Simon & Schuster
The Bullet Swallower
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A "mesmerizing...wildly entertaining" (The Boston Globe) magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, The Bullet Swallower follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to rob a train, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come, finally, to collect a cosmic debt generations in the making.
In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the latest in a long line of ruthless men. He's good with his gun and drawn to trouble but he's also out of money and out of options. A drought has ravaged the town of Dorado, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children, and so when he hears about a train laden with gold and other treasures, he sets off for Houston to rob it--with his younger brother Hugo in tow. But when the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed by the Texas Rangers, Antonio finds himself launched into a quest for revenge that endangers not only his life and his family, but his eternal soul.
In 1964, Jaime Sonoro is Mexico's most renowned actor and singer. But his comfortable life is disrupted when he discovers a book that purports to tell the entire history of his family beginning with Cain and Abel. In its ancient pages, Jaime learns about the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors. And when the same mysterious figure from Antonio's timeline shows up in Mexico City, Jaime realizes that he may be the one who has to pay for his ancestors' crimes, unless he can discover the true story of his grandfather Antonio, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower.
A family saga that's epic in scope and loosely based on the author's own great-grandfather, The Bullet Swallower is "rich in lyrical language, gripping action, and enchanting magical realism" (Esquire). It tackles border politics, intergenerational trauma, and the legacies of racism and colonialism in a lush setting with stunning prose that asks who pays for the sins of our ancestors and whether it is possible to be better than our forebearers.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9781668009321
EAN:
9781668009321
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
272
Authors:
Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Published Date: 2024-23-01
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The only reason I've giving it four stars us because it took me so long to get through it. I knew it would have magical realism, but for some reason it still took some time to grab me. I liked the history, the story, the characters.
Story within a story structure is interesting but the characters did not grab the members of our book club. We think the author has the technical skills but has a ways to go to make it to a top tier novelist. We loved the description of the landscape on the Texas -Mexico border. But some aspects of the story were too ridiculous to bring the reader along including the ridiculously convenient periodic appearances of the Englishman. Good first effort but don’t believe the reviews - this book was an average read.
This book was amazing. Such an easy and exciting read that I knocked it out in 2 days. Definitely recommend!
Antonio Sonoros isn't a likeable fellow and as you read about him and other Sonoro's you will probably be thinking much like me that these people are deplorable. But the book and the story is really quite fascinating and hard to put down. It's like everyone slowly driving by an accident scene on the highway to rubberneck at someone else's misfortune. Only here we have a glimpse into the culture of our southern neighbors unlike any other you could imagine. The Audible version is well read and the book really is a page turner. Read it slowly and ponder the cultural differences between two nations separated by a river of water, history, and misunderstanding. It's a great tale and surprisingly contains much truth. Bravo! Elizabeth Gonzales James! And thank you for this amazing story. Your gift is my pleasure and education.
What an incredible book! The story is an amazing one about family, loss, friendship, a shadow like figure moving through time. I loved that it was written by a woman, about men. Loosely based on the authors very own family in fact. It had so much magical realism and the duel timelines want you make to read on and on.
