The Enlightened Army

Toscana is ready to join the ranks of Latin America’s finest novelists. ~Kirkus Reviews

David Toscana deserves to be labeled the Latin American Cervantes of the twenty-first century! The Enlightened Army is like a little Quixote. ~El Tiempo (Bogotá)

Toscana’s writing proves overall to be witty and disarming, alluding amusingly to Latin American writers such as Gabriel García Márquez and Carlos Fuentes. ~San Francisco Chronicle

David Toscana may enter the pantheon of great Latin American authors. ~Houston Chronicle

What makes for a welcome window into history? The experiences of the frustrated hero of...The Enlightened Army and his quixotic quest to both conquer Texas and receive his due for his long-distance running achievements offer plenty of them. It's no coincidence that much of the action of this novel overlaps with the 1968 Summer Olympics, and the handful of temporal jumps forward add an unexpected sense of tragedy to the proceedings. ~Words Without Borders

The Enlightened Army is a delightful exploration of absurdity and delusion as one man attempts to conquer Texas on behalf of an uninterested Mexico. ~Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

[A] very enjoyable book, even though things do not go quite right for [Igancio Matus] but he is certainly one of the obsessive fools of literature, whom we cannot help having a grudging admiration for in his foolishness. ~The Modern Novel

The Enlightened Army isn't just an amusing tale. Underlying the bizarre story is a subtle analysis of the relationship between Mexico and the US through its surreal comparison of the two countries…an enjoyable romp, a clever look at Mexico past and present, as well as an examination of the wisdom of fools and wanting to make something of your life. ~Tony's Reading List

Creative and quite entertaining. ~The Complete Review

Absurd and comic but with a bitter edge, this novel takes a unique and refreshing approach to the darker aspects of Mexico's relationship to the United States. ~Kirkus Reviews

Toscana's novel pokes fun at the history of the US-Mexican border, lambasting those who cling to either side of it…The Enlightened Army satirizes the tension between Mexico and the US and the struggle for control over a dynamic region. ~3:AM Magazine