Oh Mexico!

Adulthood inevitably encroaches on all of us, but it is how we choose to acknowledge it that crafts our own story. For Lucy Neville, the reality of life after college did not provide the adventure she was seeking. Instead of taking the conventional route and starting a career, Lucy longs to further her learning of the Spanish language. She decides the best way to do so would be to immerse herself in a Spanish speaking culture, and the obvious choice for most young women would be Spain. Instead, Lucy moves to Mexico City without the safety net of money, contacts, or even a thorough understanding of the language and despite the warning of the dangers at every turn. To Lucy, this is all part of the draw.

And so begins a young woman's hilariously dysfunctional love affair with a strange yet energetic city. Lucy quickly finds a job teaching English as a second language and discovers several culturally characteristic personalities as she adjusts to this new world. Against the backdrop of dangers like kidnapping, corruption and drug wars, alongside the delights of Mexican dance and street food, Lucy finds herself in outrageous situations, in both love and life in general. Landing a role in the famous Latin American soap opera, Tequila Loving, and managing to fall in love with two men, Lucy is an unpredictable spirit that proves irresistible to the reader. Her adventures culminate with the arrival of her eccentric relatives - where culture, a love triangle, and truth collide.

A classic travel memoir filled with wit and wisdom, OH MEXICO! (Nicholas Brealey Publishing, Publication Date: September 2011, ISBN: 9781857885729; Price: $16.95) is a story of genuine experience and self-discovery, both universal and worldly.

Lucy Neville, daughter of counterculture icon and Oz Magazine editor, Richard Neville, was born in 1983 and grew up in the Blue Mountains of Australia. She changed schools six times, failing to find her niche, and finished her early education in the inner city. She ultimately graduated with a degree in Politics and Latin American Studies and traveled to Spain to study TESL. Afterwards, she spent several years in Mexico City teaching, exploring, and acting.