Introduction

In the small Colombian mountain village of Mariquita, a band of guerrillas storms in to protest the country's ruling government. They arrive with propaganda and guns, and when they depart they have forcibly recruited all the town's men, leaving behind only a few—the priest and a young, fair-skinned boy disguised as a little girl.

In their wake, Mariquita becomes a sinking wasteland filled with women who quickly resign themselves to food shortages, littered streets, and mourning. Without men, life is hopeless, and getting along, nearly impossible. But, Rosalba viuda de Patiño, wife of the former police sergeant, sees a different fate for the town of widows. She declares herself magistrate and promises to instill law and order while restoring the failing economy and infrastructure. Reluctantly, the women agree to join forces. A utopia emerges, one that ironically resembles the ideal society the guerrilla group claims to promote.

Deft, rich, and darkly humorous, Tales from the Town of Widows is a captivating exploration of gender and sexuality that uses the ongoing conflict in Colombia as a backdrop. It presents a fascinating portrait of ill-fated wives and the war that helped them build a peaceful, equality-based society.

Exquisitely wrought, remarkably original, James Cañón's stunning debut marks the arrival of an unforgettable new literary talent.

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Excerpt

Chapter 1: The Day The Men Disappeared

Mariquita, November 15, 1992

THE DAY THE MEN disappeared started as a typical Sunday morning in Mariquita: the roosters forgot to announce dawn, the sexton overslept, the church bell didn’t summon the faithful to attend the early service, and (as on every Sunday for the past ten years) only one person showed up for six o’clock mass: Doña Victoria viuda de Morales, the Morales widow. The widow was accustomed to this routine, and so was el padre Rafael. The first few times it had been uncomfortable for both of them: the small priest almost invisible behind the pulpit, delivering his homily, the widow sitting alone in the first row, tall and buxom, quite still, her head covered with a black veil that dropped over her shoulders. Eventually they decided to ignore the ceremony and often sat together in a corner drinking coffee and gossiping. On the day the men disappeared, el padre Rafael complained to the widow about the severe decrease in the church’s revenue, and they discussed ways to revive the tithe among the faithful. After their chat, they agreed to skip confession, but the widow received communion nonetheless. Then she said a few prayers before returning to her house. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the Publisher:

1. One of the astonishing things about this book is that the author chose to write it in English, a language he didn't even begin speaking until 1995.

a). Do you think this would be a completely different book had he written it in his first language?
b). How do you think it would be different?

2. One of the reviewers described Tales from the Town of Widows as "prime magical realism a la García Márquez, Cortázar and Vargas Llosa."

a). Do you agree with that characterization?
b). How would you characterize this book?
c). How does this book compare to other South American novels?

3. When their men are taken away by communist guerrillas, the women of Mariquita lose their family providers.

a). What else, in your opinion, did the women of Mariquita lose?
b). What did they gain?

4. James Cañón’s debut novel puts forth a fascinating societal question: what if all the men in a town were wiped out in a war, and the women were left alone? With the current situation in our country, and much of the world, this topic is sure to spark serious discussion.

a). Do you think males are expendable?
b). What would a community without men in America be like?
c). What would you do if you were left to develop a whole new way of coping with the trials of everyday life?
d). What new systems would you put into place?
e). Could you come up with something better?
f). Could you impact the world in new and improved ways?

5. Cañón challenges the modern ideas of gender and sexuality, questions whether socialist principles are the evil we believe them to be, and above all, provokes new ways to view equality and leadership in today’s often confused social atmosphere.

a). Do you agree?
b). Why?

6. Jonathan Kirsch, from The Washington Post Book World Review, said about the chronicles from the men, which alternate with the Tales from the women, that “the occasional moments of atrocity go off like land mines among the more frequent moments of sexual adventure and sexual ambiguity that decorate this otherwise comic account of the rise and fall of a gynocratic utopia.”

a). Do you agree?
b). What was your reaction to the vignettes from the men?

7. This book tackles big issues—religion, politics, gender, history, and Latin American studies.

a). Do you think that literature can play a role in achieving social justice?
b). Do you think that literature can influence the politics of a region?

Weblinks

»	Publisher's Book Info
»	Author James Canon's web site
»	Author Web Site
»	Publisher Book Web Site

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