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The Virgin's Guide to Mexico
A novel about crossing the border in the opposite from wealthy, suburban Texas into the wild heart of Mexico.
Alma Price is seventeen – she’s smart, she’s angry, and she’s going to Mexico. Her grandfather lives there, or so she thinks, although it’s hard to know what’s true with a lying mother who raised her amongst the blond brigade of their rich Texas neighborhood. Sick of suburbia, Alma hops a bus, crosses the border, gets a disguise, and winds through the thugs and witches and whores, ultimately disappearing in the heart of Mexico City.
Her parents, Hermelinda and Truitt, are right behind her, swerving their big SUV around hallucinogenic cacti and through herds of wild pigs, trying to save their daughter and maybe even their marriage. But in her effort to bring her daughter home to Texas, Hermelinda finds that Mexico is slowly drawing her back in, reminding her of who she is and where she’s from, and just maybe leading her toward a reconciliation with both her past and her estranged daughter.
Confident, vicious, funny, and filled with the wild leaps of imagination, The Virgin’s Guide to Mexico unleashes the full arsenal of an explosive, daring writer.
Alma Price is seventeen – she’s smart, she’s angry, and she’s going to Mexico. Her grandfather lives there, or so she thinks, although it’s hard to know what’s true with a lying mother who raised her amongst the blond brigade of their rich Texas neighborhood. Sick of suburbia, Alma hops a bus, crosses the border, gets a disguise, and winds through the thugs and witches and whores, ultimately disappearing in the heart of Mexico City.
Her parents, Hermelinda and Truitt, are right behind her, swerving their big SUV around hallucinogenic cacti and through herds of wild pigs, trying to save their daughter and maybe even their marriage. But in her effort to bring her daughter home to Texas, Hermelinda finds that Mexico is slowly drawing her back in, reminding her of who she is and where she’s from, and just maybe leading her toward a reconciliation with both her past and her estranged daughter.
Confident, vicious, funny, and filled with the wild leaps of imagination, The Virgin’s Guide to Mexico unleashes the full arsenal of an explosive, daring writer.
- GenresFiction
350 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2007
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 11, 2008
This book proves that the road novel is still capable of being a viable, fresh narrative form. Martin pulls from a lot of styles, and even throws in a little noir during some of the pursuit scenes. Good for someone who wants a relatively straight-forward story with a few frills thrown in the mix.
April 29, 2008
A mysterious story of a girl's journey to Mexico, the country where her mother was born. Great descriptions, very raw and seems true to youth culture. I liked the descriptions of Mexico. The various characters are well-developed and a little painful.
July 6, 2010
Very well written and entertaining, with believable characters. A great read!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews