Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico: Portraits of Soldaderas, Saints, and Subversives

by Kathy Sosa (Illustrator), Ellen Riojas Clark (Editor), Jennifer Speed (Editor)

Much ink has been spilled over the men of the Mexican Revolution, but far less has been written about its women. Kathy Sosa, Ellen Riojas Clark, and Jennifer Speed set out to right this wrong in Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico , which celebrates the women of early Texas and Mexico who refused to walk a traditional path. The anthology embraces an expansive definition of the word revolutionary by looking at female role models and subversives from the last century and who stood up for their visions and ideals and continue to stand for them today. Eighteen portraits provide readers with a glimpse into each figure's life and place in history. At the heart of the portraits are the women of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920)⁠―like the soldaderas who shadowed the Mexican armies, tasked with caring for and treating the wounded troops. Filling in the gaps are iconic godmothers⁠ like the Virgin of Guadalupe and La Malinche, whose stories are seamlessly woven into the collective history of Texas and Mexico. Portraits of artists Frida Kahlo and Nahui Olin and activists Emma Tenayuca and Genoveva Morales take readers from postrevolutionary Mexico into the present. Each portrait includes a biography, an original pen-and-ink illustration, and a historical or literary piece by a contemporary writer who was inspired by their subject’s legacy. Sandra Cisneros, Laura Esquivel, Elena Poniatowska, Carmen Tafolla, and others bring their experience to bear in their pieces, and Jennifer Speed’s introduction contextualizes each woman in her cultural-historical moment. A foreword by civil rights activist Dolores Huerta and an afterword by scholar Norma Elia Cantú bookend this powerful celebration of women who revolutionized their worlds.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Womens, Feminism, Politics

352 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2020

Reviews

[Aurora Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy interesante! Despertó en mí las ganas de conocer más acerca de la revolución mexicana, de sentarme a platicar con mis abuelitos y saber de qué manera impactó este movimiento a sus familias.

Algunas historias no me agradaron del todo, demasiado rudas, pero así es la vida... RUDA!

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening to the women in politics, activism, art, wars, and how they had an impact on society and Mexican culture.

Since each profile is written by someone different, some are more engaging to read than others, but lots of great info nonetheless.

“Soy del tipo de mujer que si quiero la luna, me la bajo yo solita.” ✊🏽

[Catherine Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much about women I had never known, and how much they changed Texas and Mexico. Some essays read better than others, but overall, well worth the read.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads more like a textbook, so it took me a long time to get through it. Part three was my favorite. I can't believe I had never heard of Emma Tenayuca and Genoveva Morales before. Their stories are so inspiring, and it's hard to read sometimes knowing that my own family was dealing with those same struggles at the same time.

[Mitzi Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some books are like cookies: easily devoured, with pleasure. This book is like a salad: full of things you know are good for you, and some things are pleasurable but others are merely nutritious.

[Alex Rauket · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories. Writing style of some sections can be a little dry.

[Amanda Jaros · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at an indie bookshop on my recent visit to Fort Worth. Each essay explores an influential woman or group of women in the history of Mexico and Texas, from Las Soldaderas who followed the battle and cared for the fighters during the Mexican Revolution to the small group of preservationists in 1924 who fought to preserve San Antonio's historic sites. Women have long inspired change for the people of this region, often against the will of men. I was glad to learn about these women, and realize I have much more to learn.

[Elizabeth Severance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and I valued the learning it exposed me to. I found myself wanting to dive more into Mexican history, especially with its impact and effects on Texas. I appreciated learning about Genoveva Morales the most; her work to desegregate schools in Uvalde was yet one more example of how much history (and current events!) I still need to learn.

[Emily Lemus · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole I think this is a great and needed book. Specifically I love the inclusion of Las Soldaderas, Zapatistas, and several lesser known women in history. I was really disappointed in the treatment of La Malinche. It started off well enough but then just became another story of about her physical relationship with Cortez.

[Nick Sorrentino · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 really, it's great the one thing that can be jarring and the risk you run when you tell multiple people's stories in one book is that they can start to grind against each other

But this does a good job of limiting the lurch you can feel jumping from one biography to another

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essays about revolutionary women not only in wars but also cultural, literary and social revolutions too.

Texas and Mexico may now be two countries but the culture of the Hispanic women of Northern Mexico and Texas could be considered one culturally. For this reason women from both these areas are portrayed in this book. The book is divided in three section: 1) women revolutionaries during the Mexican Revolution, 2) women before 1910, and 3) women of the post-revolutionary era.

Many of the women mentioned in the essays I had heard before and knew their stories such as Sor Juana, La Malinche, Frida Kahlo, Virgen de Guadalupe. Others I didn't know their stories such as Adina De Zavala who served as a conservationist in San Antonio, Emma Tenayuca who was a labor organizer in Texas in the 1930's and 1940's, Jane McManus Storm Cazneau who was a war correspondent and also served as a negotiator during the Mexican American War, among other women.

A couple of the essays I didn't finish or had difficulty completing. I can't remember which ones but I think they were about women I didn't know but the writer writing style was difficult for me to read.

Overall, a good selection of essays about strong women who "stood their ground".