In Search of Bernabe

2 reviews for In Search of Bernabe

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Candice B. – September 24, 2023

   Lovely, moving novel
   This was a really good read, especially if you’re interested in Latin American fiction. It’s moving, sad, and soulful. I would read it again.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   toni – September 24, 2023

   personally and politically insightful!

   in this award-winning novel, graciela limon digs beyond borders and boundaries – and delves deep into the human psyche in an attempt to unearth and unravel the twisted roots that lie tangled beneath a decaying tree of life – in a bold exploration of human behavior.
   with memorable, immortal, superbly-crafted, 3-dimensional characters that struggle to survive in an historically accurate setting depictive of civil-war-torn 1980s central america — and with paragraph after paragraph peppered with tales of graphic abuse and abandonment endured by generation after generation — the author poses possible and plausible explanations for the cold-hearted, calculating “peddling of death” that takes place, ironically, in the “city of the savior.”
   numerous biblical/religious references, as well as psychological speculations serve as catalysts for critical thought spurred as the readers witness the horrors of death and destruction through the eyes of a grieving mother/land who mourns the loss of beloved son/s barely out of their cradles. and, as luz delcano goes off “in search of (her son) bernabe,” who disappears during a moment of militaristic madness, murder and mayhem — we join her on a journey, in search of comprehension for such incomprehensible behavior.
   the manner in which limon introduces international intervention is commendable — she deals with the delicate subject of the u.s.’s (in)direct involvement deftly and directly in an enlightening way via her creation of a priest tormented by the preachings of a guilty conscience (in the voice of a dead friend and arms-negotiating accomplice)that lead/s and follow/s him to his grave.
   the expert use of irony adds to the richness of the text, as foils are juggled and juxtaposed — such as in the delcano brothers’ case — one, an army colonel, a devil in an “angel’s” dis/guise, who orders the execution of his own brother — a seminarian-reluctantly-turned-guerrilla, who is “hounded by the thought that (his) victims were his brothers,” and by the awareness that “he…had become…as monstrous as the enemy.”
   when all is said and done, limon does a fantastic job of describing the utter futility and senselessness of such tragedy — as she describes the executioner’s dismay as he finds himself unable to savor the flavor of his vengeance — perhaps proving the point that revenge is much more bitter than sweet; as would be the fruit on a tree that has its roots (mal)nourished by the blood-spilling of (in)human nature.
   limon, with her remarkable ability to fabulously blend fiction not far removed from fact, has given us a compelling, realistic look at the dark side of human (un)kind; a wonderful, brutal view of a world gone wrong — and one very much in need of a savior!