Battles in the Desert
This landmark novella - one of the central texts of Mexican literature, is eerily relevant to our current dark times - offers a child's-eye view of a society beset by dictators, disease, and natural disasters, set in "the year of polio, foot-and-mouth disease, floods." A middle-class boy grows up in a world of children aping adults (mock wars at recess pit Arabs against Jews), where a child's left to ponder "how many evils and catastrophes we have yet to witness." When Carloslaments the cruelty and corruption, the evils of a vicious class system, his older brother answers: "So what, we are living up to our ears in shit anyway under Miguel Alemán's regime," with "the face of El Señor Presidente everywhere: incessant, private abuse." Sound familiar?
Woven into this coming-of-age saga is the terribly intense love Carlos cherishes for his friend's young mother, which has the effect of driving the general cruelties further under the reader's skin. The acclaimed translator Katherine Silver has greatly revised her original translation, enlivening afresh this remarkable work.
We offer free shipping on most orders in Canada over $199 (before tax). Regular stock items can be returned with original receipt within 14 days for a full refund. Money will be refunded in the same manner in which it was purchased. There are no refunds or exchanges on sale items or special orders. Goods must be returned in the original packaging and in re-saleable condition. Return shipping is at the customer’s expense.
