The Bullet Swallower

Rating: 4.25* of five

The Publisher Says: A dazzling magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, The Bullet Swallower follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to save his family, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come, finally, to collect a cosmic debt generations in the making.

In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the latest in a long line of ruthless men. He’s good with his gun and is drawn to trouble but he’s also out of money and out of options. A drought has ravaged the town of Dorado, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children, and so when he hears about a train laden with gold and other treasures, he sets off for Houston to rob it—with his younger brother Hugo in show more tow. But when the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed by the Texas Rangers, Antonio finds himself launched into a quest for revenge that endangers not only his life and his family, but his eternal soul.

In 1964, Jaime Sonoro is Mexico’s most renowned actor and singer. But his comfortable life is disrupted when he discovers a book that purports to tell the entire history of his family beginning with Cain and Abel. In its ancient pages, Jaime learns about the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors. And when the same mysterious figure from Antonio’s timeline shows up in Mexico City, Jaime realizes that he may be the one who has to pay for his ancestors’ crimes, unless he can discover the true story of his grandfather Antonio, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower.

A family saga that’s epic in scope and magical in its blood, and based loosely on the author’s own great-grandfather, The Bullet Swallower tackles border politics, intergenerational trauma, and the legacies of racism and colonialism in a lush setting and stunning prose that asks who pays for the sins of our ancestors, and whether it is possible to be better than our forebears.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Inherent in any story set in the western part of the US is racism, is settler colonialism is the trauma of violence...institutionalized all the way to interpersonal. "The past is not so far away as you might think. Nor the future, for that matter. No man lives free from history." This is the beating heart of the story, in fact of the entire setting in real world terms. No one is free from history.

Jaime, in his reckoning with that aperçu's truth, receives...non-corporeal, I guess...divine, malign, either, probably both, but certainly not of consensus reality assistance from the aptly named Remedios. He's made privy to the, well, Akashic records of his family's deeds. I can only imagine the horrible burden of knowing the inalterable and undeniable facts of your very roots in reality.

Are we in fact our relatives' keepers after all? Is that the myth of Cain and Abel's longevity explained? I know Jaime believes the information he now has is true but he does not question what truth it tells. If an entity asserted I was responsible for balancing the scales of an entire lineage, I'd want to see some ID proving the authority of this assertion.

Jaime not being so suspicious and mistrustful, off we go into the blood-soaked deeds and violent cruelties of the past. It's an open question if this results in a better book than a "straight" magical-realist tale, as these limit their violences more than this full-throated shout of rage does.

When it comes to the acceptance of personal accountability for actions rendered unchangeable by time's passage I'm of two minds. We unquestionably live within the blast radius of our predecessors' decisions, actions, inactions. It is not logical to deny this fact. What do we owe the present for the actions of the past? Not nothing, that's absurd and greedy because it's only ever applied to the beneficiaries while the descendants of those who suffered and lost bear the consequences forever. Where is a reasonable balance point?

Jaime's resolution is the source of my missing star. In the final chapter there is a revelation that emphasizes the magical realism throughout the story was baked in from giddy-up to whoa. It vitiates the journey Jaime has been on from my point of view, but it is very much of a piece with the spooky frame we're looking at the picture within.

Solidly four stars, transported me to my kidhood in Mercedes, Texas, and will transport you, too. Needing to be somewhere your family is not for the Yuletide celebrations? Here's a book that's set in a uniquely characterful corner of the US that has a lot to answer for historically. What could be more apt for reading in family-togetherness time? show less

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzales James is a historical fiction western, with some magical realism thrown in. Ms. James is an American author of Mexican origin; this is her second novel.

1865: Brothers Antonio and Hugo Sonoro leaves his home in a Mexican village, crossing the Rio Grande into Texas to rob a train full of treasure. The Texas Rangers are onto the two brothers, and in the mayhem that ensues Hugo dies and Antonio survives with a bullet to the faces. Now known as El Tragabalas, the Bullet Swallower, Antonio goes on a quest to avenge his dead brother.

