The Bandits from Río Frío, Part I

by Manuel Payno, Alan Fluckey (Translator)

A romantic tale of Mexico at the dawn of Independence, an adventure, a romance, a political satire, a sociological study, a whodunit, a telenovela, and more. Manuel Payno's classic Mexican novel develops a romantic history of impossible love between the Countess Mariana del Sauz and Lieutenant Colonel Juan Robre o. An illegitimate son results from a brief union of these lovers, and this star-crossed child is kidnapped and abandoned by Aztec witches. Wrongly accused of theft and murder, he must pursue the truth of his birth through staggering misfortunes. Along the way he experiences war, famine, plague, and association with Evaristo, a bandit of national and even international fame who nearly brings a government to its knees.

These and a host of other memorable characters are swept up in a web of organized crime spun by the fabulous Relumbr n, presidential assistant, wealthy aristocrat, church stalwart, family man, and former associate of the great Santa Ana.

456 pages, Paperback

Published June 5, 2025

Reviews

[Alberto Martínez]

Creo que Payno es infravaloradísimo en la literatura mexicana. Esta novela simplemente es una de las mejores de la historia; pocas, muy poquísimas, hablan tanto de la ciudad y el país como esta. Entrelazar múltiples historias y describir el entorno sin llegar a aburrir o cansar es un signo de un talento descomunal. Librazo.