Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States attacks Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.
 

Pages: 371

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

 

In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost. But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.

When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Desperate for help, Beatriz clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.

Pages: 352

The Tortilla Curtain

The Tortilla Curtain

by T. Coraghessan Boyle

Pages: 355 

Rating 4 out of 5 stars 

Topanga Canyon is home to two couples whose lives are intertwined, Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher wealthy liberals and Candido and America Rincon illegal immigrants from Mexico. This timely novel written in 1995, asks hard questions of those who believe they are the good guys and are doing everything they can for those who want to better themselves. Makes you consider how small everyday choices affects others lives. 

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Since it began in 2018, I've been reading the books from the Barnes and Noble book club-and if I'm not too busy, attending the discussions at my store in Columbia. Even if I didn't enjoy them, they have all been great novels, giving me a lot to think about! Given the bad press around this one, I almost didn't read it. Now, I wish I hadn't. More of a thriller than a serious contemporary novel, it felt like the author put the worst possible result of any situation into each chapter for the shock value, rather than try to depict the actual experiences of South American migrants. 

It's a bit of a train wreck. Lydia, a privileged middle class woman, who secretly loves English novels, escapes from cartel violence in Acapulco after 16 members of her family are slaughtered at her niece's quinceanera, an act portrayed as common and unremarkable (Note: It's not). She then flees with her son, joining with two girls from Honduras also fleeing gang violence. They travel to "el norte" on "la bestia", the train ridden by migrants, being chased by "La Migra" police and the leader of "Los Jardineros" cartel, who of course, is in love with her. Yikes. (also the peppering of the text with basic Spanish words for "authenticity's sake" drove me nuts)

The author made a point not to make the book-covering a messy and controversial issue-political. This being nearly impossible, she does so by turning the touchiest issues into jokes. At one point, a character makes an assertion, in all seriousness, that the migrants-excepting the main characters, one assumes-are "bad hombres", or else, they wouldn't be in this situation. Later, the only mention of child separation at the border comes in the form of a joke-how does one tell the difference between migrants and deportees? The deportees are haunted by the cries of their children left in "Estados Unidos". Just kidding! LoL! ...  o.o

I read this so you don't have to.

386 pages

The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli, Christina MacSweeney (transl.)

Man, this book is weird. An auctioneer named Highway works at a juice factory and is obsessed with teeth. He collects teeth, he auctions off teeth, and he even has Marilyn Monroe's teeth implanted into his own mouth. (gross!) In addition, there are creepy clowns, a terrible son named Siddhartha, and extravagant stories about the teeth and the people who (supposedly) owned them. Interesting for the Mexican cultural references, but all around an odd little book.

Surreal. Bizarre. You're probably either going to love it or hate it.

195 pages

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role. 

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

Let's start with the 'yays'.  This book has voice, y'all.  And it's good, in both meanings of the word.  The protagonist, Julia, is excellent.  She acts and sounds like a teen, warts and all.  She's selfish but insightful, insecure but confident in what she wants, and angsty but not without compassion.  I found  myself identifying with Julia and being reminded of what it was like in my world when I was a teen.  In addition, the author has a unique way of making you feel the story.  I often mentally paused to appreciate a turn of phrase, metaphor, or image.

The bad?  The massive amount of issues shoved into this book.  The timeline moves fast, and I wasn't always sure just how much time had passed.  The 'main' conflict, the mystery of her dead sister, was meh at best.  It wasn't engaging, and I mentally checked out as the book went on during those parts.

Overall, I found depth in Julia's relationship with her family, and I was moved by the sheer 'teenageness' of Julia. 

352 pages

4/5

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a solid read, and there were some things I really loved about this story, particularly the culture clashes within Julia's family. She was such a raw character, and it kind of hurt to like her.

I only rated this down a bit, because it tackled too many issues to handle them all thoroughly. I sometimes felt there were threads that weren't well-addressed, and I think I would have rather those issues been left out than so underplayed.

The disputes with her mother held my attention the most, and the mystery of her sister was fun at first but ended up being a bit disappointing after I spent so much time guessing and making up more interesting back stories for the sister than what actually occurred.

I enjoyed the diversity, unique perspectives, and richness of cultures in this story. Julia is a memorable character.

There are some heavy topics tackled here, so if you're a sensitive reader, this may not be the story for you.

Pages: 352

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a good story, particularly in terms of topic (immigration and migrant workers), time period (1930s) and diversity. I don't always love how it hits me over the head with ideas and lessons, though I'm aware that occurs more in middle grade stories.

It was a solid read, overall, but I just think the presentation could be better. I don't dislike it, by any means, but I also don't love it, when I hoped to, based on all the buzz and awards.

Pages: 304

Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

  Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published in 2008 long before Eric Greitens became the Governor of Missouri, this title not only shows the reader some of his award winning photography, but also gives you a glimpse into how he views the world and all of its people and the experiences that led him to this viewpoint. As the title implies he believes that one needs both strength and compassion to not only be a good leader and person, but in some cases just to survive horrible events. The photos are from his research and documentary photography work with children and families in Rwanda, Albania, Mexico, India, Croatia, Bolivia, and Cambodia and even though some show the horrible side of humanity there is also hope. 

Awards:
New York Book Festival, Winner for Photography and Grand Prize Winner
Foreword Magazine Book of the Year, Gold Medal for Photography
2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Winner for Photography
Silver Medalist for the Nautilus Book Awards for Art/Photography Book
Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Best Photography Book

Pages: 172

The Valiant Women by Jeanne Williams

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

A romantic saga set in Arizona territory with action featuring Apache, Mexico, and Texas territory before the Civil War and many families and plots. 

Audio:  15 hrs. 55 min.

Print:  516 pages