Story Description:
HarperCollins
Publishers Ltd|September 20, 2011|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-1-44340-709-0
Scott Torres is a
thirty-something Mexican American with a beautiful, blonde wife, Maureen; a
mansion outside L.A.; and a staff of servants to tend his lawn, clean house and
care for the three Torres children. As
the novel opens, all the servants have been let go save for Araceli, their
maid. Scott has fallen on hard times
after a failed investment, and to make ends meet he has been forced to cut
costs, even if it means he has to wrestle with this lawnmower just to get it
started. With the recent addition of a
newborn into their family, tension escalates, and the couple soon part ways –
Maureen to a spa with the baby; Scott to a female co-worker’s house. Both think the other is caring for the
children.
Araceli, who has
never raised children before, spends more time daydreaming about her former
life as a Mexico City artist than caring for the Torres’ kids. When she starts to run out of food, she
spirits the youngsters off on an absurd adventure through Los Angeles in search
of their Mexican American grandfather.
When the parents finally return home they panic, thinking Araceli has
kidnapped the children. Soon a national
media circus explodes over the “abduction.”
The Barbarian Nurseries is a lush,
highly populated social novel in the vein of Tom Wolfe tempered with a bit of
T.C. Boyle that explores dashed dreams through a city divided.
My Review:
Scott Torres was
upset because the lawn mower wouldn’t start, no matter how hard he pulled the
cord it just wouldn’t start. Araceli,
his Mexican maid was watching him through the kitchen window and knew she
should tell him the secret that made the mower roar to life. All he had to do was turn a knob on the side
of the engine which made the mower start as easy as “pulling a lose thread from
a sweater.” Scott had recently let Pepe
the gardener go and felt Scott’s struggle with the mower fitting punishment for
doing so. Pepe had been gone two weeks
and Araceli missed him and knew she’d never see him again.
Araceli enjoyed
working for the Torres-Thompson household and thought working for them as a
self-imposed exile from her previous directionless life in Mexico City. However, neither of her bosses informed
Araceli beforehand of the momentous news that she would be the last Mexican
working in the house. Maureen, the wife,
never called herself “Mrs. Torres”, though she and el senor Scott were indeed
married. Araceli lived in their home 12
days out of every 14, but was often kept in the dark about what was going on in
the family, for example; Maureen’s pregnancy with their 3rd child,
which Araceli only found out about because of Maureen’s repeated vomiting. The couple had two boys: Keenan, 8; Brandon,
11; and one daughter, Samantha, 15 months.
Maureen Thompson
was a petite woman, elegant and thirty-eight-years-of-age. She and Scott had been married for twelve years. Scott was a write of computer programs. They had lived in their current home for 5
years.
Now that Scott and
Maureen had fired all the other staff, Araceli suddenly found herself being
plopped with a baby in her arms. This
was never Araceli’s job – ever!
Guadalupe had been the children’s nanny and this sudden new role did not
sit well with her. The truth was Araceli
had never been close to children; they were a mystery she had no desire to
solve, especially the boys, with their screams of battle and electric sound
effects they produced with lips and cheeks.
Scott had indicated they were going broke and couldn’t afford to keep
all the staff so Araceli didn’t have much choice.
Maureen and Scott
had a horrendous fight over their severely depleted financial situation and
Maureen had just spent 3 figures for a new back garden they didn’t need nor
could afford. That same day, Scott had
taken his loyal employees out for lunch and when the bill came his credit card
was declined leaving his employees to divvy up the cheque between them. Scott was furious with Maureen and as the
argument became more heated, he lost all control and pushed Maureen backward
where she promptly fell on the large glass-topped coffee table smashing it to
smithereens. That evening they both
slept in different areas of the house.
The following
morning, Maureen decided to take baby Samantha away with her for a few days
leaving Scott to juggle work and the boys with Araceli’s help. She packed up, loaded the baby into the car
seat and left. Unbeknownst to her, Scott
had a similar idea. He too took off
leaving the boys and Samantha behind for Maureen to care for, or so he
thought. When Araceli arose and began
making breakfast, she didn’t notice anything amiss until only Brandon and
Keenan showed up at the breakfast table.
After searching the house she realized that Maureen, Scott and the baby
were gone. After 2 days of trying to
contact both parents and running out of food, Araceli didn’t know what to
do. She finally decides to take the boys
their Grampa John’s house whom they hadn’t seen in two years. The boys were excited beyond measure. Araceli locates his address, gets the boys to
pack their suitcase with wheels and they set out for the bus stop. Araceli is just not equipped nor prepared to
care for two little boys long term.
However, little does she know her actions will be perceived as
kidnapping and thereby starting a frenzied media circus like you’ve never
seen.
The Barbarian Nurseries was a fairly
good read although I found it to be quite mundane and too drawn out in parts.
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