‘Into the Beautiful North’ by Luis Alberto Urrea, 2009

Luis Alberto Urrea is a writer of such incredible talent that, at every opportunity, I foist his books onto my unsuspecting friends and family. Urrea is the author of ‘The Hummingbird’s Daughter’ which I came across a couple years ago, and was deeply awed by the beauty of the story. His lush depictions of rural Mexico are unforgettable.

Now in Urrea’s newest book, ‘Into the Beautiful North,’ the imagery is no less rich or evocative. The story is that of a small seaside town in the Mexican state of Sinaloa called ‘Tres Camarones’ (yes, Three Shrimp). Inflation has made the cost of living impossible, so all the men have gone north to look for work in the United States—‘Los Yunaites.’ When a group of bandidos comes to Tres Camarones, a young woman named  Nayeli gathers a group of unlikely comrades and heads north on a mission to bring back seven warriors to protect and defend their town. This idea came to her after watching the western film, ‘The Magnificent Seven’ which is based on the classic Japanese movie, ‘Seven Samurai.’

I found myself laughing at the characters, which are so vividly drawn-out. The interplay of Spanish and English is very funny, and even non-Spanish speakers will chuckle at the humor. Near the end of the story I dreaded having to pull myself away from the world that Urrea has painted, away from the homes that are painted in such brightly clashing colors that ‘the human eye began to rattle in the socket.’ Away from the peaceful shore where crabs dance sideways. And mostly from the characters themselves. They compliment the beautiful writing, and make the experience of reading the story a small marvel.