’s a home.”

Here, Cuevas shows readers Abuela’s house through Nestor’s eyes, using imagery to capture the way decades of memories, including those from Nestor’s father’s childhood, are etched into Abuela’s home. With all the military moves, Nestor has never experienced what it’s like to live in a house long enough to leave a mark. This change in environment for Nestor emphasizes Nestor’s fragmented sense of belonging.

“The woods behind Abuela’s house are filled with twisty live oak trees and sharp cacti. I look down to make sure I don’t impale my shin with spines, but I almost give myself a concussion from the winding tree branches. Good thing Abuela added plenty of sugar to my café con leche this morning.”

Imagery and vivid descriptions of native Texas plants bring the Texas setting to life while establishing atmosphere. The woods will come to be the main site of conflict in the novel while symbolizing the challenges Nestor faces in his search to find his place in the world, foreshadowed here by Nestor’s struggles to navigate through the vegetation. This quote also highlights the Cuban foods and drinks that are a part of Nestor’s day-to-day life, celebrating Nestor’s Cuban American cultural identity.

“We woke up this morning, and the goats were all gone […] All we found were tracks leading off into the trees. I know it’s still out there, just waiting to take something else. I’m never walking through the woods again.”

While Nestor thinks he knows what to expect from his 10th first day of school, New Haven Middle School turns out to be much stranger than he could have ever predicted. On his first day, Nestor learns from his classmates that something sinister is lurking in the woods and kidnapping animals. Here, Maria Carmen sets a mysterious tone and builds anticipation for the adventure Nestor is about to face through the novel.

“ABP. ABH. Always Be Positive Always Be Happy. Mom drilled these two mantras into me about three deployments ago. It doesn’t matter that I drew a complete blank today when my math teacher asked where I was from. It’s not important that Mom lost half the kitchen dishes when a box fell off the moving truck on the highway. While Dad is halfway across the world, as far as he’s concerned, everything is fine.”

Growing up in a military family means Nestor has extra responsibilities and sacrifices he must make, such as focusing on positive news when talking to his dad so his dad can focus on his job. The mantras of “ABP. ABH” reflect this while highlighting the challenges Nestor faces through his military upbringing. This positivity, while helpful for supporting his father, also leads to frustration and a sense of disconnection for Nestor as he holds back from truly opening up to his father about his day-to-day experiences.

“Dad won’t know if I rearrange the line of Brandon’s nose, but I can still feel his hand on my shoulders, his calm, patient voice in my ear. The emptiness of his absence matching the fullness of the memories.”

One of the first conflicts Nestor faces in the novel is against Brandon, the school bully. This quote emphasizes the strong relationship between Nestor and his father and the lessons in honorable behavior Nestor has learned from him. As the novel progresses, Nestor must learn to navigate more and more challenges without his dad’s direct guidance, helping Nestor on his coming-of-age journey. Nestor’s restraint in this moment is key, as he and Brandon later spark a friendship and find common ground.

“‘You wouldn’t understand. You don’t know what it’s like to have to start over. To have to be alone.’ Abuela raises her eyebrows at me and […] takes a deep breath. ‘En serio, niño? I know nothing? I don’t understand?’ Her voice quivers, and her volume rises. I sit up straighter in my chair. ‘My parents put me on a plane by myself when I was fourteen years old. Just two years older than you. I knew no one. I didn’t speak English. I was leaving the only home, the only family, I had ever known. Don’t you sit there and tell me I don’t understand what it’s like to start over.’”

Cuevas juxtaposes Abuela’s experience immigrating to the US with Nestor’s experience moving as a military child to emphasize the challenges and experiences of displacement children face every day. This quote also shows Nestor’s personal growth as he transitions from a focus on his own hardships and feelings that no one understands what he’s going through to a wider perspective that encompasses the challenges and hardships others face. His ability to find common ground with others is a key part of his coming-of-age arc.

“I don’t care what’s in the woods, whether a wolverine is going to rip my throat out or a snake is going to squeeze me until my eyeballs pop. It’s nothing compared with what Dad is facing thousands of miles away.”

This quote captures the sense of intensifying danger as Nestor learns more about the shape-shifting tule vieja in the woods. Here, Cuevas juxtaposes Nestor’s conflict with the tule vieja with the conflict his father faces in Afghanistan to capture the bravery Nestor musters in facing the tule vieja. The magical battle Nestor faces in the novel helps Nestor better grasp the realities his father faces during his deployment.

