The Nine Guardians

En esta hermosa novela, Rosario Castellanos nos relata la vida que llevo en la hermosa y colorida ciudad de Comitan de las Flores , Chiapas; El titulo de la obra es como se conocía a la ciudad en tiempos prehispanicos el cual significa "nueve estrellas", esta increible mujer narra sus sentimiento desde el punto de vista de una niña criada por una mujer tzetzal, la nana Rufina, viviendo las experiencias y puntos de vista del indigena mexicano. Una frase que se quedara grabada para siempre es -"...Y entonces, coléricos, nos desposeyeron, nos arrebataron lo que habíamos atesorado: la palabra, que es el arca de la memoria...".

Originally published as "Balun-Canan [Nine Stars]" (referring to the ancient Mayan villages in Chiapas, Mexico, where this novel is set), this thickly plotted, autobiographical novel describes a wealthy family during the 1930s, fifteen years after the Mexican Revolution. The novel is bookended by lengthy sections told by the landowner's daughter--a never-named seven-year-old girl who resembles Castellanos herself. (The author was also raised on her family's ranch in Chiapas, her brother died young, and she lived a relatively isolated existence under the aloof custody of her father and his overprotective wife.) These chapters introduce the family and the inhabitants of the town of Comitan, as seen through the eyes of the girl, and describe peripherally the ongoing tensions between Mexicans of Spanish descent and those of Indian blood, between the wealthy landowners and the reform government, and between men and women. While the first and third sections carry the emotional weight of the novel, the middle, longest section contains the "meat" of the plot, told mostly in the third person--although some events are seen from the vantage point of individual characters. The family members travel to their ranch, Chactajal, where the hostilities between opposing social forces finally burst into the open. Goaded by legal reforms introduced by the national government, the Indian workers, almost inevitably, rebel against labor conditions that can be described as close to slavery. Caught in the middle is Felipe, the landowner's illegitimate nephew, whose blood guarantees him certain rights but whose birth prevents him from acquiring any status. Anyone who knows much about the author's political career will understand that her sympathies lie with the Indians (and with the women), yet she masterfully avoids painting either side as entirely virtuous or villainous. On the one hand, some of the Indians stoop to desperate, even criminal, measures to escape their drudgery; on the other hand, even the mule-headed, racist landowner (who, of course, represents the author's father) seems defeated by forces far out of his control. By the end of this sensitive, heartfelt, and melancholy novel, everyone is a victim of the systemic oppression endured by Mexicans of all races and both sexes.

Rosario Castellanos, one of Mexico's greatest writers, does a wonderful job of portraying life in ancient Chiapas. Specifically in Comitan, Rosario's hometown, and in Chactajal,which is a few miles off Comitan. Balun Canan(meaning '9 candles') is the name given by the ancient Mayan civilizations to Comitan.This novel is rich in historical significance, but also based on the author's personal daily experiences which makes this novel truly enjoyable. Rosario shares her life as a young girl alongside her nanny and her family. Both Rosario and her nanny narrate this story at certain points, allowing us readers to infer their opinions and views on certain problems and dilemmas, which refer to a hard time in the history of Mexico. A hard time concerning the rebellin of the indian population, and the clear preocupation of those who were their owners, the white population.

This novel, written by one of Mexico's most famous modern poets, illustrates many of the issues present in Mexico after the revolution. The story follows the life of a young girl growing up in Chiapas after the revolution. The author writes poetry into her prose, combining the oral tradition with the politics surrounding the change of power, to create a subtle yet powerful novel about the changing face of Mexico.

This book was at first very complicated becasue of the way it changes it's setting or happenings, but once you get to the 5 or 6 chapter things beggind to make lots more sense. There is lots of feeling in it's was of describing the thoughts that people are having, there is lots of warmth in this little girl who is the main character. This is the type of book that could be read only by those readers who really want to read not just flip pages.