Spain Books

this book was great, talked me out of going, realize that all that heat and dirt was not for me, will go trekking in nepal instead, much cooler temps, author did this to add to her spiritual credentials,alll about herself and her inner thoughts, suspect she had not been out of the USA before.

cheers

As she approached her 60th birthday, spiritual writer and retreat leader Joyce Rupp abandoned her plan to hole up for a six-month sabbatical by the ocean to bask in solitude. Instead, she embarked on a 37-day walking trek across Spain with her friend Tom Pfeffer. The two prepared and trained for a year before making the historical pilgrimage from Roncesvilles on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees to the Cathedral of St. James in the city of Santiago, a journey commonly referred to as "the Camino."

Walking in the "relaxed manner" in the title was one of the first lessons these two self-described productive-oriented people learned. At first, Rupp explains, they believed their goal was to reach Santiago, but they eventually discovered that the walk itself imparted spiritual empowerment. Rupp goes into some detail about her competitive nature as their self-prescribed 12 miles was surpassed regularly by other "pilgrims." For the first few days, the two succumbed to their natural tendency to rush, rush, rush, and push, push, push. In the end, they agreed to take the advice of a friend who had walked the Camino earlier: "drink more water and walk in a relaxed manner."

Rupp laces the story with such insights, always connecting the events and experiences with "routine" life and sharing the positive effects the journey had on her. Her chapter on realizing "a tiny bit" what it is like to be homeless is especially thought-provoking. Following a transaction at a bank, Rupp was convinced the clerk thought, "This smelly pilgrim with her dirty hiking boots dug into this pack of weird things and, whew, the odor that came from that bag, it was enough to gag me..." The homelessness image also came up when she found herself in settings for which she was not "appropriately dressed" and other situations where she was "pierced" by disdainful looks and rejection.

Like Rupp's other books, Walk in a Relaxed Manner is filled with down-to-earth stories and deeply spiritual reflections.

Back in the summer of 2003, I visited a former seminary roommate in Leon, Spain. I showed up a couple of days before his wedding after backpacking through Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Madrid. While strolling together through Leon, my Spanish friend remarked that people thought I was a "Pilgrim" because of my clothing and backpack. I asked him to clarify, and he replied that Leon was on the path of the Camino Pilgrimage. Thus began my interest in the topic.

"Walk in a Relaxed Manner" was the first book I read about the Camino. It's newly published, written by a 60-year-old nun who walked the Pilgrimage around the time I was in Leon. She hit the trail with a retired priest, and this book was born from that experience. The subtitle and theme is "Life Lessons From the Camino," and each chapter is based on a way she grew due to the Pilgrimage. For example, the book's title is shared with a chapter where Sr. Rupp describes how she learned to walk slowly and thoughtfully instead of quickly and competitively. Other chapter titles include "Savor Solitude," "Deal with Disappointments," and "Live in the Now." Such topics may strike some as trite. But I found it impressive that more often than not, it was the walk's difficulties that enabled her to internalize these truths.

The author writes in a clear and readable manner. She rejoices in the high points of the Pilgrimage, and is honest about the lows as well. Each lesson is presented in a thoughtful manner, and all are applicable to everyday life. However, like many spiritual insights perhaps some sort of defining experience is required to truly own them. But reading about these truths may be a way to prepare the heart for their eventual actualization. Although a Catholic nun in the Servite Community, Sr. Rupp keeps things fairly ecumenical throughout her tale. In addition, practical advice about the Pilgrimage is sprinkled throughout the book, and a list of helpful Camino resources is included at the end. There's even an authorized website based on Joyce Rupp's name if you want more info about her.

Someday I'd like to do the El Camino Pilgrimage. I hope I don't have to wait until my sixties, but sometimes you have to let things happen in their time. If I do walk it, I'll be glad if I learn and grow half as much as Sr. Rupp did. Recommended for all travelers and pilgrims.

UPDATE 9/7/07: Well, I only had to wait until I was forty to do the Camino. On 7/14/07 I stepped off in St. Jean Pied-de-Port (France), and on 8/24/07 I walked into Santiago, Spain. After returning home to the US, I went through this book again. It was nice reading about familiar places on the Way, and also to identify with the lessons Ms. Rupp writes about. Recommended even more now that I've actually done the trek.

Reflections of this Catholic sister, as she walks the Camino with the semi retired priest of her parish.

