Reviewed by Christopher East

"Madonna of the Maquiladora" by Gregory Frost
in Asimov's, May 2002 issue

One of the real joys of reading short fiction is that sense of panning for gold--sifting through all those rocks for that one gleaming gem of a story. On that score, Gregory Frost's "Madonna of the Maquiladora" is a hell of a find, the kind of unique and memorable story that makes the search worthwhile.

Set on the border of the United States and Mexico, not to mention the borderlands of genre, "Madonna" is the gritty and powerful tale of a journalist moved to pursue a unique human interest story about a factory worker who, urban legend has it, has been having visions of the Virgin Mary. Compelled by both professional ambition and, perhaps, lapsed faith, the journalist pursues the story by going undercover in a Juarez maquiladora to witness the legend first-hand. An intriguing news story soon escalates into a search for hard truths, and a dark examination of the politics of power, belief, and hope.

This is one hell of a story, gripping, vivid, and powerful--a well-crafted and entertaining drama on one level, but also a topical and timely examination of contemporary issues, if not, in some cases, timeless ones. Frost utilizes an effective second-person voice, a device with a reputation for cropping up only in "experimental" fiction and which, I think, often seems forced; not the case here, where it skillfully thrusts the reader into the harsh world of the story. The gritty, search-for-truth plot unfolds neatly, a perfect vehicle for all its details and themes and ideas. The story also deftly conflates genre elements, blending near-future cyberpunk edge, touches of contemporary dark fantasy, and all the slippery bendings and warpings in between--not once letting the seams show. The approach is hardly arbitrary, as this seems very much a story about gray areas--the blurry reality that exists between the simple concepts of truth and lies, reality and fantasy, wealth and poverty, belief and faithlessness. "Madonna of the Maquiladora" is a compelling, thought-provoking story of speculative fiction that tackles tough issues and delivers on many levels. Highly recommended.