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Gringa
Focuses on Abilene Painter, a young Texas woman who moves to Mexico and becomes the mistress of a powerful rancher and bullfighter
267 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 12, 2010
This is a story set in the summer and fall of 1968 in Mexico. Abilene Painter is a Texas-raised girl living in Mexico c/o Antonio, a famous Spanish bull fighter. Abby is mostly a passive participant in her life; the revolution opens her eyes to who she is and what she wants.
I loved this book for its perspective on Mexican culture; Scofield writes this from the perspective of a white woman in Mexico, so the story maintains its feasibility, perspective, and voice. Scofield uses interesting metaphors; the indigenous Mayans are a shadow of the country's rough past. The caves (cenotes?), which were holy places for the natives, and the jungle and its inhabitants, become playgrounds and pawns for the rich and powerful, much like the poorer Mexicans and gringas like Abby. Pola is a well-drawn foil to Abby.
Scofield utilizes powerful, driving themes:
-Choice versus chance: The various deaths in the novel and the impact they have on the living - did the victims make choices or was their tragic death an inevitability? What is it all for? Why is it OK for the government to kill women and children and students? How did we end up as the people we are?
-Basic human savagery: Scofield's characters walk a fine line between advanced and basic animal instincts. How far are we from our savage roots? Will we advance or sink back into our animal instincts? What is sacred, esp if life is not?
-Death: Much death is unwritten and unrecorded in Mexico at this time. Death is used to illuminate and underline the revolution. Abby's dad's death connects her to him, especially WRT his Mexican mistress. The American girl's death serves as a warning for Abby. Tonio's trophy animals show his disrespect for life in all forms and tie back into the Mayan's belief in the sacred found in the animal kingdom. And, finally, Pola's death results in the release of Abby back into active participation in her own destiny.
Sex: At first this was all I could take in (reminded me of Mary McGarry Morris), and it was utterly tragic. Scofield writes sex as a tool, however, sex as payback, as entitlement, as a confirmation of life, as power struggle, as game, as thrill, as lesson, as answer to boredom, as desire, as love.
Abby is an amazing character (why don't we hear more about Scofield?). She craved love/intimacy/connection, someone to help her find out who she was, and a life that meant something. Instead, her life was a place where connections were acts of violence.
I loved this book for its perspective on Mexican culture; Scofield writes this from the perspective of a white woman in Mexico, so the story maintains its feasibility, perspective, and voice. Scofield uses interesting metaphors; the indigenous Mayans are a shadow of the country's rough past. The caves (cenotes?), which were holy places for the natives, and the jungle and its inhabitants, become playgrounds and pawns for the rich and powerful, much like the poorer Mexicans and gringas like Abby. Pola is a well-drawn foil to Abby.
Scofield utilizes powerful, driving themes:
-Choice versus chance: The various deaths in the novel and the impact they have on the living - did the victims make choices or was their tragic death an inevitability? What is it all for? Why is it OK for the government to kill women and children and students? How did we end up as the people we are?
-Basic human savagery: Scofield's characters walk a fine line between advanced and basic animal instincts. How far are we from our savage roots? Will we advance or sink back into our animal instincts? What is sacred, esp if life is not?
-Death: Much death is unwritten and unrecorded in Mexico at this time. Death is used to illuminate and underline the revolution. Abby's dad's death connects her to him, especially WRT his Mexican mistress. The American girl's death serves as a warning for Abby. Tonio's trophy animals show his disrespect for life in all forms and tie back into the Mayan's belief in the sacred found in the animal kingdom. And, finally, Pola's death results in the release of Abby back into active participation in her own destiny.
Sex: At first this was all I could take in (reminded me of Mary McGarry Morris), and it was utterly tragic. Scofield writes sex as a tool, however, sex as payback, as entitlement, as a confirmation of life, as power struggle, as game, as thrill, as lesson, as answer to boredom, as desire, as love.
Abby is an amazing character (why don't we hear more about Scofield?). She craved love/intimacy/connection, someone to help her find out who she was, and a life that meant something. Instead, her life was a place where connections were acts of violence.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2023
I read this book years ago before the author chopped it into pieces and repackaged as a series.. now I see it’s repackaged again but this time back to being a full story again…
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews