Many historians consider America’s Mexican War of the 1840s to be an unjust war, one primarily waged to grab land for the extension of slavery and thus of human greed. Because of this motive and rampant nativism in the US Army, many immigrant soldiers deserted the American army to join the Mexican forces. This story tells of these soldiers’ formation of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion (many immigrants were Irish) and of their historical leader John Riley. Atop these historical nuggets of suffering and contention, Grande places a love story with a strong female protagonist.
In this work, Riley, a native of Ireland, and his love Ximena, a native of Mexico, unsuccessfully try to fight off American invaders. Ximena serves the army as a nurse while Riley leads the battalion. Riley’s soldiers have left American forces because of ethnic mistreatment. They fight courageously, and many die at the hands of the Americans. Saint Patrick’s Battalion ends up hanging from nooses in the largest mass execution in US history – a point of American shame.
Of course, as a patriotic American, this story seems to pick the wrong side for me. My studies on the Mexican War have convinced me that it was indeed an unjust war. Even the great president Abraham Lincoln agreed in his objections while in Congress. Nonetheless, this book contains strikingly negative portrayals of Americans – including nativism, hubris, and war crimes. The reader should be prepared for these. I would have liked for Americans to have been painted in a more nuanced light, but I also fear that such a portrayal might not have been reflected in the historical record. It also reminds me of more recent events in my country’s imperfect history.
Precisely because this book hits on such tender points does it deserve to be read today. Further, nativism, immigration, and America’s southern border are political hot points in the news today. Reading this book makes me think that their roots lie in deep history, perhaps embedded in human nature. Regardless, discomfort is a reason to read a book, not to eschew it. Such is true with Grande’s novel. It reminds us that human nobility transcends race, religion, or nationality; instead, it is something bound up with loyal love and glory.
A Ballad of Love and Glory: A Novel
By Reyna Grande
Copyright (c) 2022
Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
ISBN13: 9781982165260
Page Count: 384
Genre: Historical Fiction
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