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Béa Gonzalez

Author of The Mapmaker's Opera

2 Works 126 Members 3 Reviews 1 Favorited

About the Author

Includes the name: Béa Gonzalez

Works by Béa Gonzalez

The Mapmaker's Opera (1973) 93 copies
The Bitter Taste of Time (1998) 33 copies

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Reviews

Bea Gonzalez has created a lyrical historical novel by using an operatic structure to reveal the story of a Spanish immigrant finding his life's work among the birds of the Yucatan Peninsula. Long enthralled by the work of James Audubon, Diego Clemente finds work with an American naturalist working to catalog the birds of the Yucatan. Gonzalez provides rich historical detail about the henequen plantations and the social injustices of the colonial system. As Diego catalogs and draws birds, he falls in love with a local landowner's daughter who is trying diligently to dissuade another suitor. Caste and gender constraints are an essential part of the novel, but read this to soak up the history and the beautiful writing.… (more)
 
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PeggyDean | 2 other reviews | May 29, 2018 |
This was a beautifully told story about birds, love and people on the eve of revolution. I liked the opera theme throughout as characters entered the scene from stage right or left.
 
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krin5292 | 2 other reviews | Jan 31, 2010 |
The book uses opera as a device to tell the story of 2 bird lovers. Diego, the bastard son of a Spanish noble, is drawn to birds after he sees an amazing book in his step-father's bookshop. This is the start of a journey that will take him all the way to pre-Revolution Mexico, a country on the brink. There he meets his counterpart, the soprano, a girl who is not interested in the superficial men that are trying to court her. There love of birds draws them closer. Well-written, enjoyable read.
 
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soffitta1 | 2 other reviews | Jan 27, 2010 |

Awards

Statistics

Works
2
Members
126
Popularity
#159,216
Rating
½ 3.3
Reviews
3
ISBNs
15
Languages
3
Favorited
1

Charts & Graphs