"The book is a chronicle of a time, a town and a woman you just know you would like to know, in which three things come shining through: McGill's love of Mexico and Mexicans. Her love of life. And her love of telling a tale." Linda Ellerbee, author
From Drama & Diplomacy:
Present day Puerto Vallarta is a mature sophisticated city with most every imaginable product or service available in the world. Air travel to everywhere, luxury cruise liners, limousine service, world-class deep sea fishing; it’s all here. Broadband internet, pari-mutuel betting, great health spas, top notch gymnasiums, tennis, eight first class golf courses, PGA tournaments. It has it! Some of the best residential and commercial architects in the world, exceptional restaurants by the dozen, full fledged department stores, and every conceivable class of hotel accommodation.
It was not always thus. The late 50’s to early 60’s was its infancy. There was little in the way of electricity, no bridge over the Rio Cuale, two or three taxis, and a couple of rudimentary hotels.
Then in 1963, John Huston and crew came to film The Night of the Iguana. This event marked the beginning of change in Vallarta which signaled a stirring in its loins. Progress was slow for a while, but by the mid to late 60’s, it was showing awkward signs of puberty.
By the late 60’s it had two airlines, twelve to fifteen taxis, a tennis court, six to eight hotels, a population of 15,000, and half a dozen acceptable restaurants. As the 70’s began, one could discern the obvious: Puerto Vallarta was in full-scale adolescence. Condos began to appear; more beach restaurants and better hotels opened, and in 1974 residential telephone service came to town. Puerto Vallarta was on its way, but not without the stumbling, fumbling, groping of approaching adulthood.
It is to this period of time, the mid 70’s to mid 90’s, this manuscript is dedicated.
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Read the reviews of Drama & Diplomacy by Jenny McGill:
Writing About Writers by Marvin WestMarvin West writes about Jenny McGill and her book Drama & Diplomacy. Read on...
A Review by Carol Wheeler, MexConnectAuthor Jenny McGill is a born storyteller. Each chapter is a page-turner – I couldn't put the book down. Keep reading...
Drama & Diplomacy - A Review by Linda Ellerbee If you’re an arm-chair adventurer who’s shopping for something a little different from “and then my Sherpa said this mountain was inhabited by the gods…,” or “I was shocked in the food market in Canton to see them selling puppies by the pound…,” it’s quite possible
Drama and Diplomacy is for you. Keep reading ...
Author William Reed Talks about Drama & DiplomacyHow refreshing to read something by a diplomat which rings of Truth! This book is a must read for anyone with the slightest interest in Puerto Vallarta – or for that matter, for anyone who just loves to cry and laugh a lot. Keep reading...
Musing on Her Recently Published Book's SuccessConsular work, which may seem like a glamorous activity, is actually very demanding of time and energy, as eloquently described by former Puerto Vallarta Consular Agent Jenny McGill in her recently published memoir. Titled "Drama & Diplomacy in a Sultry Mexican Beach Town," the book describes her experiences prior to and during her consular years in Puerto Vallarta.
Drama & Diplomacy in Vallarta Lifestyles MagazineThe United States State Department loosely describes the responsibilities of US consular agents with four D's: death, detention, disappearance and destitute. Aside from drama and diplomacy, former Puerto Vallarta Consular Agent Jenny McGill contributes some D's of her own, based on her own experience, such as dirty old men and dope, in her recently published memoir. Infused with candid humor, McGill recounts her experience in Puerto Vallarta, going back to 1973 when she and husband Howard first moved to Puerto Vallarta, continuing through her years as an English teacher and subsequently as the second ever US consular agent in Puerto Vallarta.
Vallarta As It Was And Will Never Be Again - Review, Guadalajara ReporterFor many of us living in the Guadalajara area, years may have passed since Puerto Vallarta held quirky small-town Mexican charm. Jenny McGill's "Drama and Diplomacy," an autobiographical work about her years as consular agent in the nascent beach resort, could help a few cynics see it (or at least its past) from a fresh perspective. Fortunately, it's also a perspective riddled with a healthy dose of humor. Keep reading....
Review by James Tipton, MexConnectI like this book, but I don't like the title: Drama & Diplomacy in a Sultry Mexican Beach Town. The book is not about "drama & diplomacy." It's about one person's life in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from the mid-seventies to the mid-nineties. And that life is a fascinating one. I think it might be better titled, Sex, Lies, and Lots of Fun in a Sultry Mexican Beach Town. Keep Reading...
SHE SAID…Anna Reisman, Vallarta TribuneI figured I would just glance through Jenny’s book while having lunch the other day. Well, that intention went out the window really quickly. It is what critics like to call a «page turner», at least for me. I found myself laughing out loud. Keep reading...