El Camino Del Rio

Rating:
Summary: El Camino Del Rio is amazing for the complexity of character
Review: Dolph Martinez is a Border Patrol agent in Presidio, Texas, the heart of Big Bend. During a tracking expedition, he discovers a murdered wet, a mojado, and from there begins unraveling the biggest drug scandal in Presidio's history. He discovers not only that both sides of the border are involved but that his friends are as well. As Dolph carries out his regular duties and his investigation, he is vexed by Barbara Quinn, a local nun and suspected curandera who preaches of "pure pain" and of having "mercy, compassion, and grace" for the "poor and dispossessed." She tells Agent Martinez that he should listen to his blood, and it is this dilemma that each character in the novel faces. The brutality of living on the border changes these individuals in both body and in spirit. Their harsh environment alters their perceptions of right and wrong, of what is real, even. El Camino Del Rio is amazing for the complexity of its characters. Happenstance controls these individuals' lives in a place where what is right and wrong are not always clear and where boundaries and rules, set not only by the American and Mexican governments but by the land itself, are everything. The border dictates their existence, and they are left to accept their fate, feeling as though they have no say-so in the outcome of their lives. Some are fortunate enough to escape; they see the harshness of the border and leave. But those who stay are sucked into an emotional numbness that changes who they are and what they believe.

Rating:
Summary: Real flavor of the region and people
Review: I thought there were only two current Tx authors, McMurtry and DeMarinis. Wrong again. This is a facinating book, a vivid description of the Presidio-Candelaria-Chinati Hot Springs region and the 'I hate law' people who are attracted to it. For those who want to experience it first hand, we can recommend a B&B across the river from Candelaria in San Antonio del Bravo (run by one of Sanderson's Presidio school teachers) where you can enter into local Mexian culture. Hiking in the region is not, however, without some danger from the Mexican Army. The B&B is extremely comfortable, has a 'Toscana' view of the Chinati mountains in the north, and has an excellent cook. Take El Camino del Rio with you and read it there!