Balada de otro tiempo

by José Luis González

This book is a story about jealousy and the lack of love. Rosendo, a peasant who grows coffee, finds out that his wife ran away with a hired hand. As he plans to take revenge, the chase begins.

118 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1987

About the author

José Luis González was a Puerto Rican essayist, novelist, short story writer, university professor, and journalist who lived most of his life in exile in Mexico due to his pro-independence political views. He is considered to be one of the most important Puerto Rican authors of the 20th century, particularly for his book Puerto Rico: The Four-Storeyed Country and Other Essays, which was first published in Spanish in 1980.

Reviews

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The foreword had me excited to see the parallels between the story and Puerto Rican politics and history, but I don't know enough about those or wasn't literarily astute enough to discern them! Would love to discuss with someone more familiar.

[Celina · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia es sencilla, casi elemental: una esposa huye con un empleado y su marido los busca para hacer lo que manda la tradición y la masculinidad. El autor, partidario de la independencia puertorriquena exiliado en México, añade comentarios politicos de fondo. Buena lectura.

[Aurora Bennet · Rating 4 out of 5]

read it in spanish. Loved it bec. it's about my people and the island my family came from.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for class and I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it is. Very quick read but very well done.