# Favorite Books About Mexico



## Marishka (Feb 1, 2009)

Yesterday I asked Isla Verde if there was a thread on the board where people could recommend good books about Mexico. She said there wasn’t, but encouraged me to start one. So here it is! 

Books have always seemed like magic carpets to me—a vehicle for the mind that can transport the reader to another place and time. One of my favorite places to travel through the medium of books is Mexico. 

I have read so many good ones that it’s difficult to choose which book to recommend first, but I decided to begin with _Burros and Paintbrushes: A Mexican Adventure_. It is a memoir written by Everett Gee Jackson, an American artist who lived in Mexico in the 1920s. This book was published in 1985 and is still in print.

Here is the publisher’s description of the book:


> In 1923 a little train ran from Guadalajara, Mexico, to Chapala, but only twice a week. One of those excursions carried two young Americans, trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, to the small village to paint. Red-tiled roofs on pale pastel houses bordering a great silvery lake greeted the two.
> 
> In the next four years the lives of the artists—and the bride one lured south from California—pulsated to the beat of a Mexico few Americans knew. This sprightly memoir by one of those young painters captures the tone and spirit of their adventures. Everett Gee Jackson’s keen eye and quiet humor provide an intriguing view of the people and places he knew at that time—a time long gone---and of the making of an artist.
> 
> From the widow’s parrot that Señor Martínez taught to curse, to the murals of Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco; from burro rides over winding mountain trails, to paintings of straw-thatched huts rising on stilts out of a lake; from breakfasts in small native restaurants, to learning to see colors without names and buildings that defy the need to be balanced and static, Jackson adroitly weaves together the details of physical, cultural, and artist’s-eye landscapes. The graceful sketches and lush paintings reproduced in the book embody both the scenes of Mexico he describes and the sensibilities of the artist.


If you’ve ever wondered what life was like in the 1920s in Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Mexico City, Tehuantepec, and at Lake Chapala, you must read this book! This particular “magic carpet” will take you on a fascinating journey with many twists and turns along the way. Everett Jackson not only had the soul of an artist, but also the spirit of an adventurer. 

So that’s my first pick. What are _your_ favorite books about Mexico? Recommendations for books about Mexico in any category are welcome—fiction, biographies, memoirs, culture, customs and traditions, folklore, religion, politics, history, archeology, art and photography, travel guides, move-to-Mexico books, cookbooks, etc.

Anyone? Bueller?


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## PanamaJack (Apr 1, 2013)

I personally like The Power and the Glory written by Graham Greene. It is not my favorite, but why show my hand so early.

I found myself not being about to put the book down, wandering what was on the following page. The book takes place during the Mexican revolution during the 20th century (1930s). The protagonist is a Catholic priest who is considered one of or the last practicing priest still in hiding in Tabasco. The book describes the persecution the Catholic Church went through with a number of priests being shot by firing squads. Others who did not want to be persecuted left their faith. Others just left the region.
Greene gives you two views as to the plight of the priest and lets the reader make his own decision as to what ultimately happens to the priest in eternity. Is he just another priest trying to save his parishioners or is he the sinner and lecher that the woman he is locked up says he is.....
Good reading.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Anything about Mexico by B. Traven ... including The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Not his best by far. Macario would be a good start


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## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

The Power of the Dog, by Don Winslow. Definitely not a travelogue, but the best historical fiction I've read for an understanding of "the Mexican Drug War" and how we got there. Even ignoring the quite obvious connections to actual events, (kidnapped, tortured and murdered DEA agent Ernie Hidalgo in the book is Enrique Camarena in real life, and the book's Barrera brothers can only be the real-life Arellano Felix brothers), this is one terrific read.


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## Heyduke (Jun 17, 2012)

Incidents of Travel in Yucatan by John Lloyd Stephens , maybe the 1st Mexico travel book The story of the discovery of many of the Mayan ruins.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Have to second Heyduke, what an adventure story......


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## q_vivar (Sep 6, 2012)

The labyrinth of solitude - octavio paz and love in the time of cholera - gabriel marquez


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

q_vivar said:


> The labyrinth of solitude - octavio paz and love in the time of cholera - gabriel marquez


Two wonderful books, classics of contemporary Latin American literature. However, the Gabriel García Márquez novel is set in Colombia, not Mexico, and the author is Colombian.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

PanamaJack said:


> I personally like The Power and the Glory written by Graham Greene. It is not my favorite, but why show my hand so early.
> 
> I found myself not being about to put the book down, wandering what was on the following page. The book takes place during the Mexican revolution during the 20th century (1930s). The protagonist is a Catholic priest who is considered one of or the last practicing priest still in hiding in Tabasco. The book describes the persecution the Catholic Church went through with a number of priests being shot by firing squads. Others who did not want to be persecuted left their faith. Others just left the region.
> Greene gives you two views as to the plight of the priest and lets the reader make his own decision as to what ultimately happens to the priest in eternity. Is he just another priest trying to save his parishioners or is he the sinner and lecher that the woman he is locked up says he is.....
> Good reading.