This journey of two people of faith met with all the challenges the Camino can offer. Joyce started out as what I call an overachiever, and Tom as a steadying influence.

A couple concepts stuck in my brain from chapters of this book. Enjoy existential friendships. Return a positive for a negative. Negative things do happen, but Joyce would make a determined effort to see the positive - a concept I accept, but sometimes have difficulty applying.

I enjoyed this thoughtful book.

This is an amazing book about an amazing experience--walking across Spain--and well after midlife. We share the hardships and blessings of this journey and are able to walk, talk and think in a relaxed manner while reading it. There are lessons subtly given that everyone can shsare.

Once you have visited the Allhambra in Grenada, Washington Irvines book comes to life. The tales come to life. The experience is so magical that you believe the fables may have actually happened. Who knows? I had to purchase the book immediately after my visit and it is the best book purchase I have ever made

"Tales of the Alhambra" is must-reading for the traveler in Spain. Irving is best remembered in this country for his collections of American folklore, like the stories of Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman, but in Spain they remember him for the Alhambra stories -- in fact, there's a hotel named in his honor in Granada. Irving lived in that beautiful old Moorish palace at a time when it was a neglected ruin, and his wonderful descriptions, interspersed with the folk-tales that he collected from the people of Granada, helped to spark interest in repairing and restoring the monument. The folk tales, told in Irving's inimitable, witty style, usually deal with romantic elopements, or buried treasure, or both. My personal favorite is the story of the young prince living in the Generalife (the beautiful summer palace) who learned the language of the birds. That one is fantasy, but it's true that there was hidden treasure in the Alhambra: the palace itself, its architecture and decoration, and we have Irving to thank for rediscovering it.

A great book to read while traveling in spain. If you are going to Alhambra, read this book! It will bring the palace alive for you. The writing is very accessable, and easy to follow for having been written so long ago.

I think this book is much more enjoyable if you read it after you have visited the Alhambra; two Moorish palaces that sit on top of a mountain in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range of Spain, palaces of incredible architecture and setting, the last outpost of the Moors in Spain. Christopher Columbus waited for 6 years before Queen Isabell would give him ships, she made him wait until the Moors were driven out of Spain. When the Alhambra finally falls, Coloumbus is given permission and ships for his quest a few days later, and the next year the Spanish Inquisition starts.
All of this comes to you if you visit the very romantic/historic city of Granada and the Alhambra, and after seeing the Alhambra restored, having walked its rooms and grounds, having listened to the fountains, letting your immagination run, then read this book, after you return home. Washington Irving's stunt of taking up residence in the rundown, forgotten Alhambra of his time seems even more fantastic. In fact, if you are going to Spain, buy a copy of this book in Granada; they are sold everywhere in different languages, and have pictures of paintings done in the period around Irving's stay. If you haven't been to the Alhambra, you should go.

When we were kids, we had a card game called Authors. I think the object was to be able to name the works of famous authors. At any rate, there were three titles that always seemed especially enticing: Idylls of the King, The Heart of Midlothian and Tales of the Alhambra.

Thirty years later, I picked this one up with some trepidation; we've all struggled through classics of two hundred years ago, baffled by arcane language & outdated usages. However, to my very pleasant surprise, the book is terrific, combining an Iberian travelogue with delightful tales and legends of Moorish Spain. Irving's travels are interesting enough in themselves, but it is the tales, which have everything from flying carpets to hidden treasure, that really make the book.

GRADE: A

One marvels at the detail of the exposition. I especially enjoyed the tidbits of economic detail. For example, an ordinary seaman's pay on one of HM's warships at the time was 5 pounds in 6 months. For another example, when a musketball shattered Nelson's arm in the Canaries, his medical expenses weren't fully covered by the terms of his employment. Instead, Nelson paid the surgeon (36 pounds) and, separately, the surgeon's assistant (25 pounds) their fees for removing the arm. White portrays Nelson as a most vigorous personality of supreme confidence. One thinks of Bonaparte, another unflinching character of the same era.

White's portrait focuses intently on Nelson. While he presents the naval strategic context, the historical dilettante, such as myself, has difficulty remembering what these wars with Spain and France were all about. I would have appreciated more social and historical context, even if, arguably, that goes beyond the scope of the book. The lack tempted me to dock the book a star.

The excellent maps, illustrations and sidebars aided immensely. White writes well (or has a good editor), so the book reads easily and compares very favorably with its genre.

