| Published About.com Women Writers 2004-11-15 |
| CHRIS MCDONOUGH |
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| The News from Paraguay by Lily Tuck From Chris McDonough Guide Rating: **** The Bottom Line Paris, 1854: the young playboy Francisco "Franco" Solano L�pez took up with the notorious Ella Lynch, an Irish high-society courtesan. He brought her home with him to Paraguay. Together they intended to remake Paraguay in the image of France. Franco became a dictator warring against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, while Ella eventually built their palace and bore Franco five children. This is the story of their lives together, told through Ella's letters and various characters' points-of-view. Pros: This is a vivid historical novel. Cons: Predictably, Franco is objectionable. Description � Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. � Pages: 245 � Format: Hardcover � ISBN: 0-06-620944-7 Guide Review - The News from Paraguay by Lily Tuck This book is well researched and I have no problem believing all of it. That being said, author Lily Tuck admits to fiction as well as truth in the novel. Still, there is probably as much truth here as in any of our own life stories. By successfully balancing several viewpoints, including Ella's letters, author Lily Tuck matches the lively atmosphere of Paraguay at that time. Franco's intransigence is matched by the strength of Ella's pliability; his violence is contrasted with her love of the arts. Love itself appears only in Ella's devotion to her horse Mathilde, named after Princess Mathilde in Paris, to whom many of Ella's letters are addressed. --------------- Chris McDonough is retired from dog-paddling with corporate sharks, and catching up on reading and writing. �2004 About, Inc. All rights reserved. A PRIMEDIA Company. |
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