Vampires of El Norte Book Club

Hi, this is Christina and Carmen and this is another episode of Spooky Tales. No, no, it's another episode of the Spooky Taels book Club. Finally, it's been a while. We did specify that it's a book club for busy people, even though I devoured this book back in February of this year. February, yeah, fabo, and it is now agosto. Yes, it took me months. Yeah. Yeah. Also when I released this, I think it's going to be our birthday week. Really, oh yeah, because there's like a two in between. We're yeah, we're a little head on schedule, so we are for this for once, we're ahead of schedule. So this comes out Fridays of the twenty third. Oh okay, Thursday, it's the twenty second. Is our birthday? The next day comes out? Should we sing the song las Man Yanni? You're right, we should it. You're right. Okay, No, you're right, you're right. We're not gonna see, but yeah, happy birthday to us. I'm sure we had a lot of fun. We are the big thirty this year. Yeah, sure, we'll go with that. I'm sure we had a blast because I would have visited you, right, I'm already looking forward to the next time we see each other at this point. Yes, yeah, so we'll see. We'll see how that goes. We're gonna have a little barbecue at Carmen's house. Yeah, so I'm sure it was great. All right, So let's get started with the episode where we are talked about The Vampires of El Norte, which was our book club book for months and months and months. It is written by Isabel Kaanas, who we love. Yes, we did the SCND already with Aiden and that was so much fun. It was, and so the way these episodes were because at first we give a non spoiler summary that is the one on the book, the back of the book. Then we get into a recap of the book, and throughout that just kind of highlighting parts we liked, what we like, you know, if you have any highlighted notes of like, oh the writing here was amazing, you know, things like that. Then at the end of the recap we have a the discussion portion of the book club episode where we have questions. And luckily this book came with questions already that exist, so that's fun. I did not look at the questions beforehand, so all these my answers are going to be like on the spot, I didn't look at the questions either. Yeah. Yeah, and then I have some answers from listeners. Okay, answer these questions. Yeah, so that'll be fun. And I'm also going to ask you who you casted as the movie? Who you so, oh my god, I don't remember anyone ever. But these are okay, they're like youngers I have to think of, like younger actors. Yeah, we'll do that at the end. Though. Let's let's go all right, so here is the summary. Wait, but we should do it after this summary because we're going to be talking. About them and I feel like we are going to be picturing them. Okay, so here's the like non spoiler spoiler free summary that just you know it's from the book. So vampires and vachedos face off on the Texas Mexico border in the supernatural western from the author of the Ascienda. As the daughter of a rancher in eighteen forties Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters. Her home has been long threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north, but something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead, something that once attacked Nena nine years ago. Believing Nena dead, Nestor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving ranch to ranch, working as a vacuero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth, no woman can erase his childhoods sweetheart from his mind. When the United States attacks Mexico in eighteen forty six, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war, Nena as a curandera, a healer, striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Nestor a member of the auxiliary cavalry of franchiers and vaccaros. But the shock of their. Reunion and then ask rage and nest out for seemingly abandoning her long ago. It's quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh, and Unless and Then and Nesto to work together through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn. Beautiful stuff, Yes, yes, okay, So who did you cast in your mind. Okay, So because they're like on the younger and they're like, are they eighteen or in their twenties? I don't remember early. Twenties, like they're like twenty three, twenty two, okay, early twenties. Yeah, I feel like I only know so many young actors, early twenties actors, you can say, like a younger version of someone else too, I know, but I like don't remember any actors ever. I cerdainly forgot all the actors I've ever seen. Okay, the only youngish Latina actress on my head right now is the girl that played Dora, but like she's a little bit older. Now, who is that? Even? Let me see? Hold on, I forgot her name. I want to see it's beel something. Okay, she's twenty three, Okay, okay, I could see it. Yeah, we'll put a picture here. Well, that's why I was picturing just now. I didn't think about this while I was reading it. Yeah, I see it, okay, okay, yes, yeah, yeah, all right, we'll go with that. Because I also didn't have anyone really that in mind. What about for Nestor, Well, I again only know so many actors, so I was thinking, like a younger or the guy who the you're taking away too long to say this, Oh my god, I'm sorry. See this is how I know you have ADHD. Anyone would have said that that was taking a normal amount of time. That was not a normal amount of time. Okay, well, since you're still thinking of it, I kind of pictured the guy who is on my block, the cute one. I was thinking this guy, hold on, he's from the movie Blue Beetle. Oh oh, I've seen him for I think my casting. Is better, you know what. Yeah, let's go with that. Okay, my casting winds all right, you're yeah, you're casting. You're better at this, obviously, And this is why I'm not a caster. You know, I would just cast everyone in the in the wrong roles, right right. Let us know who you thought of as well, because I love to know what people pictured me too in their mind's eye, you know. I guess some people don't do this, but I'm reading and it's a movie in my head full on me sometimes not all the time, me, only in like the very like actioning parts, like like that fight at the end. Yeah, I was picturing that, all right. Well, yeah, let's start off with the recap. Then, so right off the bat, the first thing I want to point out is that the book follows two perspectives, much like the SCNA, where in the SCNDA we have the two main characters, right, you know, we switch back and forth. Padre andreas we love and I already forgot her name because I love to, because we have internal. It's because because I loved mother than this I met loved him. If you you were, just if you could just admit. It, then we can move on. I don't know, Okay, fine, fine, okay, fine, okay, I wanted to hear. I don't remember her name either, because I also loved him and was rooting for him the whole time, and I was mad that they didn't end up together. Yeah, so just like that, we have two perspectives. We have Nana and nesto it. And also I love the alteratation name. Yeah me too. It wasn't too much for me. No, I love it. I love it. I would love to meet an old couple like that, and I would that's so cute. Okay, I was gonna say, but in real. Life, how do you feel about it? I always think it's weird. No, I love it. Oh, okay, what about our names. Okay, see, and we're twins, but I'm talking about it if we were apparently together, So you know, I could see why Stephanie thought that. I don't necessarily agree. I think maybe you're like brother and sister that I could see, But maybe I just feel like that. Because we're so right now. Yeah, you never know. I feel like we had to be siblings all throughout time and all through and every every single Yeah. I had to say. That would be very fun, wouldn't it. Maybe even cousins. I don't know. Okay, whatever, let's move on. It's weird when it's not siblings. Actually, yeah, siblings all all out, even not only twins, just siblings in general. That's fine. Elevation names, okay, but a couple the three draw the line. That's where you draw the line. Okay. So you don't like Nana Nestory in real life. In the book, I like it because also that's her nickname. That's not her real name. That's true, that's true. Her real name is Magdalena, right in real. Life, I don't like it. I don't like it all right, So, yeah, we have each of their perspectives. And the book starts out with Nana in eighteen thirty seven when they are both thirteen. So you know, right away we learn about her home and Los a Cuelos, we learned about Nestor. We learned that she's the daughter of anessen Dado and obviously this comes with like the importance of that role where the essendalo is the person in charge of the whole les in that and she is the daughter of the ass and that so her and Nessota are not in the same plane field level, right, Yes, it's. A more broo right away. Oh yes, we love. We didn't never say that word, right am. It's because when I say a fast I don't emphasize the middle. I just say all in one, you say, like bro wido. Yes that's what he said. Girls, Okay, so that's why I pointed it out after, like I can't just ignore because you know. Yeah, yeah, so, yes, she doesn't know it yet, but Nesto is the love of her life. I think at this point, at this age, he knows it, you know, but she does not. Yeah, she's like, that's my really good friend that I cannot live with that we're together to twenty four seven, and I think. About it all the