The Tatooed Soldier

I thought this book was very interesting. I brought up the contrast of Jose Juan and Antonio in the family situation. I found this intriguing because Jose Juan has everything to make him happy in the family department but chooses to run into the arms of another woman. His wife was worried that he would find a "gabacha" and instead he just found another Mexicana. It actually made me sad because I have met families where the father has two families one in his home country to who he sends money every month and a family in the United States. More often however, the father just cuts ties to his first family and keeps his US family. It's sad.

Antonio on the other hand had a family and although his relationship was a wreck he sees now that he had everything he had ever wanted and now lost it all. He tends to see Elena as a sort of patron Saint. I think it is interesting that he has no family ties that force him to stay away from other women but chooses to avoid starting another relationship.

On an unrealated note, I also personally think that Longoria would have gone crazy if he had a family and his son was shot in the same manner that Lopez lost his son. I think that all the maldades que hicieron los jaguares subieron al fondo e hizo que Lopez se volviera loco. Longoria was way to brainwashed to realize that he is crazy for other reasons.