First published 2009
Harrison Shepherd grows up rootless, shuttled between makeshift homes in Mexico after being born in the United States. In 1930s Mexico City, he mixes plaster for muralist Diego Rivera and befriends the fierce artist Frida Kahlo. When Shepherd works for exiled revolutionary Lev Trotsky, he becomes entangled in art, politics, and dangerous intrigue. As World War II approaches, he returns north to America, hoping to reinvent himself in his birth country. His stenographer Mrs. Brown becomes an unexpected ally who proves more important than he realizes. Political forces push Shepherd back and forth between two nations as both countries forge their modern identities. He struggles to find his own voice while navigating the gap between truth and public perception. Shepherd's journey spans from jungle islands to urban centers, from revolutionary Mexico to wartime America, as he searches for belonging in a world torn by political upheaval.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Mexico, Mexico City, United States
Period: 1930s, World War II
508 pages · Hardcover · Harper