As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.
Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.
Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.
When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.
And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.
When I first finished Cañas’s The Hacienda a couple of years ago, I put the book to the side thinking “I may have just found a new favorite author.” Having just now finished Vampires of El Norte I can say without a doubt that Cañas is now not only a favorite, but an instant-buy author for me.
I will admit it took me a while to read Vampires of El Norte. This is something you can see on my Goodreads updates. But it was not, in any way, due to the book itself – it was because my attention span is terrible and I am juggling far more books at one time than I should be. Every time I focused on Vampires of El Norte I was riveted. I was enthralled by the characters, the setting, and the plot. And once I hit my stride, I was able to finish the last 100 pages in such a short time. I could not look away.
Cañas has this beautiful ability to give a special voice to a feeling or observance. She explains things in such a unique but beautiful way and these explanations and descriptions are some of the best I have read in my life. I would enthusiastically read a shampoo bottle label if she wrote it. It would probably make washing my hair more exciting, to be completely honest. She just has this gorgeous, measured ability to choose the perfect words to express exactly what she is trying to convey to the readers and it always comes across so beautifully written. I am not kidding when I say I was enthralled by her writing, both in Vampires and The Hacienda.
In her “behind the book section,” Cañas writes that the story began with the character of Néstor Duarte and he was, indeed, the heart of the story. His love for Nena and the strength of his character is so strong and so evident: there is no mistaking either. Nena is equally important, however, and her side of the story is just as beautiful and tinged with heart that together they carry the story out into the night. It just runs away with them, leaving readers caring little about what is happening elsewhere beyond the borders of their relationship and problems.
I genuinely love Cañas’s version of vampires and how she wove them into Mexican culture and lore. She presses them so firmly and carefully into the story that one almost forgets that they don’t exist. They seem so plausible and real and it’s almost disconcerting how entrenched they become in the timeline. As if there really were vampires about in 1840s Mexico. I could almost feel them watching me as I read, Cañas created and described them so well.
I could honestly gush about this book for hours. I would love to talk to someone, anyone, about the book because I truly enjoyed it that much. Thankfully, I have a book club that will be reading this book with whom I will absolutely be sharing my joy.
Have you read this book? What did you think? If you are a fan of vampires and/or Latin American lit, please give this book a go and then come tell me about it. I want to talk to so many people about it.
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