mexican gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Thursday, sept 18, 6:30 PM

An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico. 
​
In 1950s Mexico, stylish socialite Noemí Taboada is sent to a crumbling estate deep in the countryside after receiving a disturbing letter from her cousin. High Place is an eerie mansion ruled by a mysterious English family with a dark past. Though more at home at cocktail parties than haunted houses, Noemí is clever, curious, and unwilling to back down—even as the walls seem to whisper secrets and her dreams turn to nightmares. As she uncovers tales of violence, madness, and the family’s decaying legacy, Noemí must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her cousin—and herself—from the house that may never let them go.

---

PAIRED WITH: Picpoul Blanc by ULLOA Cellars

Just as Mexican Gothic lures you into a crumbling mansion full of secrets, Ulloa Cellars’ Picpoul Blanc, named for the fierce (and a little dark) goddess Kali, slices through the gloom with lightning clarity. The wine’s bright acidity and citrus snap conjure the sharp intellect and bold resolve of Noemí Taboada, our glamorous but underestimated heroine, and Kali’s mythic energy reflects Noemí’s transformation from socialite to savior.

Purchase the wine by the glass during Book Club Meeting!

“An inspired mash-up of Jane Eyre, Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho, Dracula, Rebecca and that 1958 classic sci-fi movie, The Blob . . . Inventive and smart, [Mexican Gothic is] injecting the Gothic formula with some fresh blood.”—NPR’s Fresh Air

“Stylish and edgy. . . While the book draws inspiration from Gothic classics like Rebecca and Jane Eyre—there is a spunky female protagonist and an ancient house filled with disturbing secrets—its archly intelligent tone and insightful writing make Mexican Gothic an original escape to an eerie world.”--New York Times

“[An] irresistibly dark feminist reimagining of the Gothic fantasy novel . . . It’s all wonderfully creepy, blending chilling scenes of horror with classic Gothic tropes for a seductive and subversive tale. A book to devour in a few—very thrilling—sittings.”--Vanity Fair

“The author’s postcolonial spin on the gothic tradition evokes the usual suspects: Daphne du Maurier, Emily Brontë, Mary Shelley, even Anne Radcliffe. Like those authors, Moreno-Garcia works in a tradition in which chills and thrills tap into elemental cultural fears—runaway science, carnal passion. But to these she adds a more politically inflected horror, both ancient and timely.”--Los Angeles Times

“A new classic of the genre . . . alluring and foreboding, ambiguous and beautiful. And like its heroine Noemí, its ambitious, determined, and well worth getting to know.”--Chicago Review of Books

“This twisty horror fantasy is engrossing and wonderfully repulsive. . . . This is a must-read for fans of gothic writers like the Brontës, Daphne du Maurier, and Shirley Jackson, and also for those who enjoy the feminist, surreal fiction of Carmen Maria Machado.”--Buzzfeed

“Deliciously creepy . . . Read it with your lights on—and know that strange dreams might begin to haunt you, as they haunted Noemí.”--Vox