Review: A Man of His Village
By Kristen on Aug 6, 2008 in Reviews
A Man of His Village by Tanyo Ravicz
Release date: 2006 / 186 pages
First paragraph: “After work he bedded down with a couple of Oaxacans in an open shed behind the shuttered packing plant. From here they had a view across the fields to the silhouetted mountains and the stars over the summits. Twinking airplanes descended against the Cascades and entered their dreams. It was a private spot, the best place on the farm to bed down, and put them at the top of the heap in the eyes of the other pickers. On this June night it was not a good place to be caught sleeping.”
Synopsis (from back cover): “Florentino Cruz takes one last job before he heads home to Mexico. He left his village at the age of fifteen, a migrant farm worker dreaming of love, honor, and riches. He accepts a promising job in Alaska, the magnificent climax to his years of toil in the United States. But the expedition collapses in mutiny… leaving Florentino lost and fleeing for his life through a fire-ravaged wilderness.”
Review: I first heard of this novel when the author contacted me to create a book club kit . An author had never requested a kit on his or her work before, so I was excited and a little apprehensive — What if I really didn’t enjoy the work? What if I struggled to create engaging discussion questions? What if I didn’t “get” it?
Well, I had no reason to worry — A Man of His Village is a delight! The plot is gripping, suspenseful, and compelling — I devoured it in two days, but would have easily finished it in one if I had the chance. The very next paragraph that follows the one above involves an attack and the action rarely slows down right from the beginning — even though Florentino reveals his childhood in a series of wonderful flashbacks.
Beyond the engaging plot, the characters are fully-realized and quite sympathetic. Florentino is the “hero,” but is flawed, even deeply flawed at times. However, even at his darkest I couldn’t help but cheer him on.
Thematically, the subject of immigration — or rather the reality of immigration — could really engender interesting discussions. Not that this is a “political” book that sacrifices art in the name of a cause — not at all. It is more of a hero’s journey and the hero just happens to work illegally in the U.S. for a few years.
Also, the portrait of immigration is balanced — yes, there are many opportunities in the U.S., IF you are willing to do back-breaking work for very little pay. Neither Mexico nor the U.S. is vilified or deified — which results in a complex, thought-provoking, thoroughly enjoyable story with a great sense of adventure, too.
If you think your book club might be interested, consider checking out the author’s website at www.tanyo.net. Also, my kit for this novel is in the editing stage and should be finished within a week — Check my New Kits page in a few days if your club is interested!
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