The Way of the Jaguar

Though I have a few favorites in iconic literature, I'm not much of a reader of fiction and I've never felt a need to read in Magical Realism or Latin American literature. I was led to The Way of the Jaguar by a bit of a synchronicity -- not a possibly "New Agey" title I'd normally pick up -- and was deeply rewarded for paying attention. A Columbia educated attorney who studied Latin American Literature at Harvard, Francisco's coming second and third novels surely will win him the widespread recognition in contemporary literature that he deserves. A prize winning and heartbreaking loosely autobiographical first novel, The Way of the Jaguar is a work of a rare knowing integration of sharp humor, deep intelligence, deep sexuality and deep spirituality -- the journal of successful but lost Boston attorney and "inmate" Ismael Diaz on a near magical, tragicomic death row not likely seen before in world literature. Evidently thus far overlooked by Hollywood producers, with an easily well cast Ismael, The Way of the Jaguar is a deeply sexy and poetic Latin American Shawshank Redemption (for lack of another comparison) and intensely engaging ironic and heartbreaking read. Enter romantic Francisco's jaguar way of knowledge on death row soon; highly recommended.

Francisico is my cousin, and I absoultly love his book it was,intresting {One of those books that you can't put down } funny witty and partially autobiographcal but you really would'nt know that unless you are related to {javier} Francisco.So I give this book 5 stars not because he's my cousin, but because the story itself is so good .please if at allpossibly give Francisco my email adress [email protected] or please send my email adress to him.thank you from the bottem of my heart. loli

On the surface, this is a story about "making it" by renouncing your roots. In all these stories, the character is later brought down by not belonging to any culture. But this is not merely a story of a "home boy" rejecting his roots to make it. The message of these "stick to your own kind" stories is to stay put. What makes this tale different is that it supports the opposite view-- cultural amalgamation is possible and one can be successful in different cultural environments. At the beginning of the book, our hero, Ismael, is on death row--Huntsville, Texas, where else?--so we know he must have been involved in some major mishap. Ismael's life moves back and forth on two oposite points of a personal pendulum: youthful passion for Armanda and his later love for his beautiful, upper middle class, professional wife. Ismael's narrative goes from one side of the pendulum to the other until he upends his legal career and marriage and tries to regain his lost love in Texas. Instead of recovering his lost world, he unleashes a chain of events that lead to death row. In the book we get to know Ismael in a manner similar to forming a new friendship-- a tidbit of childhood here, a recounted professional experience there-- until we grasp him well. The narrative reveals a great sensitivity to popular american culture. As one follows our hero's journey from mexican immigrant; to success in a catholic college; to his final entry into the inner core, Anglo-American big leagues-- Harvard, old boston law firm, beautiful episcopalian wife-- the reader cannot help but savor the wonderful texture of time and place that the author weaves into the story. Somewhat Navokovian, all the places and events that the author describes are vivid and familiar: the jesuit Spring Hill College, two lane roads in leafy Boston suburbs, Juarez bars, etc. The author skillfully captures a lot of the mood and feel of society...and yet those times and places are disappearing. His story leads us to a new cultural reality. One in which cultures and backgrounds amalgamate. As Dylan used to sing, "the times, they are a changin". Yesterday, success meant achieving Ismael's dream: the country club, the bow tie,and the gin and tonic. Things are changing..our new billionaires are from Bombay, Jennifer Lopez and Denzel Washington are our sex symbols, and America's sweetheart is Michelle Qwan. This is a country in which half the kids in Chicago's public schools are black baptists and in which Andover students aspire to attend jesuit Geogetown. Ismael's America of the 50's, 60's, and 70's is goin, going..and almost gone. The change to a more open society-- one in which one's culture and background will not keep people in their predetermined place-- may be brutal but worth the price. The novel ends with our hero's brahmin wife uniting with him in an effort to help him avoid the death penalty. It is this act of fidelity and solidarity by his wife that makes the final resolu