"Now I Surrender" | Reviewed by William Winkler

Mexican native Alvaro Enrigue is the author of six novels, three short story collections and one book of essays. He earned a Ph.D. in Latin American Literature at the University of Maryland and is currently Professor of Romance Languages and Literature at Hofstra University.

His most recent novel, “Now I Surrender,” translated from Spanish by Natasha Wimmer, tells of the century-long struggle between the Chiricahua Apaches, the Mexican States of Chihuahua and Sonora, and the United States. The title is in reference to the words of fabled Apache shaman Geronimo as he surrendered to U.S. authorities in 1885.

Centered around the life and campaigns of Geronimo, the novel looks both forward and backward in history. The first section of the book, entitled “Janos,” is sited in the Chihuahuan town of the same name, its name derived from the two-faced Roman god Janus, so called because he looked both forward and backward in time. One story arc deals with Camila, a young Mexican widow who is abducted by an Apache raider and later gives birth to his son, one of Geronimo’s forebears.

Another follows the history and participants in the century-long campaign against the Apaches in the American southwest and the Mexican north, culminating in Geronimo’s surrender. This narrative emphasizes the imperial ambitions of both nations and their attempts to drive the Indians from their native lands.

The final arc follows a contemporary Mexican-American family’s tour of the southwest states in an attempt to connect with Geronimo, his history, and the history of the conquest and subjugation of the Native Americans.

“Now I Surrender” is an ambitious novel, populated by a large cast of characters, many of whom are identified by more than one name. Most of the cast are based, at least in part, on historical figures. Author Enrigue does a commendable job of keeping the identities clear for the reader. The translation by Natasha Wimmer flows smoothly, keeping some of the original Spanish, allowing the context to clarify its intent.

Readers with an interest in this aspect of American history will find “Now I Surrender” to be a fresh and different approach to this epoch.

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