Mexican Gothic: Your Summer Read!

In June 2022, Silvia Moreno-Garcia published Mexican Gothic. It was met with much acclaim and sits on many reading lists including those of shortlisted titles for best book of the year. And it deserves it! Moreno-Garcia weaves Mexican folklore with modern gothic genre motifs.

Set in the 1950s, Noemí Taboada is dispatched to evaluate her recently married cousin, Catalina. The orphaned cousin quickly married with her husband, Virgil, sweeping her from the social circles of Mexico City to the isolated Mexican mountains. High Place is the decrepit family mansion of the Doyles, a proud British family relegated to live outside the small town El Triunfo without the wealth generated from the now-shuttered silver mine.

Noemí finds her cousin profoundly changed and tries to unravel the creepy family history of the mysterious and strange Doyle clan.

The story incorporates Mexican culture and the newly expanding paranormal research of the decade. If you skim, you may miss the references! The hybrid fantasy/horror tale evolves slowly with the writing more literary than genre fiction. In the end, it remains a modern retelling of a gothic fairytale.

An 8-10 episode limited series was commissioned by Hulu after Milojo Productions (Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos) secured the rights. (Note: There are reports that the show may be a continuing series instead of a limited series.) The author will serve as an executive producer.