{"product_id":"el-monte","title":"El Monte","description":"First published in Cuba in 1954 and appearing here in English for the first time, Lydia Cabrera’s \u003ci\u003eEl Monte\u003c\/i\u003e is a foundational and iconic study of Afro-Cuban religious and cultural traditions. Drawing on conversations with elderly Afro-Cuban priests who were one or two generations away from the transatlantic slave trade, Cabrera combines ethnography, history, folklore, literature, and botany to provide a panoramic account of the multifaceted influence of Afro-Atlantic cultures in Cuba. Cabrera details the natural and spiritual landscape of the Cuban \u003ci\u003emonte\u003c\/i\u003e (forest, wilderness) and discusses hundreds of herbs and the constellations of deities, sacred rites, and knowledge that envelop them. The result is a complex spiritual and medicinal architecture of Afro-Cuban cultures. This new edition of what is often referred to as “the Santería bible” includes a new foreword, introduction, and translator notes. As a seminal work in the study of the African diaspora that has profoundly impacted numerous fields, Cabrera’s magnum opus is essential for scholars, activists, and religious devotees of Afro-Cuban traditions alike.","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57308176122238,"sku":"NW9781478018735","price":24.97,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9781478018735.jpg?v=1778578193","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/products\/el-monte","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}