Living in a Crystal Box: Experiences of a Teacher in Rural Mexico in the 1950s

Special circumstances force Socorro Camero Haro to accept a middle school teaching position in Doctor Arroyo, Nuevo León, México. At the time of her departure, her mother warns her: “Don’t forget that you will live in a crystal box where everyone will see and judge what you do.” Little did the recent graduate imagine how valuable this advice will be for her in the future.

Socorro had grown up in an environment of love and protection. Now she faces a world different from her own. In the 1950s, the young teacher faces the taboos of the small towns of that time: single, alone, living and working only with men. She lived in a remote town, with only dirt roads, no running water, and electricity limited to two hours a day. Socorro confronts the superstitions of the people and encounters the local villain, who is almost a legend. Several times, fate places her and her students in dangerous situations in which she must make instant and drastic decisions. The only communication with her family and her fiancé is by mail. Unforeseen problems affect her wedding plans. Within her loneliness, Socorro finds joy in her new friends and coworkers, the love of her students, and the satisfaction of seeing them excel.

The Director General has promised to bring her back to Monterrey soon. But will he keep his promise? Will she win the trust and affection of the townspeople? Will her love story survive? Will she get over the loneliness and the remoteness from her close-knit family?

In this book, we will find the young teacher facing the challenges, intrigues, and defects of a real world. This is a true story that will captivate the reader.