A Ballad of Love and Glory(118)
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A Ballad of Love and Glory
Reyna Grande
This reading group guide for A Ballad of Love and Glory includes an introduction, discussion questions, a Q&A with author Reyna Grande, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
The year is 1846. After the controversial annexation of Texas, the US Army marches south to provoke war with Mexico over the disputed Río Grande boundary.
Ximena Salomé is a gifted Mexican healer who dreams of building a family with the man she loves on the coveted land she calls home. But when Texas Rangers storm her ranch and shoot her husband dead, her dreams are burned to ashes. Vowing to honor her husband’s memory and defend her country, Ximena uses her healing skills as an army nurse on the front lines of the ravaging war.
Meanwhile, John Riley, an Irish immigrant in the Yankee army desperate to help his family escape the famine devastating his homeland, is sickened by the unjust war and the unspeakable acts against his countrymen by nativist officers. In a bold act of defiance, he swims across the Río Grande and joins the Mexican Army—a desertion punishable by execution. He forms the St. Patrick’s Battalion, a band of Irish soldiers willing to fight to the death for Mexico’s freedom.
When Ximena and John meet, a dangerous attraction blossoms between them. As the war intensifies, so does their passion. Swept up by forces with the power to change history, they fight not only for the fate of a nation but for their future together.
Topics and Questions for Discussion
The story begins with the main characters being thrust into the oncoming war. What are your first impressions of Ximena and John Riley?
In chapter 6, John compares Ireland and Mexico, saying, “’Tis Mexico’s bad luck to have the United States as its neighbor…Just as ’twas our bad luck to have England loomin’ across the Irish Sea.” Discuss why the Irish deserters feel such a kinship with the Mexican citizens. See how many examples you can find throughout the book.
The deaths of Joaquín and Sullivan change the course of Ximena and John’s lives. Compare and constrast the ways Ximena and John entered. Could they have made different choices?
Grande references church bells throughout the novel. What significance do the church and religion play in the story? Why do you think this writing device was used?
Grande uses vivid imagery to bring the experiences of Ximena and John to the reader. What imagery was most striking? What other techniques does the author use to involve the reader in the setting and events?
After receiving the news that his wife has passed away, John wonders what right he has now to happiness. In chapter 30, he decides he must abandon his love for Ximena to atone for the sins against his wife. Do you agree with John’s decision to leave Ximena? Do you think he had another choice?
Nana Hortencia tells Ximena in chapter 12 that “it is true that the path God has chosen for you is one full of thorns.” As Ximena’s spiritual guide and teacher, Nana Hortencia passes down to all her knowledge of traditional healing and spiritual beliefs. How do Nana Hortencia’s teachings help Ximena survive the path before her?
Why is it important for Ximena to have dreamed of both Joaquín’s death and the hangings of the St. Patrick’s Battalion?
As a book focused on war, loss is a prominent theme throughout. Which character’s death felt the most consequential to Ximena, John, and the story as a whole? Why?
Maloney’s punishment at the beginning of the story foreshadows Riley’s punishment when the Saint Patrick’s Battalion is captured by the Yankee army. Discuss other examples of foreshadowing in the book.
The story is divided into three parts. Discuss the importance of the titles of each part and how they describe the stages of the war as experienced by Ximena and John.
Even though they will “always carry battle scars within them,” John and Ximena are able to start anew in Ireland. What do you think life will be like for them in Ireland?
A Conversation with Reyna Grande
Historical fiction was a bit of a departure for you. Why did you choose to focus on this genre?
When I first heard of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion I became fascinated, especially with John Riley. But my biggest fascination was with the war itself. This is a time in history I knew so little about because growing up in the US meant I didn’t learn about the Mexican-American War in my K–12 classroom. Like most Americans, I learned lots about the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, but the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848 was a mere footnote in the history textbook. I never thought I would ever write historical fiction, but my desire to explore this moment in history and to learn more about the fight for the southern border, the conflict between the US and Mexico that in a way continues to this day, inspired me to give historical fiction a try. I’m so glad I did because I learned so much in the process about myself, and it helped me to reframe my identity as a Mexican living in the US. Writing this book was empowering on a personal level and a professional level.
What were your main sources for research? Did you travel to any of the areas mentioned in the book?