A professional review I read of this book says that it "reads like a Patrick O'Brian novel". I would echo that. Mr White tells the familiar story of Nelson at the battles of St Vincent and Teneriffe in a new and exciting way that really brings the events to life. It is always easy to visualize the scene he is describing and his abundant use of pictures (many of them never published before) helps with this.

He has also done a lot of scholarly research into original sources, many of them only recently discoved. As a result, his view of the battles, and Nelson's role in them, is very different to the traditional one in the older books. He makes it easy for the reader to follow all these new insights, by explaining them in special 'boxes;' so as not to interrupt the flow of the main narrative.

This is without doubt one of those books that changes our idea of great events. If you are at all interested in Nelson, get it!

This is one book that deserves all five stars! Mr. Colin White knows his subject well. Even great heroes such as Nelson had downfalls as we all do. Mr. White brings out the long ordeal that Nelson suffered after the loss of his arm and his ability to "bounce" back once his infected stump was healed & showes the humour that Nelson & his family used to overcome the tragidy. It reads so well I finished it in a couple of days. Mr White highlights information that isn't in other books on Nelson. Excellent work, Mr White.

Admiral Lord Nelson plays such a central role in British naval lore that any decent library - including those here in the USA - will have a good amount of shelf space dedicated to his career, his personality and his world. To presume to add more to an already worthy pile of volumes requires that an author has new information, takes a new focus or has something otherwise fresh and vivid to say about the man. Colin White, a Director of the Royal Navy's own museum that lies alongside Nelson's HMS Victory at Portsmouth, stylishly accomplishes all of these aims in his new book.

Already a Nelson scholar of some repute, White makes extensive use of newly discovered documents, and of course well-tested older sources, to take the reader closer to `Nelson the man' than ever before. By concentrating on Nelson as a fully-formed senior commander, now on the very cusp of greatness if only he can find and seize an opportunity, White produces a relatively short, intensely readable work that nobly resists the common temptation to spend an introductory 75-pages re-hashing well-known anecdotes of his hero's early life and career. White cuts straight to the chase yet has a style of presentation that in no way would leave the Nelson novice floundering: the great man is seen in full, but not at inordinate length!

In short, this book - even with its single-year focus - would make an admirable first port of call for readers who know something of Nelson's general fame - perhaps from the great naval fiction writers such as Patrick O'Brian or C.S. Forester - but do not necessarily fully appreciate `what all the fuss is about'. Readers wanting more depth will appreciate both the new material and the clarity and intelligence with which it is integrated into the known record. From growing up in an English naval family, I thought I already knew quite a lot about Nelson - now I can't wait to know from White `what happened next'!

This book is brilliantly written. It has many stories of famous Anarchists, including poems and recipes for homemade weapons and survival items. Overall a great book and worth ten billion times the money. I give it two thumbs and two toes up!

An amazing, amazing book stuffed full of anarchist ideals and provides real, documented evidence of anarchist collectivism in ACTION. Society was reorganized based on the fundamental principle: From each according to his ability to each according to his need. The book provides first-rate accounts and an objective analysis of the Spanish Social Revolution. If any of you are doubting anarchism or simply need proof to support your anarchist convictions, BUY this book. The ideas in it are simply priceless. It doesn't take much to bring you down. Read this book. It will cement your belief in libertarian communism. Bask in the righteousness that springs from the truth!

This is an odd but interesting volume. Sam Dolgoff edits a volume, using primary sources, to discuss a little known aspect of the Spanish Civil War. Indeed, partisans would say that the term "Civil War" is wrong, and that what is described in this volume is actually a "Revolution."

The work begins with a useful essay by Murray Bookchin on the Spanish context. He outlines the dizzying array of groups with a stake in the conflict between the Republic and General Franco's forces. The focus of this book is the anarchist collectives--and how they functioned--after the start of the Civil War/Revolution until the eventual triumph of Franco and his allies.

The first part of the book is a set of readings that Dolgoff puts together to present the background and context of the "Revolution" (anarchists describe the conflict as a "Revolution," while others use the term "Civil War"). Among subjects covered: the trend toward workers' self-management (also referred to as syndicalism), the rural collectivist tradition, and so on.

The heart of the book is a set of essays by actors of the time (as well as some quick essays by Dolgoff himself): Augustin Souchy, Diego Abad de Santillan, Gaston Leval, and Jose Peirats). Focal points include urban collectivization (e.g., the efforts by the anarchist unions to collectivize Barcelona) and rural collectives.

