In the Yucatan: A Novel

Fiction & Literature, Literary
Cover of the book In the Yucatan: A Novel by Earl Shorris, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Earl Shorris ISBN: 9780393073164
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: May 17, 2000
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Earl Shorris
ISBN: 9780393073164
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: May 17, 2000
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

In this stark, unsettling novel, set in a Mexican prison, present-day events resonate with the ancient history and wisdom of the Maya. Graham Greene meets Carlos Castaneda.

In the central Yucatan a group of Maya Indian workers revolt against the corrupt oligarchy of government, business, the official union, and the press. Two young men—a traditional Maya leader and a Mexican-American lawyer—are drawn into ever deeper commitment to the struggle. When they are caught in a trap and thrown into jail, the lawyer declares a hunger strike. The story of the Maya workers, and of their village, is narrated in a series of vivid flashbacks that alternate with the grim deprivations and interrogations in the prison. Day by day, the young lawyer approaches death, and in his discussions with his friend and cell mate, there emerge two different definitions of love, loyalty, and courage, each man's version determined by the culture from which he springs. One of the chief delights of this rich, intense storytelling is the introduction it provides to the Maya understanding of time, medicine, and proper behavior. Although everything that happens in the novel could have appeared in the latest news stories out of Mexico, nothing happens quite as expected, and the startling conclusion could only have taken place in the Yucatan.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In this stark, unsettling novel, set in a Mexican prison, present-day events resonate with the ancient history and wisdom of the Maya. Graham Greene meets Carlos Castaneda.

In the central Yucatan a group of Maya Indian workers revolt against the corrupt oligarchy of government, business, the official union, and the press. Two young men—a traditional Maya leader and a Mexican-American lawyer—are drawn into ever deeper commitment to the struggle. When they are caught in a trap and thrown into jail, the lawyer declares a hunger strike. The story of the Maya workers, and of their village, is narrated in a series of vivid flashbacks that alternate with the grim deprivations and interrogations in the prison. Day by day, the young lawyer approaches death, and in his discussions with his friend and cell mate, there emerge two different definitions of love, loyalty, and courage, each man's version determined by the culture from which he springs. One of the chief delights of this rich, intense storytelling is the introduction it provides to the Maya understanding of time, medicine, and proper behavior. Although everything that happens in the novel could have appeared in the latest news stories out of Mexico, nothing happens quite as expected, and the startling conclusion could only have taken place in the Yucatan.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book If You Love This Planet: A Plan to Save the Earth (Revised and updated) by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Little Tales of Misogyny by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book City of Ambition: FDR, LaGuardia, and the Making of Modern New York by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Dear Mrs. Lindbergh: A Novel by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Greening the Landscape: Strategies for Environmentally Sound Practice by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny (Issues of Our Time) by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far: Poems 1978-1981 by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Harvard Square: A Novel by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Right Star Rising: A New Politics, 1974-1980 by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom: A Teacher's Guide to Fostering Self-Regulation in Young Students by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Easy Ego State Interventions: Strategies for Working With Parts by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Stolen Tomorrows: Understanding and Treating Women's Childhood Sexual Abuse by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book The School Discipline Fix: Changing Behavior Using the Collaborative Problem Solving Approach by Earl Shorris
Cover of the book Picasso: A Biography by Earl Shorris
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy