Mexican Village

by Josephina Niggli

Ten intertwined stories of life in a northern Mexico town vividly re-create postrevolutionary Mexico of the 1920s and 1930s. A romance and a mystery of identity unify the stories as do richly drawn characters from all levels of village society. The colors, sounds, and fragrances of village life animate the dramas of rich and poor, old and young.
Niggli effortlessly incorporates Mexican folklore - legends, traditions, and songs - to enrich her fiction. She has been claimed as an early Chicana novelist because of her concern with questions of nationality and ethnic origin. Perceptive and engaging, her stories preserve the past while addressing the contemporary preoccupation with borders, identity, autonomy, and community.

Genres: Fiction

491 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1994

Reviews

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely set of fairytales--they have that quality of dealing with both the mundane and transcendent at the same time. The gossip, the rituals, the food, the gender roles, the songs, poems, and proverbs of a little Mexican village. But life and death, love and hate, passion, stubbornness, rejection, betrayal, all strong emotions, too. I'm not sure I think it means anything, other than a catalogue and a good set of stories. That's probably enough.

[Riley Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were parts of the book that I flew through and others that drug on, but I'm glad I read it...it was outside of my normal genre.

[Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read this, my heart sang of love, found and lost. The second reading has brought forward a sense of duty and beauty in family and choices made and how they all affect the world around us that is much smaller than we think. Indeed, this novel resonates because whether we know it or not, we all live in our own Mexican Village.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool read. Made me cry and laugh. :)

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

folksy easy read. reminds me of here in peidras negras vera cruz mx

[Lexi Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read! Found at an old, used bookstore. Such colorful stories.