This volume ends with an essay by Gaston Laval written many years ago as well as a concluding essay by Dolgoff.

The work is useful, as it describes what was going on in parts of Spain that were not often reported upon by reporters or others at the time. George Orwell (if memory serves) was with POUM, the Trotskyite organization), although he wrote of the anarchists in his "Homage to Catalonia." It provides a somewhat different perspective on the events in Spain in the mid-1930s that helps fill out the picture of the desperate struggle between different groups--from fascists to Republicans to various Marxist groups to anarchists. A fascinating period of time. . . . Too sanguinary for my tastes, but still fascinating.

This is not a book about making bombs. If you read this book you will know what anarchism really is and why it's original meaning has been bastardized. Anarchism is a legitimate and serious political ideology. This book was recommended to me personally by the famous MIT professor and scholar Noam Chomsky. Sam Dolgoff's work is very well documented and insightful. It will give you a peek at what a meaningful democracy really is and how IT CAN WORK!

Usamah calls his book "Kitab al-Itibar" or "The Book of Instructive Example." True to its title, there is much to learn from this book, but what I found very interesting were perhaps things other than what Usamah wanted us to learn. For example, it was interesting to note the Arab perception of Franks, the relationship between Arabs and Franks during the first of two centuries of crusades on the Eastern Mediterranean, and aspects of the life of a prince and some commoners as well. The stories about hunts are numerous and tend to get boring, but they tell us of a rich fauna that is now largely extinct (lions, leopards, etc.). Usamah's talk of old age provides a sobering philosophical view of life.

What an excellent job by Philip Hitti who translated the manuscript from Arabic! Considering that the manuscript was lacking in things such diacritical marks (dots on Arabic letters), punctuation, etc. it is truly an amazing that he was able to pull this book together in the manner its stands. Thanks to Philip Hitti we can enjoy Usamah's book: it is truly a delightful read!

Unlike any other history book, this is a first hand account, day to day life of an Arab Syrian prince in the time of the crusades; He talks about his advantures, feelings and thoughts, it's just like going back in time almost 1000 years. If you like history and especially the crusades, this book is a must. I go back and read this book every once in a while, it's entertaining and informative.

We in the Western world all too rarely take the time to perceive and understand our modern society through anything other than Western eyes. So it is as well with that wondrously tragic period of our history known as the Crusades. While there are many contemperary histories of this era incorporating Western eye-witness accounts, there are but few with the perspectives of the invaded Orientals (i.e. Arabs, etc.). So the uniqueness of an account written by a period-contemporary 'Arab-Syrian Gentleman' will not be lost on the reader. "The Memoirs" are essentially just that: an autobiography of a twelfth-century Arab Muslim and the experiences of his long and eventful life. From his earliest memories in Syria before the First Crusade to his twilight days in Egypt and Damascus, Munqidh shares his vast knowledge with the reader, imparting as well his personal, ingrained biases. It is this latter which assists the reader in understanding the mind of the Crusading-era Muslim, even now oft-considered the enemy of Western "Christendom". Indeed, some scholars argue that the key to understanding the Middle Easterner's distrustful eye to the West lies in the very heart of the Crusades. Munqidh writes in the learned style one might expect of the educated nobility of his period, and though exquisitely detailed, he is neither long-winded nor boring. So whether the avid scholar or simply the interested amateur, "The Memoirs of Usamah Ibn-Munqidh" is truly a worthy read

A great read as well as a solid historical source for the period.

What i really enjoyed about this source where the unsual, little storie's scattered throughout it's pages. Beautifuly described little detail's that help the reader get a more colourful picture of the Usamah's times.

For instance there is a description of a dual between a Mounted Frankish Knight and a Mounted Muslim Cavalier. The story recite's how Usamah saw them both kill each other on their first charge, but how their warhorse's continued to fight for a long time after.

Unlike many other Chronicler's of the time, Usamah is relativley unbiased. He recognise's the Franks valour in battle, the Christian's piety (saying that he has never seen a Frankish Christian genuinely convert to Islam).

It is also a Medevial travel diary, documenting Usamas extensive travels.

It is full of the usual curse's and insults everytime the Christians or Jews name's are mentioned, like all the Medieval Islamic Chronicles. However, if you can see beyond the propogandist protocol of the day, you will be entertained by Usamahs amusing antidotes and tales.

A must for anyone intrested in either Islamic or Crusader history.

