Rich in language and imagery, Notes from Exile is a skillfully crafted novel. A blend of humor and drama thread this tale, concluding in what can best be described as a haunting modern tragedy. Struggles both large and small remind us of human frailties and how in the final analysis, we go it alone. For its wit and passion, this novel should not be missed! Mexico has long been a land of enchantment and mystery, a place where more than one foreigner has sought refuge, fleeing real or imagined demons. In a quaint village along the shores of Lake Chapala, two recent college graduates join two men living in self-imposed exile. One, a journalist and jaded philosopher is escaping an inherited family destiny; the other, a British combat veteran is fleeing what many viewed an unnecessary war. Notes from Exile is a venerable creation, containing humor, love, and sorrow - each in their own time and measure, all ingredients for a story of escape and hope. Through the novel we learn, often harshly, how each one of us is responsible for defining our destiny. The dilemma is that while some will succeed, others will tragically fail.
Excerpt from Notes from Exile - In the vigilant distance, the jacaranda trees and the African tulips remained still and breathless. The long, fragile egrets waded in the muddy shores of the great lake. Lirio acuático, water hyacinth, and tules, water rushes, nursed in the shallow water, their roots a web of thickness and lust. The lake was sick, dying of a disease called neglect. The mountains nestled beside it, powerless to heal, and the long, loping line of the woman cradled it in her lap. She had bravely turned to face the deprivation. Fishers, naked to the waist, cast their wide nets, each harvest more meager. What a disease this thing called neglect.

-------------------------

The Salvation of La Purísima, contemporary and timely, is a story of superstition and faith, loyalty, and ultimately the survival of one small village. The novel leaves the reader with a richer appreciation of the migrants, the human condition, and a sense that something profound has been experienced.

About T.M. Spooner

Spooner is a frequent visitor to Mexico where he has traveled extensively. Many of his summers are spent in Guadalajara, where much of this novel was written. Spooner is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and attended graduate school at DePaul University in Chicago. He lives near Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

The Salvation of La Purísima can be purchased online at www.floricantopress.com, www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. T.M. Spooner can be contacted at tmspooner2000@yahoo.com. The Salvation of La Purísima. Hard cover. ISBN: 0-915745-55-0.