«Una de las historias de amor y de entrega más apasionantes del siglo XX mexicano.» Elena Poniatowska
En agosto de 2001 y de manera casi milagrosa, se descubrió, en un departamento abandonado de la Ciudad de México, el manuscrito que conforma esta fascinante autobiografía, desaparecida desde noviembre de 1966, cuando falleció su autora, Alma M. Reed. Una apasionante historia oculta durante más de cincuenta años en la que Alma relata susprimeras visitas a México como enviada especial de The New York Times Magazine para acompañar a la expedición del Instituto Carnegie. Fue en México donde los caminos de Alma y Felipe Carrillo Puerto, el entonces gobernador de Yucatán -considerado por muchos como el Abraham Lincoln de México-, se entrelazan desde su primer encuentro en una intensa historia de amor, cuya magia y dolor están nítidamente reconstruidos en las páginas de Peregrina.
Alma Reed was a New York Times journalist in the 1920´s. She accompanied some American archeologists to the Yucatan for an article for the newspaper. While there, she met and fell in love with the socialist governor, Felipe Carrillo Puerto. This is the story of Felipe and his rise to power in Yucatan.
I knew of his story but this written account has a lot of detail including the order of the Felipe Carrillo's execution with his compañeros. I thought the execution occurred at the Penitentiary but he and his compañeros were imprisoned there but taken away in trucks in the middle of the night and shot against a wall in the cemetery. Upon returning to the penintentiary, one of the Mexican soldiers said how disgusting the entire episode was. He, too, was shot.
I also thought that the hacienda owners were behind the arrest and execution. They may have been but the impetus was the de la Huerta uprising. Felipe Carrillo supported President Obregón and not de la Huerta and the army in Yucatan supported de la Huerta. Hence, his arrest and execution.
Besides the murders and politics, this is also a love story between Alma and Felipe. The title, Peregrina, refers to the song Felipe commissioned to show his love for Alma.
Wonderful history but I found it difficult reading because the writing style is from the 1920´s.
Una historia proscrita al fondo de la historia que sería motivo de orgullo para cualquier mexicano que ama a su patria. Un corazón dividido entre una mujer y una nación. Excelente libro.