All posts by : Gordon Cope

Life in Mexico

Every spring brings a new gaggle of buskers to Manzanillo. They congregate at the intersection of Audiencia and Miguel de la Madrid, where they can annoy the occasional driver who voluntarily obeys the stop light. They twirl hula-hoops, do hand-stands and ignite things on fire. My favorite is the juggler who keeps three machetes simultaneously aloft. Gives a whole new meaning to hand-outs.

Paperbacks Available Here in Manzanillo!

That’s right, you can purchase paperbacks directly from the author! Just send me an email on my website, and I can arrange to drop it off directly to your home! (Offer only good in the immediate Manzanillo area).

Members of Kindle Unlimited can also read all of my books online!

Book Review

The Personal Librarian

By Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

The novel, set in the early 1900s, is a fascinating biography of Belle da Costa Green, a young woman who was hired by J.P. Morgan as his personal librarian.

The story of J.P. Morgan in itself is a fascinating tale. The financier was one of the richest men in the world, and had purchased an immense collection of books and manuscripts, including editions of the Gutenberg Bible. In between saving the US economy, dallying with his mistresses and running his bank, he built an opulent private library in the middle of New York that was the envy of high society. He chose Green to organize his immense collection.

What Morgan didn’t know was that Bella was African American. Her father was a prominent advocate for Black equality in America, touring the country to build support. Her mother, however, hid Bella’s racial background, claiming Portuguese ancestry to explain her sultry complexion.

The ruse worked. The astute woman soon became a star in New York social circles, procuring prize literary antiques and creating an internationally-acclaimed collection. Morgan, in turn, became infatuated with his young protégé, treating her lavishly and giving her full reign to expand his acquisitions.

But it was all built on a lie. Anti-Black sentiment remained high after the Civil War, and Blacks who passed themselves off as Whites faced persecution – and even lynching. Every day, Bella risked exposure that would ruin her career.

Benedict and Murray are accomplished and talented authors and have created a vivid depiction of early 20^th century race relations in the US, personalizing the social climate of the times through the experience of an empathetic historical figure. I highly recommend The Personal Librarian.

Book Review II

The Marriage Portrait

By Maggie O’Farrell

This colorful and suspenseful novel takes place in Florence during the mid-16^th century. The city, under the control of Cosimo de Medici, is in full flower in the Renaissance.

Lucrezia, the third daughter of the Grand Duke, grows up in the Palazzo, an immense fortress situated in the heart of the city. Her cloistered life alternates between the nursery, where she is raised with her numerous siblings by Sofia, and her lessons in writing and history at the hands of tutors.

The girl is a dreamer and a romantic, spending her quiet hours scurrying around the hidden passages of the palace, eavesdropping on her parents and court dignitaries. When her older daughter Maria tragically dies before her wedding to the young Duke of Ferrara, she is appalled to learn that her parents have betrothed her instead.

As a bride of 15, she finds herself suddenly tossed into a cauldron of intrigue. Her husband, Alfonso, treats her kindly, but courtiers in Ferrara see her as a useful pawn in their own machinations. She quickly becomes convinced that someone – perhaps her very husband – wants her dead.

O’Farrell, the acclaimed author of the Shakespeare-inspired novel Hamnet, brings a lyrical sense of observation to both Renaissance Italy and the romantic imagination of a young girl. The narrative moves back and forth through time, introducing us to Lucrezia’s earliest palace life and her current date with death. Will she survive? I highly recommend you read The Marriage Portrait to find out!

TV Review

Daisy Jones & the Six

Streaming on Amazon Prime

Last month, I reviewed the novel Daisy Jones & the Six, written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a sharp, insightful chronicler of the hedonistic California lifestyle. This month, I am reviewing the TV series adaptation!

The novel was written in the oral-history style made popular by Rolling Stone. The series, in turn, takes a documentary approach, in which each character is interviewed several decades after the meteoric rise – and equally rapid demise – of the band.

The ten-part series chronicles the life of a young singer named Daisy (played by Riley Keough, the granddaughter of Elvis), who comes of age in the late sixties. Her talent for creating and singing unforgettable songs is paired with the on-stage presence of Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin), the hunky front-man for the Six. They create sparks – both on and off stage – that becomes the stuff of rock-n-roll legend.

The series is being released in batches, so we watched the first three episodes on Friday. It’s a soap opera dedicated to the 70s vibe, with everyone dressed in leather vests, hippy skirts and aviator glasses. Billy’s hair looks like he permed it by dropping a toaster into his bath-tub, and I can’t help but see Elvis’s smoldering eyes every time Daisy stares melodramatically into the camera lens.  This is a fun ride, and I can’t wait to see the rest of the episodes!

Recipe: Shrimp Tacos

There’s a great fish shop in Santiago located across the street from Juanito’s, right beside Dutch Deli. The prices are very reasonable, and we’ve enjoyed their frozen lobster, salmon and jumbo shrimp. Also, be sure to order a chocolate cake from Manuel at the Dutch Deli while you’re in the neighborhood – they’re delicious!

I’ve shared this shrimp taco recipe before, and it was such a hit with readers that I’m running it again. It’ a great lunch meal; fast, easy to make, and delicious!

Ingredients

8 large shrimp, peeled.

1Tsp of butter

4 medium-sized flour tortillas

Sriracha sauce (or any mild hot sauce).

¼ cup of mayonnaise

Juice from ½ a lemon.

1 garlic clove, crushed.

½ tsp of salt.

Chopped cabbage

Chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix together the hot sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice, crushed garlic and salt to make a sauce.

Melt the butter in a pan and fry the shrimp until they turn pink. Set aside.

Place the tortillas, one at a time, in the pan and heat for 15 seconds a side.

Fill the tortillas with the shrimp, then add the hot sauce, and garnish with cabbage and chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!