In this forty-fifth edition of our Translators’ Corner, we present the English translation of the short story "El huizache" (rendered here as "The Huisache") by contemporary Mexican author Lorea Canales. This text is part of the collection Mínimas despedidas, published in 2019.
As the translator notes, the story takes the form of an intense and defiant monologue in which a woman recounts her experience in a marriage shaped by the demands and humiliations imposed by her husband’s wealthy family. Throughout the narrative, the protagonist offers a lucid and mordant critique of these oppressive dynamics, which she ultimately chooses to break away from in order to reclaim her autonomy alongside her children. Through sharp and incisive language, the narrative voice deconstructs the discourses that have constrained her, asserting her identity and strength in the face of social judgment, hypocrisy, and loss.
The translation is by Lia Galván, an emerging translator from Mexico City. She holds an MFA in Literary Translation from Boston University, and her work is driven by a deep interest in exploring and promoting contemporary Mexican literature.
