A LIFE ON THE RUN The beginning, at least, is clear. In 1916, in the small Asturian town of Cangas de Onís, a Mexican woman named Esperanza Navarro learned that her Spanish husband, José Antonio Garro, was having an affair with her cousin. Esperanza was eight months pregnant and understandably furious. So, she sold her jewels and set out with her two-year-old daughter, Devaki, for the port of Vigo. There, she boarded a ship bound for Veracruz, from where she took a train, with the intention of eventually reaching Mexico City. Losing the race against her biological clock, she went into labor in Puebla, where her sister Consuelo lived. On December 11, 1916, Elena Delfina Garro Navarro was born. And thus, while still in the womb, began a life on the run. Excerpted from The Queen of Swords by Jazmina Barrera All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
