Heart of the Owl

The eagerly awaited second novel by award-winning author Catherine M. O’Connor, Heart of the Owl, is set during Prohibition and the Great Depression in El Paso, and weaves together the narratives of Antonia O’Rourke and her son Francisco. Fleeing an abusive relationship, Antonia seeks dignity, stability, and a lost love, Francisco’s real father. Francisco, knowing nothing of his real father, struggles to come of age without an understanding of who he is, much less any possibilities for his future. On the run and strapped for cash, Antonia and Francisco hole up in seedy Hotel Luna. Desperate to support her son and herself, Antonia joins a cross-border tequila smuggling operation, at great personal cost. Unaware of his mother’s plight, Francisco thrives in their new environment, tapping into a mystical relationship with a great horned owl and forging unexpected friendships with two hotel employees: scheming, superstitious Loretta and Sam, a hardworking Chinese janitor. When Loretta’s affection for Francisco deepens as their friendship grows and she realizes that her double-dealing has put Antonia and Francisco in peril, she and Sam risk everything to hide the pair deep in the Chihuahuan desert, where the two face down life-threatening dangers and experience a stunning revelation that transforms their lives forever.

Catherine O’Connor is an award-winning writer and landscape architect. Her debut novel Dust Covered Lies received two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America for “Best Debut Novel” and “Best Traditional Novel.” She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Duke University and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. A native Texan and Austinite, she is the founding principal of Co’Design, LLC and has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas School of Architecture. Catherine lives in her hometown with her husband Jim, and they are proud parents of Claire and Patrick.