Last Train from Cuernavaca
In 1913, the President of Mexico has been ousted and replaced by Madero, the reform-minded president pro tem, who is quickly assassinated and replaced by Victoriano Huerta. Those serving with these passing regimes are murderers and thieves. The people of Cuernavaca and the Mexican capital find themselves beginning to shift their support either to the infamous Emiliano Zapata or simply to hide in fear of the military troops who are more like desperados than disciplined supporters of justice and reform.
The central characters of Robson’s novel present a unique yet representative blend of idealism, tradition, patriotism, and passion. They include the noble Captain Federico Martin, a member of the Mexican nobility who mentally decries the politicized destruction of his homeland while he recognizes that he must obey his commanding officer, and Grace Knight, a former British widower who has created a flourishing, respectable hotel in Cuernavaca. Rico and Grace will do whatever is necessary to protect their beloved homeland and yet deal with the battle between the military and revolutionary troops approaching an ultimate showdown.
Kidnappings, imprisonment, and awful destruction fill these pages. But more than that, readers will celebrate the forging of vibrant, relevant characters at the forefront of a rebirth for Mexico. Robson’s gift for presenting a credible, dynamic plot makes the reader feel he or she is right there in the heart of every battle for the minds, bodies, emotions and spirits of notable characters willing to be held accountable for the travesties and victories of history.
