Lit List Short Reviews: Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice by Amy Shannon; Ghost of the Rio Grande The Reluctant Tejano Hero Stands Up To Conspiracy, Murder and Injustice Along The Border or The War and Punitive Expedition By The U.S. Into Mexico 1916-1917 by Don A Holbrook Story by Gilberto Beto Garcia Jr.
Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice by Amy Shannon
Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice is an emotional, strong, and inspirational fictionalized account of author Amy Shannon's fight against her abusive husband to obtain justice and live with the short and long term after effects from years of domestic violence.
The fictionalized version of Shannon is called Anna Coleman. She has woken up in the hospital after her husband, Ted beat her. Instead of crying and blaming herself for the abuse, Anna is understandably angry. She has had enough of trying to make a faltering abusive marriage work. Even though their son died and the two have been in mourning, it doesn’t excuse his drug use, his angry fists, his belittling of her, his ever changing moods, and her frequent hospitalizations thanks to his beatings of her. After an intense fight in which she manages to escape to a nearby police station and is taken to the hospital, Anna decides to file for divorce.
Anna is a very strong character dealing with her divorce and the physical and psychological aftereffects of the abuse. While dealing with a stressful court case, Anna has migraines that developed because of the constant beatings and falling down. She also has to cope with betrayal when some of her and her husband’s friends side with Ted. Through it all, Anna has a determination and inner strength to break free from her marriage, assert her independence, and live her own life.
What is particularly admirable about Anna’s story is how much it mirrors her author’s. According to her epilogue, Shannon used her own real life troubled marriage and subsequent divorce as inspiration for her book. There were some major differences between fictional and real life (Shannon actually has children during the divorce but opted to keep them out of the fictional version to keep them free from any publicity. She also did not begin a tentative romance with an attorney as Anna does in the book). However much of Shannon’s real life pain and triumph is echoed in her book. For example, the fight which led to Shannon’s escape to a police station and hospitalization is true to life. Also Anna’s badass speech in court in which she revealed exactly what Ted did to her and that she can’t forgive him for his abuse and betrayal is almost word for word a speech in which Shannon said to her own ex.
It cannot be stressed enough how graphic and realistic the violence is, of course it would be. It can be triggering for some Readers. (Shannon warns of this herself in the opening). But it is truthful about a woman who struggled in a difficult situation and courageously and heroically found her way out in fiction and most importantly in reality.
Don A. Holbrook and Gilberto Beto Garcia Jr tell a suspenseful and exciting Western and Espionage Thriller, Ghost of The Rio Grande The Reluctant Tejano Hero Stands Up to Conspiracy, Murder, and Injustice Along The Border or The War and Punitive Expedition by the U.S. Into Mexico, 1916-1917.
Fabriciano Garcia is in a huge mess of trouble. He shot a Texas Ranger in self-defense after they tried to evict him and his family from his father-in-law’s ranch. Fabriciano goes on the run and becomes an outlaw with the name of El Fantomas or The Ghost. He caught the attention of Francois LaBorde, an eccentric hotelier. Francois gets Fabriciano involved in more international intrigue involving people with names like Mata Hari and an international war against the Germans and will soon involve the entire world.
Ghost of the Rio Grande is an interesting mixture of Meso-American Western and International Espionage Thriller. It captures the time when the United States, long believed to hold onto an isolationist largely nationalistic policy, was thrust into a larger international spotlight. One of the key moments in the book is the discovery of the Zimmerman Telegram, a telegram intercepted by British intelligence, which proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico if the United States got involved in the war. The book shows how this revelation affected all of the countries involved by showing what the ramifications meant for Germany, The United States, and Mexico.
The book also takes a hard look at the policies that the United States had with Mexico which led to many decades, even centuries, of fractured relations between the two countries and racist policies towards Central and South American immigrants. This is seen through Fabriciano’s journey from being one of many immigrants trying to make their way in a country that doesn’t always want them there. Racism drives Fabriciano away from his family and restrictive policies drive him to take on a life of crime. Ironically, the international situation allows Fabriciano to aid the country that once turned him away and branded him a criminal.
Fabriciano is an excellent protagonist to understand and root for. Even when he commits illegal acts, he always does it with the best of intentions and for the assistance of others. While on the run, he longs to be back with his wife, Manuela and their children. He becomes close friends with various characters during his time on the run. One in particular is so close to Fabriciano that when he is killed, Fabriciano who faced countless dangers in spying missions, is ready to go on another mission to kill this character’s assassin. He is willing to put his identity on the line for justice for his late friend. Fabriciano is a character of deep convictions and loyalty. This book shows that.
Ghost of the Rio Grande is a fascinating look at a history that is only mildly explored in American history books and brings it to life with interesting characters that take a fresh perspective to that history.
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