“‘White lightning!’ squawks Cuervito above me. ‘That’s nasty!’ Brandon cries as a squirrel jumps down from the tree onto his head. It pulls his hair and scratches his ear as he waves his arms around wildly. Brandon grabs the squirrel and throws it on the ground. It scampers up the tree and says to me, ‘We got you, buddy. Don’t worry.’”

Cuevas uses strong voices and characterization for the animals when they speak, bringing the animal world and Nestor’s secret ability to communicate with them to life. Nestor’s special bond with animals fills the void left by the frequent moves that disrupt friendships and the separation from his dad. This quote shows the way animals support Nestor and help him stand up against challenges he faces.

“‘Yeah, there’s one kid who’s pretty cool. He’s sure his dog got eaten by a wolverine. My other friend had her goats taken by a huge snake. And there’s a bully who’s working with a witch.’ Dad pinches his eyebrows together. ‘What’d you say, buddy? I think the connection glitched.’ I pick at the hem of my shirt. ‘Nothing.’”

Nestor struggles to find connection, especially with his father. Here, the video call highlights the gap between what Nestor wants to share with his father and the realities of the distance between them. Whether Nestor’s father actually mishears Nestor due to a faulty connection or simply can’t believe the uncharacteristically negative and far-fetched events Nestor shares is ambiguous.

“I swallow hard. ‘So…so you’re the witch?’ I stammer. The snake pauses. Her tongue flicks the windowpane. ‘A witch? Oh, I’m something so much better.’ She extends her body out the window and reaches the branch of the sycamore tree. Curling her body around the branch, she begins to slither down the tree.”

This moment where the witch visits Nestor is a turning point in the novel. The visit confirms Nestor’s suspicion about the witch’s existence and ability to shape-shift into a snake. Cuevas uses cryptic language to create a cliffhanger, as the snake suggests she’s something more than a witch without revealing that she’s a tule vieja.

“‘People forget the middle,’ I say quietly, knowing my mom is barely listening. ‘There’s always parades when he leaves and parties when he comes back. But nobody talks about the middle.’”

This quote highlights the theme of Navigating the Challenges of Military Life. Throughout the novel, Cuevas sheds light on the heavier realities military families face, such as the long periods of intensified worry when loved ones are deployed. As Nestor points out, these challenges tend to be overlooked compared to deployments and reunions but are a real and difficult part of military family life.

“Dear Dad,

We won our first trivia club match! Maria Carmen, Talib, and I are studying super-hard animal facts so we can really crush it next time. I’m definitely going to stump you now.

For example…

This amphibian gives birth to fully formed offspring… through its mouth!”

Nestor exchanges letters and emails with his father throughout the novel, helping the two stay connected. One of their favorite activities in these letters is to exchange animal trivia, as highlighted here.

“‘I’m blessed?’ I ask Abuela. Being able to talk to and hear animals never really felt like a blessing […] ‘Si, mi niño. When your papi couldn’t hear them, I thought maybe it was just me. But you, I knew you were just like me.’”

At the start of the novel, Nestor hides his ability to communicate with animals and views it as a negative trait that makes him different from everyone else, emphasizing Nestor’s struggle for a sense of belonging. However, this turning point reveals he shares the ability with Abuela. This realization helps Nestor learn to embrace his gift while connecting him to his family legacy, ultimately allowing Nestor to establish his identity and find belonging in New Haven.

“She’s like a tule vieja, I think […] A witch. When I was little, my papi would tell me ghost stories, monster stories, any kind of scary story. Mami hated it because they gave me nightmares. But I loved it. I remember Papi telling me the story of the tule vieja from Panama. She was a woman who had the legs of a hawk, the wings of a bat, and the face of an old witch. I was convinced the rooster that lived in our backyard was a tule vieja after it tried to bite my thumb off.”

The main antagonist in the novel is a magical, malevolent creature called a tule vieja. Tule viejas come from Latin American folklore, and her appearance in New Haven brings to life the stories Abuela heard growing up. This emphasizes the theme of Celebrating Family Legacy and Cultural Heritage, as the stories passed down through multiple generations of Nestor’s family hold the information Nestor needs to solve this mystery and save the town.

“I peek over the back of the couch at Abuela. My abuela, who was strong enough to start over in a new country all by herself, whose laughter fills up every corner of the kitchen as she makes the best Cuban food I’ve ever tasted. My abuela, who dances to Celia Cruz, while she tells me about the latest episode of her favorite telenovela. My abuela, who can talk to animals, sinks her head farther into the pillow and sleeps.”

