Tampico’s Gold
Told in the form of a diary, Tampico’s Gold allows readers a glimpse inside Anna’s life and struggles as she is transplanted to Tampico, Mexico from England and tries to fit into this foreign land. Newly married, her husband is unaware of the loneliness she feels while he is at work. Unable to find actual friendships, Anna turns to her books, and each book that she reads seeps into the passages of her diary. But unexpected friendships find her, and she is surprised when they open the door to chaos.
This book was a bit of a slow read, yet nevertheless highly enjoyable. Elizabeth Braun does a brilliant job showcasing the everyday life of a woman who feels as though she doesn’t belong in her new land. I also enjoyed how the diary entries center around the books Anna was reading while making the entry; this adds an extra layer to the book. The only flaw that I found was that while Anna is English, the diary betrays the author’s American nationality – the use of American rather than British English hindered things a bit. Other than that, however, I found this to be a delightful read.
