Vampires of El Norte

Néstor is the son of a vaquero who died when Anglos invaded their rancho. He flees with his uncle and abuela and ends up in Los Ojuelos where he meets Nena. After Nena is bitten by a vampire and declared dead by her parents, he flees the rancho. After that night, he has twice lost his home: once when the Anglos took his rancho and once when he lost Nena.

Because of these traumatic events, for the next nine years, Néstor works as a vaquero throughout northern Mexico. He does not stay in the same place for long, always moving and distracting himself with alcohol and other women. He still dreams about Nena and feels guilty for failing her on the night of her death, even believing he deserves a bad life. Throughout this time, Néstor is driven by his desire to buy his own land. He is hardworking, driven, patient, and protective of Nena. He has charm and knows it. In his years of working as a vaquero, he gains confidence and clarity on what is important.

As soon as he realizes that Nena is alive, he decides that he must keep her in his life, even if not as his wife. His years of being alone help him to know that love is the most important thing. By protecting her countless times, apologizing, consistently valuing and trusting her, explaining his perspective, and reminding her why she loved him all those years ago, Nena falls in love with him again. He promises to buy land and marry her. When they return to Los Ojuelos after their journey, he stands up to Doña Mercedes and Don Feliciano in a way he never has before. He begins to leave again after Don Feliciano threatens him, but he decides to behave differently from last time. He returns to the rancho, fights against the Yanquis to protect it, and when he carries Nena’s body back to la casa mayor, he goes inside to treat her himself. The way he acts differently shows his growth throughout the novel: he knows what he wants, he is no longer afraid of authority figures, and he is unwilling to leave Nena again.

Beto is a foil for Néstor. He is chatty, charming, protective, and selfless. He is aware of Néstor’s shortcomings and often bridges the chasm between Néstor and Nena. He is a storyteller, charming those around him with his tales of their adventures as vaqueros. His father is white and his mother is Mexican, so people often look at him warily, but he chose long ago to fight with Mexico. When he gets bitten by a vampire, Nena and Néstor are forced to acknowledge what happened when they were 13. Beto’s return to consciousness and his own tingling scar help Nena understand their connection to the vampires.

Don Feliciano is the patrón of Los Ojuelos. He is a harsh leader and strictly enforces the social structure of the rancho. Peóns, vaqueros who are indebted to him and live on his land, are less important than his family, so when Nena wants to be with Néstor he is appalled and embarrassed. He blames Néstor for Nena’s apparent death when they are 13, then later banishes Néstor again for bringing Nena home from battle unaccompanied, ruining her honor. He is driven by his desire to protect Los Ojuelos. He wants Nena to marry the son of a rich hacendado to establish an alliance in hopes that one day they will help defend Los Ojuelos. He does not approve of Nena’s marriage to Néstor, but he gifts them a piece of land that connects their rancho to Los Ojuelos, signifying tentative approval.

Doña Mercedes is Nena’s mother and Don Feliciano’s wife. She cares deeply about others’ perceptions of their family’s honor and she constantly polices Nena for her behavior and appearance. She regularly tries to force Nena to marry the sons of other rich landowners and makes clear her disapproval of Nena’s relationship with Néstor even when they are children.