Cuevas emphasizes the bond between Nestor and his Abuela and the pride he feels for her celebration of Cuban heritage. The quote’s focus on both Abuela’s Cuban heritage and her ability to communicate with animals, like Nestor, highlights the connection between these two factors. His connection to his grandmother helps him feel like he finally has a home.

“Dear dad,

Things are still good here in New Haven. Mom seems to like her job at the hospital in Springdale.

But sometimes I hear her cry at night when she thinks I’ve already fallen asleep. She misses you a lot […]

It’s been nice living with Abuela. She lets me have pastelitos for breakfast and dinner. And as an after-school snack. Don’t tell Mom. Although she’ll probably find out eventually when she has to buy me larger pants […]

Love you. Stay safe.

I miss you, Dad. I don’t want you far away anymore. I want you here. It’s not fair that I have to figure everything out on my own.

I need my dad. I need you.

This quote shows one of the letters that Nestor composes to his father in his sketchbooks but knows he’ll never send. It holds all the words Nestor wants to share but that don’t follow the mantras of “Always Be Positive. Always Be Happy.” This emphasizes the longing Nestor feels for his father’s guidance and his sense of injustice about having to navigate life by himself.

“‘Nestor, I’ve got this,’ he says gently. He takes the bag from me, removes all the excess junk, and starts packing. He even remembers to include underwear.”

Nestor is distraught when he finds his Abuela has been kidnapped by the tule vieja, as it brings to life his fear of losing his loved ones, made all the more potent by his father’s deployment. Here, Talib shows empathy and support by helping Nestor pack to spend the night at Maria Carmen’s, highlighting the strong friendships Nestor has cultivated in New Haven. The comment about packing underwear references how Nestor forgot to pack his underwear when moving to New Haven. Talib’s ability to anticipate what Nestor needs emphasizes a sense of community and belonging that Nestor has longed for and finally found.

“I’ve done the stupidest thing I’ve ever done in all our moves. I’ve let New Haven become home.”

This quote highlights Nestor’s internal conflict and his journey of personal growth and belonging. Nestor copes with the pain of losing friends and sense of community every time he moves by never getting too attached. He therefore sees it as stupid when he finds himself starting to view New Haven as home. However, New Haven becoming home for Nestor also shows Nestor’s personal growth, as he learns to reckon with his fears of disappointment and open himself up to the connections and community he so longs for.

“‘Your family is gone,’ she hisses. ‘And here you are, my dear, with no home. You knew this would happen, didn’t you?’”

When the tule vieja kidnaps Nestor’s Abuela, and then his friends, it speaks to his fears of losing loved ones and his fragile sense of home and belonging. Here, the tule vieja taunts Nestor with these fears. In facing the tule vieja, Nestor thus comes face-to-face with his deepest vulnerabilities—and must overcome them to save the day.

“Somewhere in the bright sky, the moon is starting its march towards the sun […] As we reach the edge of the woods, I look down at the dry creek between them and the quarry. The reality of what I’m about to face catches up with me. All I’ve got are the shoes on my feet and a sixth grader with questionable hunting skills next to me […] ‘Nestor, wait,’ Brandon says next to me. His hand on my shoulder makes me jump. ‘What?’ ‘I think the cavalry has arrived.’”

In this quote, imagery describing the impending solar eclipse quickens the pace of the novel, building anticipation as Nestor races against the clock to save his loved ones and stop the tule vieja. Cuevas adds further drama by highlighting their unlikely odds of success. Just as Nestor wavers in his belief in his ability to face the tule vieja, however, a community of animals comes along to help, giving Nestor the support he needs to face the challenge. This scene also highlights Brandon’s growth, as he is now a comrade to Nestor and the animals, rather than an antagonist.

“‘She’s been doing this my whole life. Do you know what it’s like being dragged everywhere across the globe while your mother chases eclipses? She’s growing more and more powerful. She’ll never stop.’ Her head snaps up at us, her eyes black and darting in every direction. ‘But I can stop you.’”

Miss Humala tries to stop Nestor and his friends from interfering with the tule vieja—who is Miss Humala’s mother. Miss Humala’s relationship with her mother parallels Nestor’s relationship with his father, emphasized by the way Miss Humala has been moved across the world to chase eclipses in pursuit of her mother’s malevolent plans. Nestor’s battle with Miss Humala and the tule vieja serves as a metaphor for Nestor’s journey in overcoming his internal conflict and the challenges he faces as a military kid.