Summary
Bless Me, Ultima, begins with Ultima, a curandera, or folk healer, coming to stay with the Márez family in New Mexico. Ultima spend days together with 6-yr old Antonio teaching him about plants and trees, and helping her gather herbs on the llano. Antonio then witnesses the killing of Lupito, a war veteran, and fears his father's punishment by God for committing mortal sin. An evil curse falls upon uncle Lucas by the Trementina sisters, and Ultima comes to miraculously cure him. Tenorio then accuses Ultima of witchcraft, and plots to kill her throughout the novel. As the novel progresses, Antonio's concerns and moral questioning intensify, as he tries to understand all that is happening around him. Ultima teaches Antonio stories of her ancestors, with which Antonio learns the history of his people, and understands the "old ways," developing a greater relationship with nature. By Samuel and Cico showing him the golden carp, Antonio realizes the possibility of other gods in the world. Later in the story, Ultima relieves the Telléz family of another curse, which Antonio watches and learns how to overcome his fears, especially that of change. In the very end, Tenorio shoots and kills Ultima's owl, with which Ultima slowly dies from, and from this, Antonio becomes aware of the harsh world he's living in, and realizes he must accept life and the many challenges and hardships that follow.