Actually this was not the revolution(1910-1917) but rather the Cristeros War(1926-27) that was an aftermath of the new constitution and an atheist president. Took place mostly in the bajio.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I just finished reading "Mexico Behind the Mask" by Beldon Butterfield.
It isn't an in debth history but takes events starting with the Aztecs and how they effected Mexico in the past and now. Gave me a lot more understanding of a lot of the things we run into in daily life and why perceived so differently.
2nd is a book that now getting dated called "God and Mr. Gomez" by an LA writer that built a place in baja. A friend gave it to me when we decided in 2006 to build in Mexico. Really helped us understand that we "Weren't in Kansas Anymore".


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## Marishka (Feb 1, 2009)

conklinwh said:


> 2nd is a book that now getting dated called "God and Mr. Gomez" by an LA writer that built a place in baja. A friend gave it to me when we decided in 2006 to build in Mexico. Really helped us understand that we "Weren't in Kansas Anymore".


I also enjoyed reading _God and Mr. Gomez_. I recommend getting the 1997 edition of this book. It was first published in 1974 and that edition and the 1982 edition are out of print. It was republished in 1994 when the author, Jack Smith, added an epilogue to the book after the death of Mr. Gomez. After her husband's death in 1997, Denise Smith wrote a new forward to the book.

Another good book about the experience of building a house in Mexico is _Gringos in Paradise: An American Couple Builds Their Retirement Dream House in a Seaside Village in Mexico_ by Barry Golson. 

From _Publishers Weekly_:


> After a career in publishing (as executive editor of Playboy and TV Guide), Golson decided it was time to plan for retirement. With a modest nest egg and an urge for sunshine and adventure, he and his wife traveled Mexico researching American retirees for an AARP article that eventually won a Lowell Thomas award and became the seed for this funny and practical book. On impulse, Golson and his wife also bought land in their favorite spot, the Mexican seaside village of Sayulita. Returning to build their home, they realized their cliffside property was impractical; with the remainder of their savings, they bought more land and started their dream house. As with most home-building sagas, they faced obstacles (permit hassles, contractors who backed out) and made errors (the staircase didn't reach the roof) but, magically, the house was ready when the extended family arrived for Thanksgiving. In the end, the house-building process became their vehicle for cultural transplantation; by the time their home was finished, the Golsons knew a lot more about Mexican village life and felt totally comfortable with their new neighbors.


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## Guategringo (Nov 9, 2012)

I like _The Old ****** _by Carlos Fuentes and _Under the Volcano _by Malcolm Lowry


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Guategringo said:


> I like _The Old ****** _by Carlos Fuentes and _Under the Volcano _by Malcolm Lowry


I've never read _The Old ******_ but I can highly recommend _La muerte de_ _Artemio Cruz _, one of the best of the many novels of Carlos Fuentes. It recounts the life history of AC from his impoverished childhood to soldier in the Mexican Revolution to living the life of a corrupt and wealthy PRI politician in the Mexico City of the 1950s. _Under the Volcano_ is another one of my favorites, a dark existential take on the life of a British expat in Mexico. It takes place, fittingly enough, on the Day of the Dead in 1938 in Cuernavaca.


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## Guategringo (Nov 9, 2012)

Isla Verde said:


> I've never read _The Old ******_.



Courtesy of Amazon.com


> One of Carlos Fuentes' greatest works, The Old ****** tells the story of Ambrose Bierce, the American writer, soldier, and journalist, and of his last mysterious days in Mexico living among Pancho Villa's soldiers, particularly his encounter with General Tomas Arroyo. In the end, the incompatibility of the two countries (or, paradoxically, their intimacy) claims both men, in a novel that is, most of all, about the tragic history of two cultures in conflict.


It is very good Isla, I thoroughly enjoyed each and every page.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Guategringo said:


> Courtesy of Amazon.com
> 
> 
> It is very good Isla, I thoroughly enjoyed each and every page.


Thanks for the blurb. I'll add The Old ****** to my list of must-read books.


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## Heyduke (Jun 17, 2012)

I like this thread. I get to hear of some great books about one of my favorite subjects. Mexico


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Heyduke said:


> I like this thread. I get to hear of some great books about one of my favorite subjects. Mexico


And we have Marishka to thank for starting it off!


