Las Soldaderas: Women of the Mexican Revolution
Poniatowska, a dazzlingly poetic Mexican writer of conscience, basedHere's to You, Jesusa!(1969), one of her most revered novels, on the life of asoldadera, one of the many forgotten woman warriors of the Mexican Revolution. Now, in a bright weave of history, lore, and reflection, Poniatowska celebrates thesoldaderas' courage and fortitude. She writes, "Without the soldaderas, there is no Mexican Revolution--they kept it alive and fertile, like the earth." Vulnerable to abduction and rape at home, Mexican women chose to go to war to fight, care for the wounded, and keep the fires burning. Valued by Emiliano Zapata but reviled by Pancho Villa, who massacred 90soldaderosone dark day in December 1916, Mexico's revolutionary women soldiers have been all but excised from history. Poniatowska resurrects their astonishing stories, while striking photographs culled from the vast archive created by Agustin Casasola, whose complete oeuvre is showcased inMexico: The Revolution and Beyond(2003), preserve thesoldaderas'dignity, strength, and beauty, creating a unique and welcoming volume that reclaims women of valor with grace and precision.Donna SeamanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved