Diplomatic Days

"Diplomatic Days" by Edith O'Shaughnessy, gives readers a peek into early 20th-century Mexico through the eyes of an American diplomat's wife. Told through personal letters, the story captures her initial journey to a land on the verge of revolution and her encounters with a vibrant culture grappling with huge political changes; she describes the tropics, fellow ship passengers, the sights of Havana, and her arrival in Vera Cruz, a country about to erupt. The looming Madero uprising creates an environment of change, which gives the reader historical events mixed with personal insights, describing both the beauty and the chaos, setting the stage for a land about to change forever.