Beating the Devil
In the 1930s near the Texas town of El Paso, young Carlos has grown to become a tough-minded fighter. He dreams of crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico to begin a new life away from a place where he feels trapped, so he earns money with his fists against larger opponents in the ring. After arriving in Mexico, he hears of the legendary guerilla fighter named Chavez, called the Mexican Robin Hood by the peasant population. Curious and looking for a little adventure, Carlos joins his band and becomes an important member of this rag-tag group of desperados as they fight against the injustice perpetrated by Mexico’s large ranch owners.
This is an interesting story about the Mexican peasant population who were exploited by the rich during the ´30s. The author exposes the inequality that existed for many years in this primarily poor country. I enjoyed this book. It was well written, the characters—especially Carlos, the dwarf, and Chavez—were engaging, and the story was a real page-turner. If you enjoy fast-paced westerns, this book is well worth reading.