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

King of the Moon by Gene Kira is old time Baja and a great read.

I must have lent my books as I can't find a guy who wrote from the Mexicali area about 3-4 books. Short interesting stories but can't remember his name .... oh well


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## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

How about:

Tom Mix and Pancho Villa, by Clifford Irving. (Yes, that Clifford Irving)

or

Aztec by Gary Jennings, and the 1 or 2 sequels.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Another couple of favorites are by Stienbeck, The Pearl and Log from the Sea of Cortez......


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

q_vivar said:


> The labyrinth of solitude - octavio paz and love in the time of cholera - gabriel marquez


Garcia Marquez is colombian, and el amor en los tiempos del cólera takes place in Cartagena, not Mexico


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

How about Corazón de piedra verde? Salvador de MAdariaga


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> How about Corazón de piedra verde? Salvador de MAdariaga


I've never read anything by him. I assume he writes historical novels dealing with Mexico. I do like a good historical novel, well-written and based on real, not fantasized, history.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> I've never read anything by him. I assume he writes historical novels dealing with Mexico. I do like a good historical novel, well-written and based on real, not fantasized, history.


You will like this one


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> You will like this one


Thanks for the recommendation.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

"History of the Conquest of Mexico, and History of the Conquest of Peru" (1873). Author: Prescott, William Hickling, 1796-1859; 

This book was a very well researched work that I enjoyed many years ago although it is 1288 pages and the extensive footnotes [somtimes more than a page long] are in extra fine print and the main text is not double spaced and also fine print. Many of the footnotes are Spanish language letters and documents. [not translated] Alan


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## Heyduke (Jun 17, 2012)

The Conquest of New Spain (Penguin Classics) by Bernal Diaz by a man who was there.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Not so much my “favourite” books, as books I _have_ read (or have on my shelf ready to read) that haven’t been mentioned yet.

_Gods, Gachupines and Gringos: A People's History of Mexico_ by Richard Grabman
- the only modern history of Mexico in English

_Mexican High_ by Liza Monroy
- for a perspective you won’t find in any of the previously-mentioned books: a novel portraying life in a fresa school in Mexico City from an American student’s point of view

All the mysteries by Paco Ignacio Taibo II (featuring his detective Héctor Belascoarán Shayne). 
Literary, yet easy to read at the same time. Unequalled for capturing the feel of Mexico City. 
In English, they include:
- _An Easy Thing_
- _No Happy Ending_
- _Some Clouds_
- _Return to the Same City_
- _Frontera Dreams_

_Diccionario del náhuatl en el español de México_ by Carlos Montemayor, coordinator
- as the title says, this isn’t a dictionary of Náhuatl per se, but a dictionary of Náhuatl words (with many explanations, treatises and essays) of Náhuatl words incorporated into Mexican Spanish. (This book is in Spanish.)


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

maesonna said:


> All the mysteries by Paco Ignacio Taibo II (featuring his detective Héctor Belascoarán Shayne).
> Literary, yet easy to read at the same time. Unequalled for capturing the feel of Mexico City.
> In English, they include:
> - _An Easy Thing_
> ...


The husband of a good friend in the States is a big fan of Paco Ignacio Taibo's mysteries and has been urging me to read his books for years. I am a big fan of the genre but for some reason have never gotten around to digging into his work. Finally, a friend here has lent me _Cosa Fácil_, which I plan to dig into in a few days.

Thanks for mentioning the Montemayor dictionary. It sounds fascinating and right up my alley since dictionaries are some of my favorite books. I wonder where the best place to look for a copy would be.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> The husband of a good friend in the States is a big fan of Paco Ignacio Taibo's mysteries and has been urging me to read his books for years. I am a big fan of the genre but for some reason have never gotten around to digging into his work. Finally, a friend here has lent me _Cosa Fácil_, which I plan to dig into in a few days.
> 
> Thanks for mentioning the Montemayor dictionary. It sounds fascinating and right up my alley since dictionaries are some of my favorite books. I wonder where the best place to look for a copy would be.


I have read some of Taibo II's books in Spanish. They are a pretty easy read and a good way to get practice reading Spanish. Don't confuse him with his father Tiabo I. Both are authors. The son writes mysteries, the father writes essays that are more obscure.


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## msmac (Feb 8, 2014)

*thanks for all the ideas!*

Great reading this thread for books to add to my reading list, thanks everyone for contributing. Two of my very favorite books set in Mexico and very well written are:

The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver (fiction)

Oaxaca Journal, by Oliver Sacks (memoir)


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