“Amulet,” written by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño, trans. by Chris Andrew, is a historical fiction novel told from the unreliable perspective of Auxilio Lacouture, an immigrant poet and close-knit member of the young poetry scene. Set in 1968 Mexico City, a time of student protest and violent suppression, Auxilio finds herself trapped in the bathroom as the Mexican army takes occupation of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
During a 10-day hunger strike, the room becomes a time machine through which she recounts her life. Her memories center around the poetry of Mexico City, told in lyrical prose. The semi-hallucinatory style allows for a strange in-and-out flow that endears the reader quickly to her.
Auxilio’s life was never easy. She came to Mexico from Uruguay, was homeless and occasionally employed. Regardless, Auxilio does her best to be a mentor for the next generation of young poets, nurturing their talents and trying to protect them.
The last scene stands out in both its symbolism and poetic storytelling. Auxilio describes a lucid dream where she trudges through icy mountains until she reaches a wide valley. From her vantage point, Auxilio watches as scores of young people march toward a losing battle, united by courage and a song that tells a tale of love and desired unity. Auxilio is helpless to stop them in their march toward death, no matter how hard she tries.
Similar to Auxilio’s dream, The Mexican Dirty War unfolds, marked by disappearances, extrajudicial executions and torture by the Mexican government against the young individuals. Paralleling the dream, Mexican student and guerrilla groups join together to fight a losing battle against the very government of their nation.
“Amulet” tells a graceful tale of not only survival but what it means to live and love, in a story marked by courage, self-discovery and disastrous failure. Andrew’s translation opens up a window into an underrepresented history and culture in literature.