Book Club

Book Club’s next read is ‘The Bullet Swallower’ by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Join the live author discussion on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.

Join author Elizabeth Gonzalez James and Lisa Valentino as they discuss her new book “The Bullet Swallower” on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.

By Zipporah Osei

February 1, 2024

Take the justice and retribution of a classic Western, blend it with the fantastical imagery of magical realism, and you’ve got “The Bullet Swallower,” the latest novel from Elizabeth Gonzalez James.

This February, Boston.com’s Book Club is taking a ride to the wild, wild West with this multi-generational story about a Mexican cowboy who heads to Texas to save his family only to discover the cosmic debt his ancestors have left behind.

The novel starts in 1895 with Antonio Sonoro, a bandido whose train robbery gone wrong lands him and his brother in trouble with the Texas Rangers. His fight for revenge triggers a chain of events that comes to a head in 1964, when Jaime Sonoro, Antonio’s grandson and movie star cowboy, learns of the horrific crimes committed by his ancestors.

This book is perfect for fans of Cormac McCarthy and Gabriel García Márquez alike, with all the best elements of both genres.

Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times-bestselling author of “Olga Dies Dreaming” called it “an utterly original, wild ride … that turns the traditional redemption narrative on its head.”

“In cracking open her own family legends, ‘The Bullet Swallower’ brings to vibrant, three-dimensional life the people and history of the Mexican and Texas border,” the author said. “Full of heart and humor, the magic in this book is not what is invented, but that it makes you wonder what it is, in all our histories, we may have forgotten?”

“The Bullet Swallower” is a personal story for Gonzalez James, who got the premise of the novel from a story she was told about her grandfather, a Mexican outlaw who was shot in the face by the Texas police and survived, earning him the nickname El Tragabalas — the bullet swallower.

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But more than a look at family lore, the book is a story about the Texas-Mexico border and the history of the communities there. The author, who currently lives in Massachusetts, grew up in South Texas and told NPR she’s spent her whole life trying to understand it.

“I’m constantly thinking about Texas and constantly trying to understand it. And if I was trying to communicate anything about the border, it was hopefully that it is a very fluid place, a very complicated place and a really incredibly beautiful place that I’m very proud to have grown up in,” she said.

In addition to “The Bullet Swallower,” Gonzalez James is the author of “Mona at Sea” and the chapbook “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.” Her writing has appeared in The Idaho Review, Southern Humanities Review, StorySouth, PANK, and The Rumpus, where she was formerly the interviews editor.

Critics have heaped praise on her newest work, calling it thrilling, beautiful, “mesmerizing and important.” In its review, Kirkus Reviews said “The Bullet Swallower” did all of its inspirations justice.

“The Bullet Swallower is valuable for its gorgeous language and gripping story alone, but the questions it asks could hardly be timelier … Elizabeth Gonzalez James makes such deft use of tropes from Westerns, Gothic literature, and magical realism that they don’t feel like tropes at all. She clearly understands why these motifs persist, and she gives them life with prose that’s both spare and intensely rich.”

Joining Gonzalez James to discuss the new novel is Lisa Valentino, founder and owner of Ink Fish Books in Warren, R.I. Valentino opened the bookstore in her native state to give the community space for “the ritual of browsing, thinking, and communicating.”

The bookstore stays true to its local roots by frequently collaborating and highlighting the community through local events and carrying locally made food and kitchen products. One of the perks of going to Ink Fish is getting their “food and book” pairings which bring together the Rhode Island products with food culture and cookbooks.

They also put together the “Rhody Reader Box” every year, featuring signed books from local authors’ products like candles, bookmarks, and artwork from area small businesses. Last year’s box set included Vanessa Lillie’s thriller “Blood Sisters” and proceeds went to the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter, Rhode Island.

Valentino first opened the store five years ago and continues to lead the new, but vital, community institution.

Join Elizabeth Gonzalez James and Lisa Valentino as they discuss her new book “The Bullet Swallower” on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.

Buy “The Bullet Swallower” from: Bookshop | Ink Fish Books