My only reservation from giving this book five stars was that i became slightly bored torwards the end, when the book is describing Usamah's many hunting exploits. I sometimes felt that had Usamah killed as many human foes as he had Lions, the Franks would of been expelled from Jerusalem far earlier than they actually where!!!!!

We just returned from Barcelona and used this wonderful guide to explore the city. The book begins with about 20 pages of general introduction to Barcelona and then gives 5 walks, separated by area: El Barri Gottic, Sant Pere and La Ribera, El Raval, Gracia and L'Eixample. Each walk takes about 3 to 4 hours (longer if you stop at recommended restaurants and attractions), and are as good as having a private walking tour. There are lots of interesting little stories about the city, the buildings and the people. We've used many of the books in this series and found BarcelonaWalks not quite as intimate and charming as others, but still very good. Also the book is getting older now so it is less reliable when it comes to restaurants and other venues, but we still enjoyed these walks very much. Each section contains a map (which does not name all the streets, which can be problematic) and a few balck-and-white photographs.

Barcelonawalks is the best guide book I have ever come across. It allows you to explore the old city without the pressures of a tourist guide, introducing you to history that you would never uncover on your own.

As much as I have enjoyed the other books on Barcelona that I have read, nothing has brought this spectacular city to life in quite the same way as Barcelonawalks. I went on the walks with a native who knows the city so well she can get navigate the labyrinth of the Barri Gotic with her eyes closed. The book was a revelation even to her. George Semler, the author, brings considerable reserves of insight, style and wit to the proceedings. As a book, it's a wonderful confection. As a guidebook (a recipe I don't ordinarily care for since they often do to their subject what the Kraft company does to cheese), it is more like private tour with someone who knows the broad arch of the city's rich history, the character of it's people, as well as a baroque quantity of entertaining minutia. Semler's restaurant recommendations alone might be worth the price of admission, as you are likely to find yourself the only tourist in various characteristic and popular neighborhood eateries.

George Semler has told as much about the passions of the people of Barcelona as about its buildings. From the medieval splendor of the Gothic Quarter through the 19th neighborhood of Gracia to the wildly idiosyncratic buildings of the Catalan Renaissance, each block is revealed not only as a sequence of architectural structures but as the place where the great and the ordinary people of Barcelona fought, dreamed and struggled. I walked every one of its routes with pleasure and a great sense of history. Marvellous!

This edition is no longer available. Please see ISBN # 978-0979962806. Buen Camino-Hiking the Camino de Santiago by Jim and Eleanor Clem

I read this book in one or two days and really enjoyed it. This book is almost a nuts & bolts book - a narrative about how the author's trip turned out day by day. It's more about the hike itself, and not very much about pilgrimage, spiritual or personal. I met the author in a business meeting, so it's refreshing to actually meet someone who has done the walk - just a normal guy and his wife taking an adventure vacation.

I hiked the Buen Camino today. I say "hiked" and "today" because the authors wrote this remarkable book in such a way as to bring you in to walk the Camino with them. With a bit of your imagination, you join them on the trail. You empathize their sore muscles and feet, feel their contentment after a simple hot shower (I think we've all been there) or a wonderful meal. You will enjoy their trials and tribulations, some funny, some not so funny, and some downright ooky. There are many pictures, nicely placed at the end of each chapter so you may reflect back on what you just read. If you plan to hike the Camino, this book will introduce you to the trail, the land and towns, the weather, the people and their customs, as well as give you historical information and tips to help you along your way. Read Buen Camino, Hiking the Camino de Santiago, if you enjoy getting lost in a book of real experiences like I did today. Thank you Eleanor and Jim for such a candid and engaging book.

I got started on this book and couldn't put it down, so read it cover to cover the day I got it. This day by day journal of the authors' hike across Spain's Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail is a treat for armchair travelers and a resource for those about to take the same journey. For those of us who have walked this trail, this book will bring back a lot of familiar memories.

The book makes a good start with a readable Camino map. The trail goes mainly from east to west. In contrast to most maps, they have placed west at the top, making all the placenames easy to read.

The authors are hikers and this shows in their short but excellent forward on training and equipment. Low pack weight, quick drying, washable clothing and foot care are some of the highlights.