time. But we're just friends. Yeah, we've practiced kissine, but not anything serious. And he's like, I am going to buy basil land for us to live on forever together. So right away he's more serious about this and she just she doesn't know it, but she is too. Yeah. So he's the son of a ranchero, so a worker on the SCN that. So we know that they cannot be together because of these you know, differences. We also get the sense that there's something you know, going down, because there's talk of like the Anglows, but it's still. All very like service level. There's nothing going on yet. Yeah, Ala, which is Nestor's aguela, but everyone calls tells them scary stories about El Cuco, which is like a coco or cucui. Right, really quick? Did you love the beginning and inscription? I don't know what you call it? Yeah? Should we read it? Yes? I love that. Yeah? Who didn't hear that? Right as a child, Like I've said before on the podcast, because we've talked Aboutkukui or goco. But Babby, our father loves singing that to my children. Yeah, and ever since they are little, teeny tiny babies, they just laugh. He's like Comera and then he fake eats them and they're like, oh, it's it's so fun, and I do that to them. They love the spookiness. They are little spooky children and they have to be. There's no other way, right, So yeah, I like that that it's highlighted in there that so everyone can see it, because maybe not everyone knows that little nursery rhyme, but basically you have to sleep whether the big man's going to come eat you, right, And that is a loving rhyming song that we sing to our babies and what I tells them about these stories. And then we also learned Nana's older brother is of marrying age. They're talking about who he's you know, Gonnaharry. Because this is all arranged. It's all like a political alliances at this point between like you know, the wealthy essandallos. They can't just marry anyone. Nana, she will be facing a similar feature. She's just not old enough yet. She's only thirteen. Yeah, so she knows what lies ahead. Yeah. I don't think at this point her and Nestor want to believe it or you know, address it. They're in denial about it. Yeah, and they can be they're thirteen still, but it's getting into an age where they they're starting to be separated from their family members, Like you can't spend that much time with necessarily more you. You know, you have to act this way you And Nana doesn't understand. She's like why why, And so they sneak away together at night. Nesto has this plan that he's gonna find gold and build a house for them near Losouelos, and it's going to be his own land and they're going to be together and you know this is going to be their land. But they're going to build their house. But he needs gold, and there's these stories and legends of gold in somewhere like in this land that they have to dig up. And this is a real legend that's all all over Latin America where you can find gold. Sometimes there's like, oh, if you see Boss of Fire here, that's where the gold is. But the legends are scarier because it's like you have to dig the gold well, like when we're the like telling you I saw like a dead person's next to you, telling you like dig digg, Like that's horrifying, and all the stories and with no one finding the gold and the person turns like loses their mind before they finish the game. Yeah, horrifying, although iould I would try it. So, yeah, Nestor, you know, he wants to find some of this gold, and he finds a spot where he thinks this is where the gold is, like I saw like a glimpse of it or something like a sign. Doesn't he seem like a glittering like a shiny thing. That's why he thinks it's there. But we learned later it's not what he thought he saw. Yeah, yeah, and we learned right away. Yeah, like in the next sentence started fast. Yeah, so I could not believe it when I was reading at first page, second page, third Yeah. So yeah, nest starts sticking because he wants gold so they can have a home together, and she doesn't know it, but she's just there because they're always finding time to be together, so he's digging away. They're talking about never leaving each other and that they're always going to be by each other's side. Then out of nowhere, Nana starts feeling a little uneasy. She starts telling nest Od maybe we should head back, but she doesn't get to finish the sentence. She says, I think, And then suddenly something pouncess on her and seeks sinks its teeth into her. And this is chapter one, yeah, because we start out with her perspective and so then she gets attacked and all they say really is like a flash of teeth in the darkness. And then we go to Nestor's perspective, and it starts out with him like, you know, running towards Nana, trying to figure out what happened to her. Oh, this is what I wanted this. I thought this was like, it just shows how important Nana was to him. So after she gets attacked and he's running towards her to try and like stop this creature. Nana was his home, the one thing on earth more precious to him than his own life. Whatever that creature was, it did not matter. The only thing that mattered was getting it away from her. Beautiful, beautiful, And yeah, so he's like he starts fighting this thing, no matter how scared he is, because this is the thing they had not seen before, some sort of evil, disgusting creature, and he is fighting it to try and save Nana, and he does eventually, you know, get it away. So he does manage to. I think he uses like a shovel to like chop its head off or something. Eventually he does manage to you know, kill it, but it already seems like it's too late. Like Nena is life less. Yeah, seems lifeless. I almost cried when he was like Nita, Yeah, she's limp, unconscious in her neck looks like it's in terrible shape. So he carries her all the way back to Los a Cuellos, to La Casa Major, which is her house. He pounds on the door, screaming for help and don't Feliciano. Her father answers the door. He brings her inside and sets her on the table, and Nana is cold, lifeless, like, she looks dead. And her father immediately turns to Nestod points at him and just yells, boy like such a my horrifying like thing to be addressed angrily, you know, amazing. Yeah, And so Nestod, you know, having lost his bff. Yes it's his half orange, he backs away and he books it. He just he runs, He runs and runs, and he does not looked back. He runs west and just yeah, he's gone. I don't blame him, I don't blame him, right, because he was going to be blamed for this. Yeah, and who would believe that a creature attacked her? Right? So then we jump nine years, and if you didn't read the summary of the book beforehand, you also would have thought she was dead. But no, you know, we know she's alive. So we jump forward nine years. He's now twenty two and he is a vacchtto. But he's not like just any vaccio. He's a freelance vakhetto. He belongs to no one, no contractual obligations for Nesto, and so he goes from ascienda to acienda for work. He's also an alcoholic and a womanizer. So a typical Mexican man, right, right, nothing different about him. No, not in the sense that he's like purposely looking for a woman to her, but he's trying to feel a void. He you know, he still thinks about Nana, that was the love of his life, and so he's just trying to fill a void. So there's one ascienda widow that he hooks up, hooks up with more often than everyone else, every other woman. He stays with her, he does work for her, and then he also has one friend named Meto and he is not Mexican. I thought he was half. For a second, I thought he was full white. And he married a Mexican woman, you know, like his mom or dad, like one of them is right. Okay, I take that back. He's half Mexican half right, But he was raised in like the US side, basically like not Mexico. He wasn't raised in Mexico. No, I don't think so. But he knows Spanish, he learned Spanish. Yeah, And now Nestor, he lives for one thing and one thing only. He is working toward the goal of having enough money to own his own land that is his So this is the only thing that he lives for. The one thing that he lived for before is gone. Yeah, as far as he knows, She's really not. Because then we go to Nna, who's as fully alive, yeah, fully alive, just you know, living her life in Los Uelos. She has been training with Abuela to become a curandera, a healer. When we go back to her, we see that she's called to help someone that's suffering from susto, a sickness or ailment that is, you're sick from fright, like you are so scared that you become sick. So she has to call his spirit back, and I just love how that's done in the book, Like she has to know their real name and she has to be like, come back to us, come back to us, and I just I love the way they did that. And she's successful, she's clearly good at healing, but Abila and throughout the book tells her like something is hotly in her back, something where she's not able to like fully whenever her cheese is blocked like an avatar. Yeah, exactly like that, and we know now that it's because of Nesto, but she doesn't know that. Right then, we learned that Susto is going around Los Juelos and the nearby siendas. It's a sousto epidemic, Susto pandemic, Susto demic, souths deemic. No, okay, yeah, it's something that is affecting the Vaccaros frequently, but we don't know why. Okay, sorry, you're just you're gonna hear my children. I'm sorry. So the man that she healed his name as Ignacio, and he seems to have a similar scard to hers, and she starts