Femicide

The theme of femicide in contemporary Mexico runs throughout the collection as both an explicit and haunting presence across the stories. Though the tone and genre of the stories vary, with some laced with magic and dark humor, while others feature more elegy and grief, the backdrop of gendered violence remains constant. It is not limited to specific characters or circumstances, but is revealed to be a systemic, pervasive reality that transcends class, age, and social standing. Through its varied portraits of women’s lives and deaths, the collection highlights not only the staggering scale of femicide but also its normalization within Mexican society.

In "La Huesera," the final story, the narrator’s grief over the loss of her best friend Claudia leads her to a horrifying realization: Claudia’s death was not an isolated tragedy but part of an epidemic of violence against women. As...