Venus Triste / Sad Venus [Spanish]

Premio de novela hist rica Grijalbo - Claustro de Sor Juana

Mar a Teresa Landa ocup en dos ocasiones las portadas de los principales peri dicos del pa s: por ser reina de belleza y por ser una asesina.

Mar a Teresa Landa fue la ganadora en 1928 del concurso de belleza Se orita M xico, que la convirti en la primera Miss M xico de la historia. Poco despu s contrajo nupcias con Mois s Vidal, un general de la Revoluci n venido a menos, que le ocult que ya estaba casado con otra mujer, tambi n llamada Teresa, con quien adem s ten a dos hijas. La ma ana del 25 de agosto de 1929, Mar a Teresa comenz su d a como cualquier domingo, serena y desenfadada, hasta que se encontr con este titular en Exc lsior: «Acusan de bigamia al esposo de Miss M xico . Su vida dio un vuelco. Presa de la tristeza, la ira y los celos, tom el rev lver de su marido y descarg seis balas sobre l. La reina de belleza era ahora una asesina. La prensa nacional hizo eco de lo ocurrido bajo titulares que se refer an a ella como la Viuda Negra.

Ana Romero narra la historia de Mar a Teresa con maestr a y sensibilidad. No s lo hace eco de las notas de la poca, sino que se mete en la piel del personaje para tratar de comprender su psiquis, sus anhelos y sus miedos, y nos ofrece un retrato fascinante de una mujer a quien la belleza llev tanto a la gloria como a la ruina.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

Winner of the Grijalbo - Sister Juana Cloisters Historical Novel Award.

Mar a Teresa Landa appeared twice on the front page of every major newspaper in the country: because she was a beauty queen and because she became a murderer.

Mar a Teresa Landa won the 1928 beauty contest Miss Mexico, becoming the first Miss Mexico in history. Soon after, she married Mois s Vidal, a washed-up general from the Mexican Revolution, who concealed the fact that he was already married to another woman, also named Teresa, with whom he had two daughters. The morning of August 25, 1929, Mar a Teresa started her day like any other Sunday, calm and carefree, until she read this Exc lsior headline: "Miss Mexico's husband accused of bigamy." Her life was turned upside down. Consumed by sadness, rage, and jealousy, she took her husband's revolver and shot him six times. The beauty queen was now a killer. The national press spread the news under headlines that referred to her as the Black Widow.

Ana Romero tells Mar a Teresa's story with mastery and sensibility. Romero not only echoes the feeling of the time, but gets under the character's skin to try and understand her psyche, her yearnings, and fears, sharing a fascinating portrait of a woman who knew both glory and ruin because of her beauty.