wondering about what happened to her because she doesn't know, She has no idea, She doesn't remember the attack at all. Nobody tells her like you almost died, you came back like yeah, she doesn't like remember the incident or something. Yeah. And also no one talks about it. Yeah, but I'm not surprised. That's a very very Mexican thing to do. I think shove it under the rug, yeah, And they're like, oh, you just you have to move past it. You can't be stuck in the past. We also learned that the Anglos or the Yankees have declared that everything from the Nueces to the Rio Bravo is there. And in case anyone didn't figure it out, at this point, this is the Mexican American War. The Texans are like, this is all ours, This like Mexico, this is takes It's exactly like that. That's actually how they declared war. No, and we I think, no, now that this war had a lot to do with, you know, a lot of different things. So the US invaded Mexico in eighteen forty six. And if there's one thing Isabel is going to do is set her novel during historic event and then teach us a little bit about it. I love love, love historical fiction me too, and I love that it's not like the main, right, It's not like the main Like the John is not historical fiction. The genre, I guess it's horror, but it's like a horror romance historical fiction. Yes, yes, and we're not We're not talking about like, you know, the president of Mexico during this time. We're just talking about these two young adults and this is going on around them and affecting their lives. Yeah, her and Silvia, I both do this experts at this. Yes, Okay, So the lands Na's family's land is being threatened. But also this I think this goes without saying, but like to call it their land, it's also it wasn't it wasn't their land to begin with, its indigenous land, right, so you know that's another like hola layer. Yeah, so their land is being threatened as well as the nearby lands of other Acienda has branches, including where Nestor and Beto currently find themselves. And so he's worried about his home and his family, and he decides to travel back to Los Alos, and Beto, his other BFF, goes with him because he has family in Matamoros, which is not that far from there. So they write off, and as. He's going, Nestor thinks about all the people he's left behind, the people that he run away from. And when they get to Los Cuelos, he sees his family, but then he sees someone else, someone who looks so familiar, someone who he thought was dead for nine years. Imagine thinking that, I'm just like, yeah, back then, there's no way of knowing, right, Like he saw her dead, yeah, and then here he is nine years later and she's very much alive, talking to like one of his cousins or something. Yeah, He's like, what the fuck? Yes, And this is the one thing he has built his new life upon, the emptiness in his life. His identity is built on this. So now he's like questioning, like, who even am I? What have I done for the past what? Nine years? Nine years? Yeah? Like what did he even run away for? He built his life around escaping her death and there she was breathing, as we speak, very much not dead. So then we go to NNA, And when we switched from that chapter of Nestor to NNA, it starts a little before Nestor's arrival she's worried about the Yankees, what's gonna happen, not to mention her parents talking about marrying her off to some Assendelo's son that she doesn't even know. So she's sitting there knitting all like angry, and then she sees Nestalk and she's like, what the fuck okay, because she's mad at him, very because she doesn't know why he left. She doesn't remember that she almost died, so she doesn't even like, she doesn't make the connection that he might think she's dead and he might be escaping, you know that. Like to her, he just up and left with no explanation, no reason, nothing, after literally saying no, We're never I'm never going to leave you, yeah, like because that's what they were talking about before she got attacked. So she remembers being attacked, but she doesn't remember like being basically dead and then coming. Back to life or whatever. Like she vaguely, very vaguely remembers that the attack happened, that she knows something happened to her, and then after that happened, Nestor is not there anymore either, but she doesn't know, like she was bitten in the neck or she it was a creature that they didn't like, Like she like blocked out what it looked like. So, yeah, there's the Bessie that abandoned. Her nine years ago. Yep, just shows up out of nowhere. She sees him, and then she thinks back and we get like a little flashback of like younger Nana asking like is that letter from Nestlo And I'm like, oh my god, that's so sad. Can you just picture her? Yeah, that was sad, continuous like is that letter? Like, no, shut the fuck up, there's no letters from Nestlood, Like I feel bad for her. Yeah, oh so yeah, it's sad. It's very sad throughout the book. I was like, oh my god, forgive him already. But I understand also like why she couldn't right, Yeah, same. So Neslud walks up to her and asks if he can have a word with her whoever sitting next to her. She's like, tell him, I've gone to bed already. She's like right in front of him. I love it. I don't remember if it's like a cousin of hers. I think it's her cousin. She doesn't hang out with his cousins because they're not the same on the same level. Yeah, yeah, so they can't hang out, right. She is close with everyone or whatever, you know, Like she's not rude, She's like has relationships with everyone on us in that but like as far as like now with people her family. Yeah, you're right. So she refuses to see Nestor, and then we go back to Nestor's perspective. He's in his family's home drinking and a Willa walks up to him and asks, like, you know, what's wrong, and he just says, Nina, she figures that, and then she asks him if Nana was angry to see him. He tells her like she died. I carried her to like a Mayo and she had died. And then finally all tells him that on that night she was called to Le Mayo and that Nana had been poisoned by whatever bit her and she saved Nna. Then she says, like, you know what happened, Like what happened on that night? He says he doesn't know that it was too dark to see what was her. Yeah, but he at the same time, like he tells her that, but in his mind to himself, he's like he cannot accept what that was right. That's too scary. Yeah, lead that out. It was a monster. Yeah, so he you know, he denies. That's the way to live. The truth is scary. Deny it, deny it, deny. Yeah, the truth is scary. You don't have to accept it, No, of course not. And then we go to Nana. She's fuming. She's like, how dare he try to talk to me? And she's like angry and she drests off to sleep and she is dreaming of being angry at Thistle or something. I don't know what she's dreaming about. And then she's woken up by a scream and it's her younger sister and her younger sisters crying about something in her dream that has no eyes and many teeth. Yeah. So then you know it's the next day. There's a meeting between all the Vakeetos and the nearby ranchos. They're making plans to defend their land. Mexico has not sent enough troops because they're busy, like fighting elsewhere. Yeah, so the Yankees are closing in on them, and they have to like get together some. Sort of soldiers. They have to get together, like a unit, you know, a militia yes. So there's also in this meeting there's rumors of Yankees having dogs that they set loose on the ranchos that they've taken over, and that it's this like horrible new weapon and at the time we don't know what it is. Later we learn terrifying. Yes. So during this meeting, Nana proposes to accompany the militia, the battalion, and at first her father refuses. The truth is is that they need her. They need a kurandera I will I cannot go with him. She's she's old, and Susto has been plaguing in the region like they know something is out there, they don't know what, and so they're gonna need her. Plus curanderas they're not only folk healers who heal these like spiritual. Like she's basically trained like in first aid. Yeah. Yeah, so she's she's a medic. And so the deal is that, yeah, she can go, but when she returns, she has to marry the person of her father's choosing, and Nana agrees to this because you know, she wants to prove her worth to her family too. So they go off. Nesar goes too because they know how good of a shot he is, and I mean he's a good baghetto. You know, he's the best vacqutto out there. Yeah, he really is. And Beto goes too, because he goes where his best. He goes that too. But also they're heading towards Matamoros. Yes, also that and that's where his family rites. But he's right or died too. Yeah. So during the journey, Nestor tries to talk to Nana. She refuses. We have a lot of that, a lot. At some point you're like, oh my god, forgive him. Yeah, I was, Yeah, we get it, you know, we get it. Part of it. Eventually she refuses to talk to him at all because at some points there's little conversations here and there she like overhears Bethol talking about Nestor like single life and his adventures. As a you know, muheego and then that so she's like, fuck this shit. I like tried to give him the grace or whatever, like to start like a friendship a conversation, and then he's been out there hole in this whole time. So then she decides to like, yeah, give him the silent treatment. Yeah, And so at that point, Betho is the person who's going to guard her, Not Nestloda anymore. That's