The Pandemic Ushers Reyna Grande’s Most Ambitious Novel

Melinda Palacio

Reyna unboxing her proofs of A Ballad of Love and Glory

 

Reyna Grande left no stone unturned while researching her new novel, A Ballad of Love and Glory, (Atria Books 2021), which tells the story of the San Patricios, the Irish brigade who fought in the Mexican-American War, composed of deserters from the American ranks, who switched sides to defend Mexico. For several decades, the US denied the existence of the Saint Patrick's Battalion, many of whom were hanged and met a terrible death at the hands of the Americans. Even though their efforts did not result in a win for Mexico, but rather a staggering loss where Mexico lost half of its territory to the US, Mexico remains grateful to the Irish for fighting so valiantly. Grande’s research included dozens of historical books on the Mexican-American War, Texas Rebellion and the Battle of the Alamo. She also poured over books on Irish history the Great Famine, as well as books on artillery warfare, cockfightings, and the flora and fauna of South Texas and northern Mexico.

 

Although the novel features a strong female Mexican protagonist, Grande said she was surprised by having had an easier time writing from her Irish protagonist's point of view. The first chapters she wrote were from the point of view of John Riley, the leader of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion, who was under the command of general Antonio López de Santa Anna. What’s impressive about this novel, is how authentic the Irish soldiers sound, and not just the main character, but the voices of the different soldiers. I asked Grande how she managed to recreate the syntax of an Irish soldier. “I read nineteenth century Irish literature and diaries and I hired an Irish historian to read the manuscript and help me with details and point out my mistakes. Cathal Smith, author of American Planters and Irish Landlords in Comparative and Transnational Perspective: Lords of Land and Labor, helped her infuse the story with Irish Gaelic and weave in bits of Irish history and  Irish sayings seamlessly into her impressive fictional account.

Reyna Grande and historian Cathal Smith in Ireland

 

While the war is a main character in the novel, at the heart of the story is the romance between John Riley and fictional character Ximena Salomé Benitez y Catalán, a Mexican healer from the area known today as the Rio Grande Valley. Researching John Riley’s historical role in the Saint Patrick’s Battalion made writing his character easier after having learned enough about his role in the war. “I had a hard time with Ximena,” Grande said. “Though she is based on a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, I had to create her from scratch. I skipped a lot of her chapters from the beginning. It wasn’t until 2020, when the pandemic happened that I started to really work on her.” The prolific writer says once she realized how Ximena sees the world, it was easy to writer from her point of view. The poetic voice of the healer finally emerged and Grande was able to finish her historical novel.

 

During the past decade, Grande has published works of nonfiction, including two memoirs. A Ballad of Love and Glory is her return to fiction after thirteen years. Grande is excited and nervous about the reception of her third novel. Although the subject may make some people uncomfortable, she wanted to reclaim this part of history. "I felt empowered in understanding this history," she said. "I want to help people understand that the Mexican Americans who live here are not outsiders. 

 One of the things that surprised her in writing the novel was how fun it was writing about the Santa Anna, who became her favorite character. “He’s the most hated man in Mexico and I was intimidated writing about him,” she said. “Since the very first scene, he jumped off the page and I didn’t have to work so hard on making him believable. He is such a talker; I couldn’t get him to stop talking!” 

 

Reyna Grande’s book launch begins at Vroman’s in Pasadena, March 15, where she will be in conversation with Héctor Tobar. The pandemic didn't slow her down. She has more events and another book out June 7. She is the co-editor of Somewhere We Are Human, an anthology of migrants, refugees and Dreamers. Both new books are available for pre-order on her website.