1 Prologue The golden glow of the candle filled the room as a young girl and her grandma huddled close together The flame danced off the young girl's oversize glasses as she kept her eyes shut Abre los ojos said the abuela gazing lovingly at her granddaughter Open your eyes The young girl named Mirabel opened both eyes and saw a wondrous magical candle rippling with firelight magic This is where our magic comes from she asked her abuela Mm hmm this candle holds the miracle given to our family How did we get a miracle
Abuela folded an arm around Mirabel's shoulder and the candle glowed brighter As Abuela began the story of the miracle Mirabel could see it unfold in each flick of the flame In their humble home young Abuela Alma and her husband Pedro gazed down in adoration at their three newborn babies On a table nearby the same candle glimmered gently Suddenly a harsh blaze exploded outside their home The young couple's adoring smiles disappeared Long ago when my three babies had just been born your abuelo Pedro and I were forced to flee our home Pedro holding the candle led a group of frightened people as they struggled across a beautiful river And though many joined us hoping to find a new home we could not escape the dangers and your abuelo was lost Abuela's eyes shimmered in the candlelight as she recalled the night her young family fled the violence that had swept through their town As Mirabel listened to her grandma's story 2
she snuggled close worried for the families She could see them as they crossed a river together Suddenly Pedro glanced back His hopeful gaze turned troubled Danger had followed them and he had no choice but to face it and protect his family He looked lovingly into his wife's eyes handed her the candle and left to confront the threat The candle's flame dwindled and darkness drew closer Young Abuela knew that something terrible had happened Pedro was not coming back Filled with grief she knelt by the river and prayed with the candle in front of her When all seemed lost the candle suddenly flickered alive bright and strong And then butterflies full of light swirled and banished the darkness The earth rumbled and mountains rose forming a protective valley around the families The candle became a magical flame that could never go out and it blessed us with a refuge in which to live A place of wonder an Encanto Abuela said The miracle grew and our house our Casita itself came alive to shelter us 3