what she decides, and so they go towards the river or something, and when her and Betho walk away, Nestor and some other men come across some maled animal and it's like something they've never seen before, like it's been sucked dead. They're like, what did this? And there's a vacto. His name is Old Juan, and I just love Old Juan. There has to be a younger, yeah, younger Kuan in the crowd. So Old Huan tells them that animals did not do this. It was the work of spirits, and some of the men laugh and walk away, and then Nestor is like contemplating what he said, because he has seen things, right, And so then Old Huan tells them you've seen them, haven't you? And he can tell on his eyes yeah, that line. It's like confirming the truth that Nessor does now want to accept. There is something out there and he has seen them and this is what did this to this animal. And Old Juan tells Nesor that he was born in Galla Llahara. And you know, anytime you read Galla, shout outa yes, we love Gallalada. So he's he's from Guallalahara and it's different up there. There's no monsters like there is in this part. And you know what, that's not true, because there is a vampire. Okay, it's there's a whole. Tree for it. Was he around in this time though? Yeah, okay, never mind. Then the legend already existed, right, So these parts there's monsters here, and that's what Old Kwan tells Nestor. And Estor then thinks back to all the stories of witches and creatures that Abuela has shared and just like the perfect moment, there's a scream. He runs towards the river bank, realizing that Beto is the one who scrummed the scream. He's scrumped. Yeah, he was scared. He's been attacked. In a serious note mode, he was he was being attacked. No, but seriously, he was. He was being attacked. Something attacked him. Yeah. So Nestor, you know, goes to him, drags him to the camp. Nana begins to work on him, calling him back like she did with Ignacio. She needs his real name, so Nestor needs to be there. But then she's at the same time she's mad at him. M she doesn't want him there, but he needs to be there and we love this. Yeah. And so when when he comes to, she asks him if if he remembered anything, remember anything, and he doesn't. So she goes back to her tent, and you know, she's thinking about all the stuff Nestor said about how he thought she was dead, and those were the same words Ignacio's wife said when he was brought back back in Nosoquelos. So she's doing a little bit of putting two and two together. Yeah, like if he was almost dead and if he thought I was almost dead, then the same thing must have attacked us, just like Beto right now. Also, is it already at this point that she feels like in her neck a little like tingly when they're nearby. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. So she's already like you know because also because of that making connecting these things. Yes, yes, thank you for putting that out, because I completely ignore that. I got you. So then the group moves on. They crossed the Rio Brabo and this is where they are attacked by the Yankees, the Whites, the Anglos, the settlers. So they're attacked everyone is separated. It's chaos and Nna. Here's her brother yelling run run if there's another Coudra Susana. She literally sees Susana shot in front of her. Terrible. The description graphic, Yeah, horrible. There's bullets everywhere. Two Yankees are about to approach Nina, and who approaches our hero and so he saves her. They ride away together and as they're writing away, they see a creature eating a soldier and they're like, what the fuck is that? Oh my god, I can't even like, I was picturing this in my head and it was terrifying, you know what I was picturing. Sorry to go back to she who must not be named, but Harry Potter. Oh, and Voldemort's in the forest and then the Forbidden Forests, like on top of that unicorn and they see him for the first time and they're like shook ooh yeah, Like, I think it's like the third movie whatever. It doesn't matter which one it was, but I think it was not the Throne. I think it was suited than that. Really second, I'm pretty sure maybe even the first one. Okay, whatever, it really it does not matter. Point is that is that's what I pictured and can you just imagine you're running away from this gunfight, something terrible, violent, and then you see this like, no, I. Would throw up. I would just die right then and there it would be over. Yeah, my fallover. Let it get me here, I am yep. He instructs her to keep going and she's like, I can't leave you. He's like, no, go and he kills the creature. He catches up to Nana and then they have to cross this deep part of the river. Nana's afraid, but Nestor gets her through it, and then we just go through their journey back to Los Sauelas together. They're fighting, they're almost making up. Then there's more fighting. I love it. Was it too much for you? No? I liked it? Okay. Then they finally have an actual conversation about what happened on the night she was attacked. Then there's more adorable moments like him teaching her to shoot. That was so cute. Then there's one night they're taking shelter, like in a cave or something. I can't remember. I took a cave, yeah, okay, And there's like at first there's a yankee, like they think it's a Yankee, like He's like, whyzy by himself. But then they realize it's a It's something so much worse. Like if you thought Yankee was bad, this is worse. They don't name it a vampire yet, but that's what these are, these creatures. They keep seeing their vampires, so they realize that this is that's what this is, and they fight this thing. Nana is her during this encounter, but they fight it. They make it through and they move on. Nana or not Nana, Nestor Nestor You've been saying like English and Spanish. Oh my god, sorry forgive me. It's hard to go back and forth. Yeah, yeah, especially with names. Nestor burst her bubble about life, Soquelos, He's like, it wasn't as good as you thought it was for the rest of us, the rest of us peasants. Your dad is a bitch. Yeah, he shows her. How about her? She is? Yeah, pretty much. She doesn't exactly say that, but you might as well have. It's like a summary of it. Yeah, Like the vekehettos work hard, but they live in hacalis while you get to live in your fancy ass house. We're not even allowed to build a stone. House on this land. Because it's not ours like we're working, we're doing all the work, and your dat is not you're living off of our work. You're exploiting our labor. You capitalists, scum. And they keep arguing when he's telling her this, and then she tells him she wishes he never came back, and then he's like, well, what would have been the alternative? Be happy with the little measy time I would have had with you, and then you would have been married to some other rich man, Like come on. And honestly, he's right, he's right. If he would have stayed, that's what would have happened. It would have never worked out between them, and yeah, he would have again been exploited by his labor, you know. So honestly, he was sad and everything, having a hard life, but he was having an independent life. He is his own boss. He is a freelance vakiro. So while they're arguing about this, then they kiss and I was like, yes, they're gonna be together, But then I was like, no, they're not because of the argument they just had closey thinking I knew they were going to be together. Yeah, So Neslo rejects her. He's like, no, what's the point of this. Now we're going to enjoy the little time we here. Then you're going to get back to Los Azuelos. And it's the same thing. It's the same thing, like, if you're going to be about it, be about it. Don't just be about it for now, forever and ever. It's what he wants. I don't blame him, I don't. Yeah. So they travel together after this, and they run into a group of men and they tell these men that their men and wife because they need a cover story. They can't just be traveling together, yeah, especially her and the daughter of Anessen Dado. So they gather around the campfire with this group of men and Estor tells them a story. And I love this part because he's basically telling their story, yeah, from childhood up until Nana is attacked. But he ends it drive differently, of course, because their story is not over. Their story. We're in the we're in the thick of it, you know, it's in the making. Yeah. So then at the end, the men asked him where he heard the story, and ESA's like, oh, from some vakeo somewhere, you know, you know. And then the man is like, well, there's truth in every story because there's beasts out here, like we see them. We saw them near San Luis Potosi. And again more confirmation that whatever these things they have encounters, they are real and they're out there. Yeah, they're not imagining things. So they are about to go to sleep, and he asks Nana what she thought of his story, and she tells him that she thought it was sad and then so cheesy but adorable. He's like, you know, you can change the story if you want. I was like, oh so cute. Yeah. She tells him she could marry a vacto if he's the right one, like saying like, I could not marry a rich as another my father's choosing, Like for the right person, I would. It doesn't matter who they are. I would throw everything away from the right person, right, Yeah, and who wouldn't and that's who. So they pack up their stuff and you know, say goodbye to the men that they shared food with. The man gets a feeling nessor knows what these beasts are, and