The Vampires of El Norte takes place at the start of the Mexican-American War when the Americanos have started their invasion into Mexico. This book focuses on a pair of characters as they find themselves not only having to decide how to defend their home against the oncoming onslaught, but also, as it turns out, against a strange creature that has plagued both of them for years.
When this book first starts off, Néstor and Nena are young teenagers. She is the eldest daughter from a prominent rancho, Los Ojuelos, while Néstor is the son of a vaquero (livestock herder) for the rancho and is expected to grow into a similar role. All of their lives, Nena and Néstor have been close, and they have an unspoken belief that they will always be together. Of course, the idea of someone like Nena ever marrying a lowly vaquero is ridiculous, especially since she will almost certainly be married off to a neighboring rancho in order to solidify her family's alliances.
One night, while on an adventure to find buried Spanish silver, the pair encounter a strange beast. Nena is attacked and Néstor carries her sick body back to the hacienda. When Nena's parents declare her dead, Néstor is dumbstruck and leaves Rancho Los Ojuelos. He can't imagine spending another day there without Nena.
Fast-forward nine years and Néstor has been on a circuit between several major ranchos picking up work wherever he was needed, but in all that time, he has never gone back to the place of his childhood. When rumor starts that the Americanos are starting to invade, Néstor is contacted by one of the Dons near Los Ojuelos and is asked to return to join the militia being formed in order to fight for his home territory.
While Néstor is afraid to confront the Nena's family, since he knows he is responsible for Nena's death, he feels duty-bound to return. So imagine his surprise when he finds Nena alive and well and really angry with him for leaving nine years ago.
In the years since her attack, Nena has become a strong woman and trained under Néstor's abuela, a well-known healer in the area. With her guidance, Nena has helped care for a lot of people over the years, but there is a rash of susto affecting the inhabitants of Rancho Los Ojuelos, and both Nena and her mentor work hard to heal the sick, in body and soul.
Curiously enough, Nena doesn't seem to have very strong memories of the night she was attacked. What she remembers most is that when she woke up the next day (after an intensive night of healing from Néstor's abuela) her best friend had left and despite all the times she hoped he would write to her, he never did. When she first sees Néstor after almost a decade of silence, her anger becomes palpable and Néstor's own shock at seeing her alive doesn't let him try and explain himself in a reasonable manner. Néstor's shocked reaction only helps to fuel Nena's anger, and what was once a relationship of close friends becomes strict and formal with Nena constantly reminding Néstor of her rank and his lowly status.
While Nena sees herself as a capable member of the household and feels that the best way she can help her family is to stay and help run the household, she knows that her dad is itching to marry her off. She has thus far been successful at fending off suitors, but she knows her time is running out. When the local Dons start to form their coalition to fend off the invading Americanos, Nena convinces her dad to let her come as a healer for the troop. He agrees, on one condition, when they return she is to be married immediately. Nena agrees with the hopes of showing her Dad just how useful she can be, but what she doesn't expect is the first disastrous battle at Monterrey.
Nena and Néstor's story doesn't really start until the pair find themselves on the long road back to Rancho Los Ojuelos, alone, hurt and, apparently being hunted by some kind of strange creature. A creature that Néstor recognizes. A creature that has been haunting the vaquero for nine years. As the pair encounter the monster, it seems that Nena's own ideas about this vampire, this El Cuco, are starting to come back as well. What drives Nena forward is the idea that these strange beasts appear to be the cause of the susto that is infecting the people of Los Ojuelos.
I really enjoyed The Vampires of El Norte. While it isn't in my normal wheelhouse, it still hit just the right spot for me. The setting, both in place and in history, felt authentic and alive while the two main characters were both relatable and enjoyable. Sure there are a few times when the conflict between the two feel like they could have been resolved with just a bit more clear communication, but that's just not how people are. Sometimes, even if you do manage to say the right thing, it might not be heard the right way, and oftentimes what you think is the right thing just isn't. Both Nena and Néstor find themselves in a tough situation, especially as their feelings for each other solidify and they know that their own social statuses are a major hurdle that cannot be ignored.
If you are looking for a historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural, then I would definitely look into The Vampires of El Norte. You won't be disappointed.
