At a reading in 2013, author Reyna Grande was approached by someone who suggested she write about Saint Patrick’s Battalion, a regiment of soldiers of European descent who deserted the U.S. Army and fought for the Mexican army in the Mexican-American War. Intrigued by the story of these immigrants, Grande — who was born in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, and immigrated to the U.S. with her family as a child — began to investigate.
The thoroughness of her research is evident in “A Ballad of Love and Glory.” Blending historical fact with fiction, Grande provides an intimate portrait of the stumbles of Mexican military officers as they attempt to defend the borders of their country against a better-equipped U.S. Army.
At the heart of the novel are Ximena Salomé de Benitez y Catalán, the young wife of a ranchero who learns the healing arts from her grandmother, and John Riley, an immigrant who leaves behind his family in Ireland in order to join the Army and send money home. After her husband is killed by Texas Rangers, Ximena and her grandmother enlist in the Mexican army as nurses, caring for wounded soldiers. At night, Ximena is disturbed by dreams that often turn out to be portentous.
Ximena’s family is from the Republic of Texas, a region that declared independence from Mexico in 1836 but was subsequently annexed into the United States in 1845. Her father fought in the Texas Revolution, and she has mixed feelings about the officers in the Mexican army. Even so, she resolves to serve the army because she understands the “Yanquis” are a greater threat.
In John’s regiment Irish Catholics are badly mistreated by nativist officers, so he risks a dangerous swim across the Río Grande. Once he arrives at the Mexican army camp, John’s expertise with artillery and natural leadership qualities garner respect from the Mexican officers and he is immediately granted the rank of first lieutenant. The novel challenges the framing of Irish soldier desertion by suggesting they were forced to choose between mistreatment and dignity.
The novel is structured in three parts, and spans March 1846 to May 1848. The story shifts between Ximena’s and John’s perspectives, but the chemistry between the two is instant. John refuses to give in to his feelings for Ximena out of loyalty for the wife he left behind in Ireland while Ximena works herself to near-exhaustion trying to save the lives of soldiers.
The Mexican politician and general Antonio López de Santa Anna looms large in the novel as charismatic and egotistical, and though Grande is honest about his corruption and missteps, he is still captivating on the page. Grande successfully contextualizes the choices made by her characters, making it easier to care about them and whether they live or die. Though most readers will already know the eventual outcome of this historical conflict, they will still feel the emotional tug of hope that comes with well-drawn characters.
Sometimes the details of the story are so dense they threaten to overwhelm, but ultimately Grande never loses her narrative focus, as the story charges to its end just as the war comes to a bloody close.
A Ballad of Love and Glory
由雷纳格兰德
(Simon & Schuster; 384 pages; $28)
Reyna Grande in conversation with Francisco Cantú:Virtual event. 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Free, RSVP required. The Booksmith, 1727 Haight St., S.F. 415-863-8688.www.booksmith.com.
TANA (Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer) presents Reyna Grande in conversation with Maceo Montoya:In person. 6 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Free. TANA, 1224 Lemen Ave., Woodland. 530-402-1065.
Book-signing:In person. 5:45 p.m. Friday, March 18. Free. The Avid Reader, 617 Second St., Davis. 530-758-4040.www.avidreaderbooks.com.