he tells them he has seen them to and then he tells Neslor to be careful, and so Nestor and Na continue moving on. This is where he teaches her how to show and it's the cutest thing ever. And I thought they would get together like right then and there, but they're interrupted. There's a dozen voice in the distance in English, and it's the Yankees. They got there to ruin everything, just like they always do. Right. They see that they have something with them and they're hiding like you know, and they could they're looking and Nana starts feeling like something's looking at her. And then they realize like they are using the vampires as weapons, like they have them chained up. They don't make their realization yet. They see that the vampires are chained with the Yankees, and that's odd, right, They're like, what is happening? What is that? Yeah? And so they escape and find shelter like in some oh is this a cave part? No, They're like in a cave twice? Right, maybe they find shelter in a cave and Nestor asks if also sorry pause dream chess. They keep using that is that a word for the vampires or a word for the Yankees or what? I don't remember. It's all over the book, and at first I thought it was just another word for the Yankees, but now I'm wondering if it was a word for the vampires, because I think Nesto at this point asks her what she thinks of the Rien Chess, and this whole time, I thought it was the Yankees, but maybe it's not. I think it's for the Texas Rangers. Oh, this makes sense, yes, because they would be encountering not just normal like US Army, but they would be encountering the Texas Rangers, right, who at this point in time have a reputation of. Being terrible, violent, the worst of the worst. Okay, And so in this book, the Texas Rangers are the ones with the vampires, and then there's also the regular Yankees. Okay, but they don't have the vampires the Rangers do, right, right, that's what I think, okay? Or I mean they could also be that they're using Yankees and dings interchangeably. That's true. I remember because they were in this in February, right. It was a while for you, but I think I think we might be right. So they at first, Nestor asks like, were they trying to get rid of the vampires? Is that why they're chained up? And Na wonders if they're using the vampires to get rid of them. The Mexicans. Yeah, and he's. Like, no, no, no way, that's no no no, no, mom is no no, like when you don't want to believe something because that's deranged. He's like, this is the most arranged thing I've ever heard, Like there's no way, but there was. But then she's like, think about it, like have you encountered any animal that cannot be broken? Like any animal can be broken and trained. So if that's true, then why couldn't they train these vampires to attack Mexicans? And it's just there's so much there that's like the symbolism is insane, like because it's true. They will go through any they will use any means, they'll weaponize anything to destroy That's what that's what is. That's who they want to destroy. And the lesson is the Yankees are the real monsters, not the vampires. Literan. Yeah, that's what I got by the end of this too. So I think right after this is when they finally do it, they finally get together, and so then you know, after they finally get together, Nana sleeping, he takes watch for the whole night so that. She rests, she needs her being to rest, and he sees. Vampires in the distance, but they can't get close because of the salt that they put around the perimeter. And that's why I know that this is the second time they're in a cave, because the first time is when she got hurt or he got hurt. One of them got hurt. Someone got hurt. And it's the guy that they meet that tells them about the salt or is this something they remember from Ala one of. Those things things? Yeah, yeah, when they meet the when they're at the campfire with the other people, he's the one who tells them. But also she remembers and he sees that that Auela did pack salt in his things. She put it there for a reason. So finally they put the salt. And can you just imagine sitting there keeping watch and in the distance you see these creatures like watching you. Yeah, that's terrifying. But also do you want to I don't know if you the same thing came to your head? Very silly, very unserious. Do you know where I'm going with this? Maybe, but I'll let you continue. And bob Boba sponka the spongebok no okay translated spongebo okay. When there I forgot what they have to make like a circle. So that's a bar, That's what I thought, and I was like laughing to myself. I was like a little. Boys Wonka moment. You were right, that was very un serious. But yeah, essentially it's the same thing where Screenword and SpongeBob are inside this No sorry, Patrick and Spongebobb are inside this circle, protecting so themselves from the bearer, and Squeward doesn't believe them, and then he gets attacked. Yeah, and then he gets attacked again and again and again. Yeah. So yeah, now it's morning time. They start moving and they reached Nouqulos pretty quickly after this. Everyone's happy to see them, except Nana's fucking family. I'm like, are you guys serious? They're such bitches. I was so mad at them. I couldn't believe this ship. They should be happy she's alive, but no, always with a giving up and taos the masks who cares? Who fucking cares? Fus, Yeah she's alive, Like that's all you should care about, but no, Nona's mom is not happy to see Nesto is with her. Nana tells her what happened, why they're here now? Her mom tells her that her father sent news him and Felix's her brother. They're okay, and Nesto naturally like anyone would ask about his brother, and she tells him they don't send news about the vac ghettos, like like thevac ghettos got together to help you your land, so you know, at least show some kind of ounce of like respect, generosity, like not generosity, but like thankfulness. Yeah, I have respect. Yeah. So he wants to go put their horses away, and Na tells them that she will do it because he's hurt, and then her mom is like please, that's why I get to work. But it's like he's hurt, yeah, like come on, and he just delivered your daughter to you. I just could not believe the audacity, but at the same time it could so luckily. Ignacio, who didn't go with them because he was from the Susto, walks up and he puts the horses away. Nestor goes to his family. Abuela asks how him and Nana are doing, and he's like, I want to marry her, Abilla. Yeah, that's how great things are. Yeah. A Willa was like what about Don Feliges and ESA's like, if we can face El Cuco and we can face those monsters, we can face anything, and you would think so then you know it's that's it's nighttime when they arrive, so then it's the next day. Nana is telling her cousin, I believe her sister. I don't remember which one, because they're both the people she talks to the most. It's her sister and her cousin, So she's telling one of them about what they saw, and then her mom comes and interrupts her, and then typical Mexican fashion, tells her to stop talking about monsters and shit, like to stop like and that she Lissa stop talking about, you know, the journey and how she was alone with the peon, which I guess is what they call yeah peon. Oh sorry that was in English. I read it in Spanish. Yeah, So Nana listened and it's like, fine, I'll stop talking about this. So that's already like once find that she's already uh trekking back on her because she had told Nessa she was gonna talk to her family right yes, that it didn't matter, they were going to be together, So she's backtracking her behavior. Mm hmmm hm taking taking aback. So then there's evening prayers Nana and Nestor me and he kisses her and she's like, stopped here going to see us, and that's like another thing he's like. He's like, oh, this isn't gonna and the way that I thought it was. Yeah. Nana tells him that her mom is already upset over the vampire talk and she just needs to wait to like smooth things over. Basically, her sister's having nightmares, and Nesta tells her there's been two more attacks and one person didn't survive, a girl, so you know it's getting more serious. He wants to walk her home and she doesn't let him, and he is her bathis He's like, okay, this is yeah. Another another to him, Yeah, another blow like another another staff and he's back. Then a couple of days go by, the rest of the men returned. Feliks and Don Felix are all right. So it's Betho and Cassie Middle, but Cassie Middle's her Casimiro is Nestor's cousin. I think it's his cousin. Oh whoops, I thought it was his brother. But I think you're right, and it is his cousin. I think that's what he was asking about when he asked. And then as mom and she's like, who yeah, fun, Sorry, you want me to tell you about the fucking peasants? No about my employees? Why don't keep track of them? I could give two shits. They could croak over and die, and I don't care exactly what she said. So Nana asks Betho when he returns if he feels it too, and at first he's like what, but then she's like, the wound on your neck, do you feel a tingling? And he's like, yeah, this means the vampires are in your bib right? Oh no, but she doesn't tell him this. Yeah, I don't think. I don't remember. I don't think so yeah. So then she goes to see Felix and she tells him that Nestor helps her back home, and he's like, oh, the rumors are true. Then you and a Vacquero alone on the road, they're rumors. They're rumors, And I'm like, shit, the fuck. At