Synopses & Reviews
A remarkable novel that uniquely melds journalism with fiction, by Elena Poniatowska, the recipient of the prestigious 2013 Cervantes Prize Jesusa is a tough, fiery character based on a real working-class Mexican woman whose life spanned some of the seminal events of early twentieth-century Mexican history. Having joined a cavalry unit during the Mexican Revolution, she finds herself at the Revolution's end in Mexico City, far from her native Oaxaca, abandoned by her husband and working menial jobs. So begins Jesusa's long history of encounters with the police and struggles against authority. Mystical yet practical, undaunted by hardship, Jesusa faces the obstacles in her path with gritty determination.
Here in its first English translation, Elena Poniatowska's rich, sensitive, and compelling blend of documentary and fiction provides a unique perspective on history and the place of women in twentieth-century Mexico.
Review
"Poniatowska's classic 1969 novel (Hasta no verte Jesús mío), which has already been reprinted 28 times in Spanish, finally reaches an English audience. This is a Mexican classic, a major work of 'testimonial' literature which tells an inspiring tale of revolution, struggle, and survival. Mixing fiction with real-life documentary information, Poniatowska challenges the official version of the events of the Mexican Revolution by recreating events as seen through the eyes of a working-class woman ('This is my third time back on Earth, but I've never suffered as much as I have now,' she tells us). As she does in the stark and harrowing La noche de Tlatelolco (1970), the author recreates a world of poverty, oppression, and misogyny, yet the main character's tough spirit shines through to guide her toward a vision of justice, tranquility, and hope." Reviewed by Andrew Witmer, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
About the Author
Elena Poniatowska is a journalist and the author of more than forty works, including the classic Massacre in Mexico and the novel Dear Diego. The recipient of the 2013 Cervantes Prize, she lives in Mexico City.