The Murmur of Bees

Cartucho and My Mother’s Hands, by Nellie Campobello (1988)

This is a fictionalized version of a child observing the ongoing Mexican Revolution. The author, who was a child during the war, reveals the revolution’s impact on families and on those who fought in it.

One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez (2006)

Like The Murmur of Bees, this novel is a Latin American historical tale, incorporating magical realism, about an isolated family whose assumptions ultimately bring about their demise.

• One Hundred Years of Solitude on SuperSummary

Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution by Frank McLynn (2002)

This concise history of the revolution focuses on the folk heroes who opposed landowners and the federal government.

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Greatest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry (2005)

This work describes the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.

Like Water for Chocolate, Miramax (1992)

This romantic drama tells the story of a landowner-class young woman forbidden from marrying by her mother. The story takes place during the Mexican Revolution.

Romero, Paulist Pictures (1989)

This is a biopic of Bishop Oscar Romero. He lost his life while attempting to secure equality for the underprivileged of El Salvador, who faced systemic oppression from historically privileged groups and the military.