Just finished Hector Tobar’s new novel, The Barbarian Nurseries. I’m an avid reader, but usually of fantasy and science fiction. This novel, set in present-day, real-life Los Angeles and its suburbs, was a change of pace for me. Its protogonist, a Mexican domestic employee and undocumented (or unauthorized) immigrant, is also a change of pace in terms of my leisure reading. Maybe because I handle immigration matters on a daily basis, I usually look for topics far afield when I want to relax with a good book.
But I saw this title on the new books shelf at the library, and thought I would give it a whirl. I’m glad I did. So many observations in this book were dead on and familiar, putting in words things that I’ve noticed before and never bothered to parse out myself. It kept me riveted from beginning to end, and now I’m looking for more by this author.
Here’s the set up: A suburban couple, Scott Torres and Maureen Thompson, have laid off two of their three domestic employees due to money issues, leaving only the quiet, hardworking, standoffish, non-child-friendly housekeeper, Araceli. After an argument, Scott and Maureen each quietly and without word to anyone else exit the home thinking the other spouse will look after their two young sons, leaving Araceli as de facto guardian of the children in their unexplained absence. Not being able to reach either husband or wife for days, Araceli decides to take the boys to the only other relative within hailing distance, Scott’s Mexican American father.
Thus begins a journey that will bring upheaval to each member of the household. The novel does a wonderful job of painting a three-dimensional personality for Araceli and her yuppie employers. As might be expected, the housekeeper’s undocumented status informs her every potential encounter with authority figures. For those who need reminding, the novel also provides a portrait of an undocumented immigrant as more than just a statistic, more than just a stick figure conveniently labeled as “illegal” and “criminal” so that such individuals can be dismissed as not worthy of basic human considerations. It presents us with a complex person with a past full of unfulfilled dreams, her own idiosyncratic hopes for the future, distinct quirks and dislikes, and very little in the way of resources except her own strength of character.
This contemporary novel takes a keen, unsentimental look at the everyday lives of people you feel you know already, and leaves you feeling like you’ve taken a tour into their inner lives. Highly recommended.