Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was another fascinating summer read for me. This novel is considered speculative fiction with a setting in the real world that has elements of the supernatural or magic. For anyone that loves gothic novels, this one can keep a reader riveted to the pages. With how exceptional it was, I decided Mexican Gothic deserves a review.
The novel is set in Mexico of 1950 revolving around a wealthy young woman, Noemi Taboada. She is a stunning socialite that longs to pursue a career as an anthropologist. However, her family wants her to concentrate on catching a rich husband and settle as a wife and mother instead of following her dreams.
However, Noemi’s life takes a sudden change of plans when her father tells her that her orphaned and recently married cousin, Catalina, sent him a strange note that her life may be in jeopardy from being poisoned. The part of the letter that mentions the walls of their house comes alive and move with some frightening power has Noemi’s father, her former guardian, questioning the sanity of his niece. He knew how sudden the marriage was and to an Anglo-Saxon family with old money from their Mexican silver mine in a remote part of the country that give him reason for concern. Thus, he makes his daughter a deal. If she goes to visit and investigate the situation, he will allow her to go to the university.
From the very beginning once Noemi meets Francis, a cousin of Catalina’s new family, that was sent to meet her train, she immediately picks on something troubling him. He is evasive and apparently haunted by whatever it is.
After meeting the patriarch of the family, Howard Doyle, his son, Virgil, and the strict family that have set rules about everything including forbidding talking at meals and allowing Noemi to be alone with her cousin. To top it off, she can’t understand the odd questions about her dark coloring and blood line that gives her an eerie feeling.
Before long, Noemi learns that her cousin may not be crazy and finally develops a friendship with Francis, who is the closest of the Doyle family that she can trust because the house and its occupants have secrets.
The longer that Noemi remains in the house, the more danger she becomes in this spooky atmosphere of this old house and its creep English family cemetery where nothing is at it seems. If you want to read a dark mysterious book that packs plenty of surprises, a bit of gore and think highly of mushrooms, then you’ll need to read Mexican Gothic because it is worth your time and collection of books.
