By Karmina Conde
When I chose to take Women’s Writers at New Mexico State University, I walked in the class not knowing I was about to read one of my favorite books from the fall.
Written by Mexican-born author Silvia Moreno-Garcia, “Mexican Gothic” is proof that literature is not only art, but a political movement too.
Set in 1950s Mexico, the novel follows Noemí Taboada, a glamorous and sharp-witted socialite who travels to a mysterious mansion after receiving a distressing letter from her newly married cousin. What begins as a gothic mystery soon unravels into a chilling exploration of colonialism, gender and power wrapped in lush prose and haunting atmosphere.
As a fan of horror and gothic, I found this book different from what I’ve read before.
Rather than relying on monsters or sudden frights, Moreno-Garcia builds tension through unsettling control, obsession with purity and lineage and the predatory power dynamic inside High Place, the mansion where much of the story takes place. The Doyles become the true embodiment of decay (both moral and physical), making the novel’s terror feel intimate, psychological and impossible to escape.
Despite the horror, main character Noemí embodies intellect and moral strength. Instead of a damsel in distress, Noemí is smart, cunning and intellectually curious. Her interest in anthropology, her knowledge of English and appreciation for the arts, distinguish her from the conventional women of 1950s Mexico, when access to higher education and foreign language were limited. These qualities position her as a modern figure who navigates and challenges the gender expectations of her environment.
“In fiction and real life, women still have a hard time navigating the world. Mr. Rochester can be much older than Jane, not very attractive, bad-tempered, and keep a wife locked in his attic and he’s still a romantic hero,” said Moreno-Garcia in an interview with DIY MFA.
“Then you have someone like Noemí, who thinks highly of herself and some people may say she’s an a——, because she’s confident. A trait that is positive in a man is negative in a woman. Women are complex and that complexity should be reflected in books,” she said.
This reversal of the traditional gothic heroine, who often depends on male saviors, represents a feminist reimagining of agency within a patriarchal world. Moreno-Garcia gives Noemí complete control over her own survival, illustrating that liberation comes not from external rescue but from women’s courage to act for themselves and those they love.
For a Mexican woman like myself, Noemí is the strength of many women in Mexico who, despite living in systems of inequality and violence, fight every day to protect themselves, their families and communities, becoming their own source of hope and resistance for others and creating sorority for them and for the new generation of girls.
The Women Writers course can be taken under “Viewing a Wider World” credit requirement or as part of the Creative Writing and English major/minor at NMSU.
Rose Conley’s lectures are based on discussions and close readings that encourage students to think beyond the plot and consider the cultural, historical and feminist questions each text raises. Professor Conley creates an environment where students can analyze women’s writing not only as literature, but as a lens to understand power, identity and resistance.
In addition to the great books and lectures Professor Conley gives in her Women Writers class, I left the fall semester with a read I’d recommend to someone who wants to enjoy a classic Gothic novel, yet also wants to learn about the intersections of gender, colonialism and Mexican history.
In the end, Mexican Gothic is more than a haunted house story but a reminder that the scariest things aren’t always creatures lurking in the dark, but the systems and people who hold power over others.
Moreno-Garcia transforms the Gothic tradition into something unmistakably modern and culturally rich, proving that horror can challenge, illuminate and empower.
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