A Ballad of Love and Glory takes place in 1846. After Texas has been annexed, the US army begins to head south to start a war with Mexico over the Río Grande border. The novel follows Mexican army nurse, Ximena Salomé Benítez y Catalán and Irish soldier, John Riley. To honor the memory of her deceased husband, Ximena uses her skills in healing to tend to those injured in the war. After John Riley deserts the US Army, he forms a group within the Mexican Army called the Saint Patrick’s Battalion or El Batallón de San Patricio. As tensions rise between Mexico and the US, so does the love and passion between Ximena and John.
Ximena Salomé Benítez y Catalán is a gifted healer and has learned her skills from her grandmother, Nana Hortencia, a renowned curandera in the area. She lives on her ranch with her husband, Joaquín, but when the infamous Texas Rangers make their way onto her home, she is left a widow. This incident, on top of the impending war, sparks the drive for Ximena to be on the frontlines by using her healing skills to tend to patients, on both sides of the war. Upon meeting a new Irish soldier, Ximena begins an affair with him and finds a new reason to fight for the fate of her nation.
John Riley is a soldier for the US army but becomes frustrated with the mistreatment that he, along with his other Irish and European comrades, faces at the hands of the Yankees. When the final straw takes shape in the death of a good friend, he swims across the Río Grande to join ranks within the Mexican army. He quickly finds better treatment as well as better opportunities to rise in the ranks. When he does, he forms the Saint Patrick’s Battalion. Riley has a wife and son back in Ireland but begins an affair with the army nurse. After a number of taxing battles, he soon faces the greater consequences of this war.
“Grande’s thorough research of the Mexican-American War, or the U.S. Intervention in Mexico, as Mexico calls it, brings forth a significant part of history that is often forgotten.”
Grande’s thorough research of the Mexican-American War, or the U.S. Intervention in Mexico, as Mexico calls it, brings forth a significant part of history that is often forgotten. John Riley and his battalion are seen as traitors to Americans and as heroes to Mexico – to this day, they are praised as such in the country they fought for. Something I appreciate is that she includes the various texts that she read to learn more about this war and group. Like Grande, I did not learn about the Mexican-American War until taking my first Chicano/a/x history class. I have been drawn to the history of this battle and to the heroes in Saint Patrick’s Battalion, and I am happy to see that their history continues to live on. Vivan Los San Patricios! Erin Go Bragh!
Book content warnings: Murder, violence, sexual assault, NSFW
Reyna Grande was born in Mexico and arrived in the United States at a young age. She attended Pasadena City College, received her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an M.F.A. from Antioch University. She has been the recipient of various awards, appeared on many prestigious media outlets, and her books are part of reading selections in educational institutions across the country. To be awarded and praised for one’s writing while also being included in educational readings is an incredible feat. It is evident that Grande’s writing is a force to be reckoned with.
Melissa Gonzalez (she/her) is a UCLA graduate with a major in American Literature & Culture and a minor in Chicana/o & Central American Studies. She loves boba, horror movies, and reading. You can spot her in the fiction, horror/mystery/thriller, and young adult sections of bookstores. Though she is short, she feels as tall as her TBR pile. You can find Melissa on her book Instagram: @floralchapters