least she made it back in one piece. If it was not for Nestor, she would have she would have. Made it back. No, not at all. He saves her in the battlefield, but all they care about is, oh, your image, Oh how can you be seen with the which I get that's what it was like back then. But still, man, she's alive. Just be happy. She's alive, like seriously. So then her dad walks in and he's like, oh, thank god, you're all right. I should have never agreed to let you come. It was too dangerous. And then her mom just like loses her shit for no fucking reason. She's like, you should have seen us say she returned in and with that boy, he crossed the line and we cannot fix this. No one will want to marry her. And then her dad storms out and I'm like, oh my god, calm down, everyone calm down, but they don't. He storms to the Duarte Hakka so where Nestor's family lips and Nana is about to follow. Her mom's like, stop, he needs to be made or the boy needs to be made an example, and I'm like, the boy this is a man, a man that saved her life. Mm hmm. I was so annoyed at her family. Me too, me too. So then Nana tells her her mom off and she runs after her dad. Then Don Fendix is yelling at Nestos is yelling back, he's not taking this ship again. He's a freelance facto. He does not to stand for no man, no, Asendalo yelling at him no. So they're exchanging words. Nesta tells him that he's not hisato, he's his equal, and he's going to buy land right here, right next door to dash. Shit. I was like fuck. I was like yes. He's like, I'm gonna marry Nana. And Nana walks up as he's saying that she's Felix is like is this true. She's like, oh fuck. Is this? Oh my god? I love it. I would love this novella to me too. It has everything, it has everything you need. Yeah. So Nana's like, uh no, like no, let's talk about this alone. Like she wants her dad to calm down before she admits to anything. That's all Nestlo needed to hear. He's like, fuck this, you're not willing to stand up to your dad. I'm sucking done. I'm done. He's trying to talk to Nana. Don't. FedEx is yelling then don't. Felix turns to Nestor and tells them like, you know what you're right, you're not my employee. Get off my land. You're banished. If I see you again, it's on site. It's on site, like I'm killing you on site. So Nesta's like, you know what, fine, fuck this, I don't need this chance. I was doing just fine before, just fine. Exactly that moment in the movies, you know, yeah, yeah, where the kid is telling the dog to leave. Get out of here, I love you anymore. I was like, yeah, I also thought of the I don't even remember what it's from, but it's his kid, and he's like, don't call me, dude. I's like, what, don't call me, don't call my house. We're done? Yes, that was Yeah, it's from Diarva, would be kid. Okay then yeah, yeah that was nestor don't call me, don't come by my house. And he he's. Like, yeah, you're right. So he leaves, just like he did nine years ago. He leaves. Nana is on her on her in her bed, like trying to sleep that night, you know, but she can't. There's a lot on her mind because obviously the love of her life has left yet again, but this time. Is kind of her fault. Yeah, she can't be mad this time, she can only be mad at herself, and so she's trying to sleep and she's woken up by their dog who's by the window, and then she's like, wait, all the dogs are barking, and then there's gunshots and screaming. It's the Yankees. They've arrived. As so, you know, we leave her and we go to Nestor writing West writing fast. He's mad but Nana that she didn't stand up for them. Later, as he's writing, he passes by a puma that has been mauled and he's like. Oh no, this can't be good. Ah fuck, I know what this is. Oh shit. He immediately turns around and rides fast towards Los Aquelos. Back in Loulos, Na is instructing her sister to take the salt and make a barrier. Her mom comes out and asks what's going on, And at that moment, a vampire is trying to jump in at the window, and that's second terrifying. Then there's a little adorable dog Boyo attacks a vampire, Go Boyo and bites it in the leg. Yes, go Boyo, and Nana hacks at it with a butcher knife or something, and so they're able to fight this one off and Nana or sorry, Nana's mom is like what was that? And Na's like, hell cuckoo. It's just it's just. A moment in TV when it's like like a tense like piano, and then you're like what was that? And then it zooms in and she's like hell cucko. So she finishes pouring the salt. They all realize I will ask stories are true. And then she like a like a badass. She's like, all right, you guys, like be careful of this, blah blah blah, do not break this barrier. And then she jumps over the salt like a true action hero a she wrote moment. Yeah, she jumps over the salt. She runs toward the noise or something. She's running outside and she runs into Nesto. And so then there's fighting between them, the ring ches so the Texas Rangers, I guess, and the vampires. The vampires in the middle, yeah, the Cucos, the cucos. Yeah. Nana is hurt. She's taken to Abuela, and Abuela has Nestler called Nana back, and of course she does a Wella's like you know, you two love each other. I can't do this. You were gonna do it. She needs the love of her life to call her back. Yeah, her soulmate exactly. And it works. She wakes up, they make up. Her dad is walking up as they're like, you know, hugging each other making up, and he's. Like, what the fuck what are you doing? And then I was like no, he goes, I go, I don't care what anyone says anymore. And they're finally together. But also at some point during all this, there is a moment where she realizes that the I didn't write it down, That's why I'm summarizing it in this manner. So there's a moment where she realizes the ring Chet, not the Rynches, the vampires are not doing this of their own volition. They're not doing this of their own will. Yeah, they're being controlled by the Yankees, by the Rangers, the Texas Rangers. They're trapped and they're hurt. They just they want to be free too, And she like empathizes with them with the monsters because she's like, you know what, they're not the monsters the power of empathy, you know. Yeah, she realizes that they are a tool being used by the colonizers. By the real monsters, and she has this moment of understanding with one of them and then they're like, all right, let's go, this is in our battle. We're free. She like unties their chains or some shit, and yeah, they're they're the vampires leave. They end up, you know, beating the Yankees after that, who then also flee because they don't have their vampires anymore. So that's that happens. And yeah, so then there is a little like flash forward moment where there's like a tiny little wedding celebration. Then they have like a plot of land, not like we're almost right next to Loslos and Nesslo. It is like, all right, I'm going to go off to ten the I don't know animals. And she's like at the footstep or something of the house and across the river she sees a vampire. It looks at her. She and they're like it's like a little moment of respect and it just leaves, and yeah, that is the end. Welcome to our Haunted Break. 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If you cannot support us monetarily, then you are not missing out on anything. The best support that you can give us is just listening to our episodes here, So thank you for doing that. Amazing. Yeah, I loved it. I loved it. Any thoughts you want to address before the questions anything overall overall, no, I don't think so, other than I just loved, absolutely loved reading about Nestor and and as I love like progressing them getting over it. I'm so happy they ended up together. I hate I. Hate we have been heard by is we have. I absolutely can stand when the protagonists don't end up together, like it's the one thing I can't stand. I can't and understand what happens. Like life, it's not perfect. It doesn't work out sometimes I get that, but I hate it. Yeah, same, same thoughts. Okay, so discussions now, discussion questions. Sure. Sure. At the start of this novel, Nana is resigned to the fate her parents choose for her. A Neisode is resigned to never coming back to Los Aquelos. Discuss their growth over the course of the story. Did you think they have similar motivations? I mean they grew so much, like think. I think the fact that she was able to stand up to her parents and come to the point where she was able to make that huge decision which she didn't know it could have ended. In her being shunned from her family. I don't know. It's it's such a huge thing. Like even if now people are afraid, women are afraid of going against their families, like imagine back then. Yeah, exactly, it was huge on her, on her to be able to do this. Is there anything you want to add? No, I agree with you. I think he had a lot of resentment to let go of two. But I think the person that really had to grow the most here with her, and she did because she had to see, like, this is really what it's like for people living working under my father, and even for her to be able to center for her parents. Like, I completely agree with what you were what you were saying, Like even even her coming to terms with like that she loved Nestor to begin with, it took longer like than he. I think he knew from the beginning, even when they were young little baby, No, they weren't babies, but like you know, teens thirteen. So yeah, I think I think she had more growing to do than him. But he also had to, like you know, let go