Heather Birt's Reviews > The Bullet Swallower

I started reading this at 7PM and finished it at 3AM the next morning. Thankful for Kindle dark mode with books like these. It felt like I was an invisible companion on Antonio’s journey, thirsting with him in the arid desert for justice and vengeance.

I’ve never been a fan of Westerns, but from the perspective of an infamous Mexican bandido with a half-golden heart, I was rapt. This tale has the perfect mix of historical detail, gorgeous prose, vivid imagery, and just enough magical realism to deepen the dual timelines and encourage existential questioning.

As an exploration of human nature, The Bullet Swallower is unflinching in exposing the dualities that exist in every person and everything. Some questions I found posed by this novel include: Is it possible to overcome burdensome ancestral legacies? Whose responsibility is it to end these so-called curses? Do good or bad really exist, or do we walk in a sea of gray? And as Antonio learned in his adventures, one can never guess where allies will come from or what they’ll look like.

I definitely recommend The Bullet Swallower if you’re a fan of magical realism, historical fiction, Westerns, and don’t take issue with the complexities that come with dual timelines and the mysteries of multi-verse. This was a fun ride that left me checking my boots for sand.