Assessment:

Plot: This is a clever premise, with a distinct historical setting for a novel of loss and revenge. Few American readers understand how NAFTA truly impacted Mexico, and this novel offers a vivid look inside the rebellion against those consequences.

Prose/Style: The writing is always solid, though sometimes a little overwrought, particularly in the romance scenes.

Originality: The author has made a very interesting choice, setting his reluctant protagonist, Nate Hunter, in the middle of the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas, circa 1992-93.

Character Development: Nate's decency is always placed so far in the foreground that it's hard to chart his growing sympathy for the rebellion. His desire for vengeance, closely connected to the murder of his wife, often overshadows his empathy for the rebels and limits his depth. His Hemingway-esque, Robert Jordan-style hero's death is a little too predictable, though.

Blurb: A tale of a surprising twist of fate that sends an ordinary Dallas computer expert to the heartland of the Zapatista Rebellion in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. This book is full of vivid descriptions and nuanced portraits of people living on the edge until they decide to strike back.

Date Submitted: May 17, 2019