The Old Gringo

The Old Gringo, Carlos Fuentes, Perennial Library (Harper & Row), 1985

Set during the Mexican Revolution, this is the story of an anonymous American civil war veteran, with something of a death wish, who joins a group of revolutionaries planning to meet up with Pancho Villa. Headed by Tomas Arroyo, the band has recently burned to the ground  a hacienda where Arroyo grew up (as one of the workers). The two have a less than happy relationship. Into the mix comes Harriet Winslow, a younger American woman who has come to teach English to the children of the hacienda owner, now gone. The result is a love triangle with tragic consequences all around.

Fuentes does a wonderful job from start to finish with this story. In a world where fiction writing seems to consider sex, violence and car chases more important than characters and storytelling, this novel is a welcome alternative.