of a lot of anger, which they both they both ended up I think could should we read the listener's answer, Yeah, this is our what our listeners said. I got the impression. Nestor was determined to get with Nana as soon as he found out she was alive. Prior to returning to Los Solos, Nestor just wanted to by his land and have his own VENTI. Nana wanted to prove how valuable she was to Lecienda without needing a man. But then Nesso showed up. I think both characters showed growth by expressing their feelings toward each other. Nesslo was very shut off and did not speak about his feelings, while Nana was somewhat impulsive. Yeah, such a great answer. I didn't even think about their beginning motivations, even though that was part of the question, And that's very idiohy of me to just skip over a question just to answer the part that I like. But yeah, they both started out with such different motivations. So yes, good point, listener, Thank you for putting that out for us. Thank you for bringing us back to the plot. Yeah, okay. In contrast, what do you think they were each lacking without each other? Love, happiness, joy, romance? Okay, to be a little more serious about the answer, I think they were both lacking emotional intelligence without each other. Oh yeah, oh yeah, I mean, she couldn't even finish her kurunda like training because she was so blocked off to her emotions and just like wanting to shut things down, you know. And he too was so shut off that he was you know, drinking and hooking up, you know. Yeah, and so in different ways, they were lacking the same thing. So let's see what are losing answer this? Yes, okay. So Nna looked at Nestor as someone who would love and support her unconditionally. When Or and Na were fighting on their way back to Nana noticed how she changed because her parents' love was held by a loose thread. For nesslo, I think Nana was his inspiration for the future while Na. While Nestor believed Na was dead, he was so working toward buying his land to be independent. Yeah again, excellent, excellent points. Again did so much better than we did. And I feel like that's a common thing. What did you make of the decision to have Nana and Nestor come from different social classes? What did you think this was meant to tell us about the community? Again, we love in a more probibido story. Yes, one of my favorite songs, hey no tengo the nero no Tengore, Yes, love Us Some Selena, some Quanga the other novelas with Aaliyah. You know, this theme, this running theme is one of our favorites. I mean it's a sign of the times also, especially like I don't know about now. I think it's probably so thing now but so much less. But for me, I think it was it was done to highlight the social structures. Is that the word social stigmas of the time, societal expectations, things like that. Yeah, it really paints a picture of what it was like because and even in some worlds it is still very true. Like you know, not to go that far back to the novel right in twenty ten, but it's the same thing where she was trying to go above her social status and her social class by being with El Profeturo, who was a rich lawyer of Spanish ancestry. Right. And not only was her story he's like old money in that town too, right. Yeah, and this is I know a similar thing. But it really does highlight what it was like and what it's still like. Like it's not over. Oh hi, my okay, I seen if you had was he waving? Yeah, he was waving, So our listener said the difference in social classes added to the story and the historical references. It also made it fun to read a story of amorpri Vido. Yes, and yeah, we completely obviously we already said our answer, but yeah, I. Mean, same answer. Okay, So what are your thoughts on the portrayal of vampires in this story? Why do you think they were written this way? It was so interesting. It's such a different take on the vampire, especially the changing the story or the I don't know, lore on its head with They're like a wild animal, right being weaponized, and it's mankind that we should be afraid of. If our dad were to write vampire, this is how he would write the vampire. I think because of that thing he's always telling us. He always tells us be more afraid of the living than the dead, And this is this, that's what this is. I don't I don't think I read a vampire like that. No, where it's just another animal in nature and the monsters are the men weaponizing. Yeah, this creature and also fascinating that their biting of others is something that is cured. That it's I love that she made it susto. That was amazing and also that they're not. It's not like other vampire stories where they're going to turn into vampires and like, so that was that was also fascinating. Yeah, it made it more like like a wild creature type thing. And then our listener said, I liked that the vampires were different than what we know them to be. I enjoyed the twists that there was a cure in a sense, it made it more believable for me. I love that the author used susto as like war happens, yeah, when you get bitten. So yeah, I mean completely agree. Okay, So and Nana butt heads a lot. Who did you relate to more? I don't know if I related to one or the other more, but I can tell you who I was rooting for the whole time, and. Yes it was Nestor again not us. Oh my god, why do we hate women? I don't know that that or just that. I seven writes men really well and makes me want to root for them, whereas in real life, am I you will never. Catch me rooting for a man? No, and I agree, but I think it has to do with how we also grew up, because we're not gonna identify with like the rich as in Dada, who doesn't realize that the workers are being overworked and who has to learn this right? And there are aspects that you can identify with her obviously, like the whole U and can hang out together anymore? What will the people think? I mean even when I was or I told our mother that my husband has a child, and she's like, oh, like yeah, people and people people, yeah, yeah, no. And you know what's funny. Our cousin in Mexico, he's more like another son of our grandparents, but to us he's our cousin. But he was raised by them, not by his like our uncle. And he had briefly a girlfriend that had a child. And when people like our Urtas and our Willie that we're mad at him for the yeah, And he was like, what about Christina, she's literally married to like and they're like states, he's a different No, yeah, she's American, Like, it's not the same. Those values are not the same. So it just goes to show how this is ingrained. That's right. So in that sense, honestly, Nana was very relatable and sense so I can't I can like for me, it's a little more even because of that, but still Nestor in other ways, like it's it's really a mix of both of them. Yeah, I would agree with you, because it's like, yeah, like seeing yourself in the underdog, because you're more like, yeah that because you are the under you are the working because you are better. You are a freelancer. I am a freelance. Yeah, I am a working woman nine to five, sort of like a rodeo, the rodeo of capitalism that we're on. Yeah, that we can't escape. And so in that sense, yes, we I relate a lot more to Nestor than the the owner class the Yes, but in a sense there's also things that are I mean, she's a woman transcend class. She's a woman exactly. Yeah that. Yes, Yeah, So I honestly I found them both me too. It was like a mix, a mix of like who do I And I didn't find either like unlikable, Like both of them had their flaws, but both of them were well rounded, you know, yeah, full flesh characters. Yeah, our listener. I found they were both relatable, but found to be more like nest. Oh my god, not us being the same. Yeah, in the sense of not being able to share emotions most of the times. And like pushing everything back, and I mean, yeah, yeah, all right, next one, thinking about the previous question, do you think either Nana or Nestor had a point in their arguments? Who do you think benefited most from their disagreements. I feel like Nana benefited more because I feel like she was able to learn new perspectives from their arguments that she had never considered before, and so for her it was more character developing than for Nestor. Yeah, I agree. I agree. So our listener said each person was basing their arguments on their own perspectives and did not understand the or did not stop to understand the other person. And half the time, I think that was correct because Na was so also so stubborn. They were both so stubborn, And I love that because I'm also stubborn. Yeah, me too. I feel like it's only like, really one or two of their arguments where she ponders it later. Yeah yeah, And I feel like he does the same, like he ponders about what she says later, but in the moment, it's just like, you know, back and forth and know it's not going anywhere. Yeah, unless they start making out. The next one, the story is sad in eighteen forties Mexico. Did you have any expectations of what this time period would have been like? What did you learn from this novel? And honestly, like I had, I knew what this time period was like because of all of our research of his studios that know me too. I don't think anything surprised me. But it's always interesting to read about that time period. Yeah. Same. So the next one, Mama and Papa were tough on both Nana and in the story. Did you understand their reasoning? No, I understood it, but I didn't agree with it. But I understood it, I did. No, I agree, there's