The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
Argentina’s pampas in 1872. China is a young woman who is struggling to survive in a secluded gaucho camp. China flees for her freedom after her bad husband is drafted into the army, embarking on a wagon trek through the pampas with her new Scottish settler companion Liz. Their eyes are opened to the wonders of Argentina’s richly diverse flora and fauna, cultures, and languages, as well as to the terrible bloodshed inherent in nation-building, as Liz gives China a romantic education and instructs her in the evil methods of the British Empire. The open road, love and sex, the ideal of indefinite freedom, and the colour and movement of the living world are all celebrated in this irreverent retelling of Martn Fierro, the first gaucho epic to be written in Argentina. Gabriela Cabezón Cámara has crafted a happy, dreamlike tale that is also a sharp critique of national myths with humour and intelligence.
The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
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China Iron, a young woman who is attempting to survive in the Argentine pampas in 1872, is a single mother. She was first taken in as a slave by a black couple and later married Martin Fierro, a gaucho-singer who tortured her but bore her two children. China made the decision to leave her husband and their little existence behind after Fierro was drafted into the military. She entrusted the care of her children to an old couple. To flee, she teams up with Elizabeth, a redheaded English woman, and they cross the pampas with her dog.
The author’s depiction of the world suggests that it is more mystical than actual. It would be incredibly risky to travel on the pampas with two women. The book isn’t very long. The plot has some likeable elements. Brutality does come across at times. The writing is excellent and confident. Although the characters are diverse, they all appear well-rounded and authentic. The shortlist for the worldwide Booker award includes this book.