1964: In Mexico City Jaime Sonoro, a successful entertainer, is writing a script about his famous show more grandfather. During his research, Jaime is given a book detailing his family’s dark history which shakes him to the bone.

I was surprised that I liked The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzales James as much as I did. The novel grabbed me right from the first page and kept me engaged throughout. Ms. James covers a lot of ground in a short space.

Many of the themes in the book appear in many western novels, movies, or TV shows like justice, racism, and revenge. The novel, however, also examines generational trauma, as well a somewhat philosophical discussion about sins of the father passing onto a future generation.

I enjoyed the powerful settings, as well as Antonio’s relationship with Peter Ainsley, an Englishman. Their wise-cracking banter was a lot of fun to read in between the action scenes. I also enjoyed the magical realism, in the form of an angel/devil named Remedios who is looking for payment for generations of evil actions.

The narrative was well written, the characters were defined, and the journey for Antionio, Jaime, and me was well worth it. The mash up of a Mexican western, a generational saga, and magical realism works extremely well at the hands of this talented author.

The author said that many parts of the story are true, and that her relative was known as El Tragabalas with many legends attached. I love the fact that she researched her roots and wrote a wonderful remaining of the family’s history. show less

Wow, this was an unexpected 5 star read, and to learn that it is based on the true story of the author's grandfather just made it even better!

James' writing is superb, so beautiful and it allowed me to envisage things so well. When Antonio was being hung by Casoose, and how he was experiencing his wounds/pain, was so well written, I could imagine the scenes playing out and Antonio's disorientation. If only GRs and Amazon would get their shit together so I could easily share my highlights!

The story kept on giving and kept my attention throughout, like a new loveable character may be introduced or suddenly they're heading to a lake that's said to be haunted! It was just intriguing throughout.
Then you have the underlying character of show more Remedio, who is kind of like the grim reaper who can travel through time, and it was nice that it all came together in the end. I'm assuming Antonio decided to go to hell, rather than his son/grandson, after he'd lived a long and lonesome, yet fruitful, life.

James is an excellent writer and I look forward to checking out her other works! show less

I listened to this in audiobook format.

This novel follows a Mexican-Texan family from late 1800s to 1960s. The patriarchs have a long history of brutal violence and greed accompanied by a curse to endure loss and devastation. But the latest son, upon learning of this history, is determined to take a different path. His story is interleaved with his great grandfather's (The Bullet Swallower) as he seeks revenge and then atonement. Throughout there's a bit of magical realism in the form of a death shadow that takes human form, stalking the family. There's a lot of shoot 'em up western scenes too. The story is about generational guilt and poses the question "are we responsible for our ancestors transgressions?" and if so "how do we show more atone?" It started a little slow but then picked up speed. I really enjoyed it by the end. show less

This book grazes the surface of some stunning themes - grief, redemption, purpose - but I wish it was twice as long so that the author could have delved deeper. The story was captivating but I occasionally found myself reeling from the breakneck pace of events.

That being said, I do think the brevity of this book presents an interesting parallel with the short song that Jaime finds about his grandfather. The idea that such a life could be captured in so few words astonishes Jaime, but he uses this opportunity to expand on the narrative himself. I find myself doing the same with this novel: wondering what more could be happening behind the words we are given.

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James reads exactly as described: a magical realism western about a cursed family living on the Mexican American border. The main narrative follows Antonio Sonoros in the late 1800s after the family has fallen from fortune and a secondary storyline takes place in the 1960s where Antonio’s grandson, Jaime, has become a famous Mexican movie star. Readers should prepare for everything a western promises including violence and shootouts, but James does a nice job of tempering it with the Jaime chapters and the magical moments.

A fantastical and fabulous story of a would-be bandit who didn't die and his descendants. It's also the story of how Mexicans have been treated by Americans', including eras when the boundaries between the countries were not where they are now.