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In this first book-length
study of the role women played in two of the most momentous revolutions of the
twentieth century, Tabea Alexa Linhard provides a comparative analysis of works
on the Mexican Revolution (circa 1910–1919) and the Spanish Civil War
(1936–1939). Linhard was inspired by the story of the “Trece Rosas,” about
thirteen young women who, after the Spanish Civil War ended with the
Nationalists’ victory, were executed. One of the women, Julia Conesa, was
particularly influential. In a letter she wrote to her mother a few hours before
she faced the firing squad, she said, “Do not allow my name to vanish in
history.” Fearless Women in the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish Civil War
is Linhard’s attempt to respond to Julia’s last request.
Although female figures
such as the soldaderas of the Mexican Revolution and the milicianas
of the Spanish Civil War are abundant in writings about revolution and war, they
are often treated as icons, myths, and symbols, displacing the women’s
particular and diverse experiences. Linhard maintains a focus on these women’s
stories, which until now—when presented at all—have usually been downplayed in
literary canons, official histories, and popular memories. She addresses several
existing gaps in studies of the intersections of gender, revolution, and culture
in both the Mexican and the Spanish contexts.
The
book is grounded in transatlantic studies, an emerging field that
bridges disciplinary boundaries between Peninsular studies and Latin
American studies. In this case, the connection between the Mexican
Revolution and the Spanish Civil War is a natural consequence of the
disjointed conditions out of which arose the cultural texts in which
fearless women appear.
Fearless
Women in the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish Civil War will be
especially valuable to scholars of early twentieth-century Peninsular
and Mexican literature and culture. It will also be a useful resource in
gender studies and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of
revolution, war, and culture.
About the Author
Tabea Alexa Linhard is Assistant Professor of Spanish at
Washington University
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