Editorial Content for The Intrigue

In THE INTRIGUE, Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes us back in time to Mexico in the 1940s as we follow the adventures of Ulises Linares (not his real name), a con man with a problem. Ulises was raised by his father, who was handsome, clever and very successful in his ability to charm women out of their money. Unfortunately, while Ulises inherited some of his father's good looks, he did not possess the wit necessary to thrive in his profession.

When Ulises foolishly tries to defraud a wealthy widow out of her money, a woman with three grown sons who do not look kindly upon Ulises' attempt to fleece her, he flees Jalisco (a state in Mexico). Back in Mexico City, he can't pay the rent on his cheap lodgings and glumly reviews his options, which are limited.

Ulises has corresponded with women who posted ads in a lonely hearts section of a magazine. One who responded to him is a widow from Monclova, the other a spinster from Veracruz. The latter was vague about her financials, saying that she owned a guesthouse. But because of the debacle he fled, he decides not to try to cheat another widow. A spinster is a better bet as there won't be any angry sons. He heads to Veracruz, specifically to Puerto Ahogado, a town so small they don’t even have a bank there.

"The darkness of the situations the characters live in, the religious overtones that suppress emotions, and the hauteur of the upper class all serve to take us to another world --- one that is geographically close but in some ways could be another universe."

Ulises meets the spinster, Perla, a distinguished woman whose desire for respectability supersedes all else. Perla lives with her niece, Inés, and some servants in the large mansion built by earlier generations. Those were more prosperous times. When the coffee business was booming, the family lived large, with a governess for Perla and her sister and brother. But as times changed, so did their fortunes.

Moreno-Garcia balances the “present” time and Ulises’ attempt to ingratiate himself into Perla’s good graces with the past and how Perla ended up unmarried and alone, except for Inés, in the home. What we find as the veneer of civilization is gradually peeled away is that primitive emotions, anger, jealousy and lust cloud the minds of the characters. Under the pristine surface, there are sexual encounters, drunks and deaths.

What is made clear in these pages is the plight of females in misogynistic Mexico. Unmarried women were relegated to live as housekeepers or caretakers. In fact, in Perla's family, she was the oldest daughter. Her older brother was consigned to take over the family business. She was to marry well to boost the family coffers, and her youngest sister was to remain a spinster and take care of her parents in their elder years.

As we learn, there is a name for these women, “la quedada,” meaning “the one who stays.” Moreno-Garcia writes, “This was the plight of the spinster. The town strangles any joy out of a girl who had failed to marry, punishing her for a crime against society.”

When Perla's sister refuses to fulfill her responsibilities, and her brother dies young, the roles are changed. Perla ends up caring for her parents and inherits the house when they pass away. But now she must decide if she should marry...and, if so, whom. Denied any joy or freedom, Inés acts as a maid, a tailor and a housekeeper. Her birth was a scandal, as Perla's sister returned with her daughter, a bastard, who did not carry her father's name. In the Mexican culture, a person's last name consists of the father's last name and then the mother's last name. But because Inés’ mother was not married, Inés has only one last name, which has caused much bullying and ridicule all of her life.

So when Ulises comes to woo Perla, Inés suspects something is awry. After finding out what he is up to, she says she will assist him but demands half of her aunt's money. The story delves into the relationship that develops between the niece and the con man. 

The setting, Mexico in the last century, is enlightening. We see the Sunday ritual of people who congregate at the center of town so that those who are single can meet and court. The women stroll around the plaza in one direction and the men in the other. There are often bands playing in the gazebos, and I know from experience that confetti-filled eggs can be purchased for boys to break over the heads of girls they have a crush on. We learn that “[p]eople who have not been introduced cannot speak to each other, and people from the lower classes --- easily identified by their clothing or their looks, for dark skin is low and pale indicates a more elevated status --- would never dare to even glance too long at the ladies of great lineages.”

While we might think that such things are behind us, I remember around 15 years ago that a student recently arrived from Mexico City referred to those with dark skin as “los indios” in an extremely pejorative tone, a scathing denouncement of those classmates who had dark skin tone. Such demarcations of class based on skin color are not just prejudices of the past.

In the novel, we see primitive parades as the religious festivals are celebrated with statues of saints hoisted on platforms and raised above the crowds in the streets. There is almost a frenzy as some wear tiger masks. The repression of emotions leads to sexual repression, which results (not surprisingly) in unchecked lust that explodes behind doors and in dark alleys. Greed overcomes almost all other emotions as Ulises and Inés plot and plan a way to enrich their lives.

THE INTRIGUE is a fascinating look at Mexico almost a century ago. But as we read, we wonder how much has changed. Although they do have a female president who is quite progressive, things are very different in the pueblitos, the small rural towns. The darkness of the situations the characters live in, the religious overtones that suppress emotions, and the hauteur of the upper class all serve to take us to another world --- one that is geographically close but in some ways could be another universe.