besides the societal expectations, they were also looking out for their land and their heirs, and they're maintaining the relationships with the people like them, you know, the family name, the honor. But I didn't agree. Yeah, but I understood. But yeah, but I got it. But I didn't like it, but I got yeah. Yeah, our listener, it seemed to me that the parents' main concern was to keep the family's honor and for everyone to view Nna as a respectable woman. Yeah. I imagine those times. Many just had the mindset of things or just the way they are. I feel like, even to this day, there are parents who don't have bad intentions, but they only follow one path. Yeah. Better said than ust. Thank you. Always, it's always. Yeah. Did you see any parallels between the humans and the vampires of the story. I did, because with whom. Both both Neston and Nana are trapped by the society that they live in, right by the time period that they you know, exist in, and likewise, the vampires are trapped by their circumstances of being trapped by the climate. I love. I lost my my you know it was it was good and I lost it. I did. But I think people know what I'm saying. It started out and then just went. Yeah, like when Michael Scott starts saying a sentence and then kind of just feel where it's going to go, like you don't know. Yeah, I just make it up as you go. Yes, that was me right now. But I mean the vampires were also trapped. Yeah, they were all trapped and they had to be freed by by the end, yes, by the end, all three were freed, and in a in a bigger sense, her family was also freed of having to maintain these expectations and finally like, yeah, our daughters, it's not the end of the world if she is happy with the man that she loves in their own land, like yeah, And in this way, they see her as a human being, not just as a you know, property or piece of you know, a tool to extension of themselves that they boss. Around and you know, tell what to do at all times. In the same way that the vampires are no longer a tool of the white man, right right, they are free and and yeah, so yeah, we found it, we found it, we did we we came to it at the end, our listener, the vampires were a prisoners similar to the vacceos. They both did as they were told to stay alive. Oh so I only talked about. But it is same for nest But yeah, same, same, same, big right, and and she our listener mentioned all the vacchhetos. Yeah, I was gonna say, some of the Vakettos didn't necessarily volunteer for this militia. They were ordered to write exactly. So yeah, that is a good point. Again, our listener as saying it better than us to thank you, And I'm not surprised. What did you think of the ending. Do you think there is more of the story to be told? I think there is, because I'm sure there won't be. But in my mind, this could go on because talked about a lot more, you know, monsters and gestures and masters, the Google being out there and now that they have their own land, like you know, I don't know. They could just be gazing at the stars one day and come across something and there's part two. That's true. I was gonna, I was gonna say, I think the story is complete. I don't think we need more. No, because the main thing is also their love story and they're together, so yes, it is complete. I get that. But I would love to see them finding supernatural creatures together, like to me too. Yeah, so it is over, but it doesn't have to be doesn't have to be over. We can then see their children and she's also teaching them to be or Raccuto's and vacctras and they're all just this family of like fighting supernatural. Yeah, yeah, I would love it. Okay, so our listener, but oh yes, okay, thank you, Yeah, I get it. Okay, so our listener, Right, I did like the ending after so much time apart, nest soon and I realized they both wanted the same thing and that they could rely on each other. And then she said, I can't wait too or by the way, I love these book discussions. I can't wait to listen to the episode. And finally a year later, here we are, not. A year, but. It's been a while, yes, months, Yeah, I'm sorry. So yeah, the end, we made it. Anything to add, We did all the questions. No, let's rate it. Yeah, let's rate it, all right, what's your rating? Five cucos out of five cucoats? You were waiting for that. I was gonna say rinches, And then I realized that renchias are kind of terrible. So then I was like, never mind, the riches are not a good thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so I don't know, five five cell containers out of five cell containers, five out of five. Yeah. I loved it. I loved it. There's see a lot of like criticism that this isn't a horror book, but you know, like we say many times, horror doesn't have to be downright terrifying. The book has scary moments. It does have scary moments. Yeah, and that's all I need. I love a combination of different things yeah, like, yeah, I love getting scared, but I also love a love story, and I love a more prohibido love story. And so this book has, you know, via more probibido selina kuanga, right, it has that. It has you know, fighting war, vampires, polonization history, endearing family relationships like Aguila, I love her, I want her to be my other Abila, and also the opposite of endearing family relationships. Like the opposite of encanto. You know. Yeah, this Abela rocks, not like the other Aila, and a happy ending like what more can you ask for? And in the end, the monster was not what you thought it was. So yeah, that's why we rated it five cucos out of five cuckos. So yeah, we have reached the end of the episode. If you made it this far. Wow, thank you. Oh my god, I'm starving. Wow, I'm sorry for keeping starving. All right, let's announce our next book before we go, and so you can go eat. The book's not by count. I thought you would look up name. I didn't look up. His last name is g o Ut. Yeah, and the book is called Pinata and it is shorter than this one from what I've seen. You know, it's not a very long read. Maybe we'll get it in three months instead of eight. Well, I need to finish book maybe two books before I start that one, so Jesus Christ. I need to finish Love in the Time of Cholera, very weird book by the way, And I started Queenie and never finish that either, so maybe I should finish them before. But that would be a quick read. Maybe you should stop starting other books. I'm just kidding. I do plan to stop after this. Also never finished. You misrepresented my status of reading a book in a previous episode, my bad and the previously I did. I misrepresent a lot about you. When you're not on with me, I get a lot of things wrong. Misinformation, yeah, spreading misinformation? Are me me? Yes? Yeah? I have to finish reading a book for known about a crash in California. After that, I will reap be at that. So honestly I'll be starting Piata that pretty soon. So that is our book, the next book, and I will be standing out in the newsletter. So yeah, if you know you're not signed up for the newsletter and you want to be, click the link in the show notes that will just give you updates on when we pick a new book, it'll send you the me I will send you the. I will send you. The book club discussion questions and when about new book is chosen as well as maybe I haven't done it, but like a summary of our answers and newsletter form, I don't know yet. I don't know about that one. Probably not. Actually it's a lot of work, just the new books. Yeah, and the questions. That's what. Maybe if we had better answers, I could see the word than that, but honestly we don't. Honestly, our listener had better answers and I love that. Yeah, me too. Yeah. So yeah, if you want your answers included in these episodes, send answer them in that newsletter. I also do these posts on Patreon, where it's free for everyone to see, so you can answer on there. The questions are not like behind a paywall. This episode will be out free on there for free for everyone too. I don't know why I'm saying that we're going to lose that on AD so I'm just kidding. So that's gonna be there too. And yeah, so that's another place where you can be a part of the book club is Patreon, and that part of Patreon is free the book club and I said it before, but I still don't know how to set it up where I want to do these discussions live like with the Patreon members, so people can answer on the SPA. But again I don't know how to do that yet. So we'll figure it out. And all right, Carmen's dying, so I will we will go. So I don't know, make friends with vampires and you know they're not the real monsters. Real monsters are lading, just not the Googles. Yeah, we should make that a sticker. All right, Stay spooky everyone, We'll catch you next time. Bye bye. A Book Tells is hosted by Christina and Carmen, produced and edited by Christina, researched by Christina Carmen and with the help of Don shout out with Don. If you aren't joying the podcast considerably, going to say five star review, we would really appreciate it. If you don't want to the a fess star review, just don't leave a review, but don't leave anything. Lower than that, please, I'm just kidding. You can reach out to the podcast at A Spooktees at gmail dot com. You can go to our website at bookitos dot com and fill out the contact form. If you want to support the podcast, you can join our Patreon where we send exclusive stickers, have bonus episodes. Eight dollar members get an exclusive key chain. It's super cool. 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