Right from the start, the title of this book had me: Rebels, Exiles, and Bridge Builders: A Century of Stories from Mexico’s Mennonite Villages, by Abigail Carl-Klassen. (Available to order online from CommonWord.ca.)
This is a book about insider-outsiders — people who see from more than one perspective among the intersection of cultures. A poetic book filled with hope and love. Straight from the Mennonite colonies in Chihuahua, Mexico.
To be honest, I’ve been sipping a margarita as I’ve been reading this book. I suppose that’s kind of stretching it, to be saying that I’m having a Mexican Mennonite moment. I’m going to read this again before we go to Mexico, for sure.
A moment for Abigail Carl-Klassen. She is an extraordinary poet with an incredible ability to herself be a rebel and bridge builder. This project is an extension, or perhaps a culmination, of her Darp Stories project, which she told me about in 2018. Now here is her work, carefully chosen pieces of conversations shared with no names attached, so you don’t really know at the outset if a story is being told by a Mennonite, a Mexican, or an Indigenous person.
I love how the stories live together, without the official record of being attributed to specific people, and taken together it forms a kind of quilt — sort of the way land looks from the air — like a patchwork quilt. So this work is like a quilt of the area, of northern Chihuahua.
I think it’s an important book for me to read in two ways. One, because it helps me understand more about the people of Mexican Mennonite descent (who are likely my distant — or perhaps even not-so-distant — cousins) who share my community here. So there is less for them to explain. Two, because Andrew and I will be going there very soon. So, doing some pre-reading.
There is a huge variety of stories here, stories of families expanding, important work and education being accomplished, seeing culture change, and learning how to take pride in one’s culture even when one feels a drive to escape it.
I think probably Abigail collected these stories over coffee in various kitchens across the region, and in reading these poetically chosen and arranged anonymous quotes, I too have just sat in all these kitchens sipping coffee and listening, too.
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A moment now for the photography featured in this book, by artists Marcella Enns, Veronica Enns, and Raul Kigra. Andrew and I had the pleasure of meeting Veronica and Raul when they were in Canada a few years ago, and will certainly be seeing them again this summer. Their photographic work in this book is absolutely captivating. Draws you into each scene.
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Abby! I just finished reading your book! Not only was your CTMS virtual book launch fascinating and fantastic, but so is, obviously, the book itself. I’m so pleased your project has become this beautiful and important book!