In the body of the book, each chapter covers a day on the trail. They soon get into the simplified priorities of the Camino: Food, shelter, companions. Just some phrases from some of the chapters: "body sprawled across the trail", "a little scary at first, but no problem", "tired, wet, muddy", "bread, chorizo, cheese, Ruffles potato chips", "greatest shower in the world", "ankle deep mud, soaking wet", "a couple of beers", "tomorrow is a shorter day", "we met up again in a bar", "today was one of those days", "Santiago", "in the pouring rain", "hugging each other and crying".

This is one of the few Camino journals where the authors stay mostly in small hotels, rather than the overcrowded refugios. There are some tips for this mode of travel, such as call ahead if you want to be sure of a place to stay.

For me, the photos are the strong point of this book. They tell the story well, and the composition is excellent. Unfortunately, the printing process appears to print them at newspaper quality, which really doesn't do them justice.

I recommend this book to anyone with a taste for adventure, but particularly for those thinking of going, or who have gone on the same pilgrimage.

As an historical fiction buff, I'm glad to see someone is writing good historical novels. I hope Mr. Seiden continues along the path of this book with meticulous research and weaving in a love story, intrigue, adventure and of course, historical events. I can hardly wait to read his next masterpiece.

The first Columbus voyage was described so clearly, you really felt like you were there and gratefully so, because the struggle to just get the ships was so trying. This gives the reader a perspective into Columbus that doesn't exist in the history books - perhaps because it is too controversial. Who cares - I loved it!!! You will too. Great book!

Maybe because also in 1492 - There was the Spanish Inquisition, Christians burning at the stake, Moslems and Jews being expelled from their homelands in Spain.

No history book ever mentioned Columbus' spirituality - why? Was he hiding a secret that the world is just now discovering? This historical fiction begs that question... using his private journal and understanding the political environment he was forced to deal in, author Othniel Seiden paints a picture of intrigue surrounding Christopher Colombus as has never been seen before...

On the pages of this book unfolds an adventure where the characters are crisp, real and well defined and in the case of Christopher Colombus - legendary.

In the history books, we learn mostly of the voyage itself, but not too much attention played out on what was happening culturally around the events. The Inquisition and persecution of Christians was constant. This historical novel is based upon Christopher Colombus' private journal.

Reading between the lines of the journal, the author Othniel Seiden sees a pattern of spiritual practice that has never been discussed about Columbus and one that might shed a new and deeper dimension on this historical figure and the times he lived in.

It was a great read and a fascinating subject!

This historical fiction novel is set in ancient Spain during the time of the Inquisition and the dark ages, one Don Jacob Duponte (fictional) was falling in love and enjoying his career and travels as a cartographer. Unbeknownst to him, someone called him a heretic and in those days, that is all it took to have someone thrown into a torture chamber or worse all in the name of the Inquisition.

Don Jacob was rescued because of his talents as a cartographer by the explorer Christopher Columbus, who at the time of their meeting was still trying to get Queen Isabella of Spain to finance a journey across the Atlantic.

Thrown then into intrique and a secret world where one's personal spirituality had to be kept hidden for fear of the Inquisition, Don Jacob found himself protecting secret Jews; Jewish people who had to keep their faith and their heritage totally secret.

The adventure unfolds right from the pages of Columbus' own journal - with these amazing characters woven in.

This novel takes the reader aboard the Santa Maria to experience the superstition of the crew and the hope of the man in charge. It takes the reader to the shores of the new world where they were warmly greeted and told of vast treasures.

Then sailing back across the sea, through storms that should have killed all on board.

The writing is exquisite. The adventure is captivating. The story is based on fact. The humanity of these explorers and their loved ones is compelling!

This story sets the reader inside the mind of 14-year-old Cecilia in a day and place most readers will find unfamiliar. The details of daily life in this rural community are told in a way that make one yearn for that simpler time. But the over-all story of a family big on love and closeness and a young girl determined to find her own way is universal. A very enjoyable book -- loved the proverbs!

"Cecilia's Year" is a great story for young girls. Cecilia is a really good role model--her goals are to graduate from high school and get a job to help her family. She loves to read. This book also exposes kids to what life was like on farms when America was a rural country. Full of traditional family values plus lots of Spanish for people who know both languages. Also has a little romance. Young girls ages 11-15 will love it. Great gift.

Cecilia's Year is a young adult novel about the dreams of a Latina girl living in rural New Mexico. She dreams of traveling far beyond her farm community, to experience high school and a job in the big city she knows through books, yet her mother feels her highest goal in life should be to run a home, cook, sew, and raise children. Written as a tribute to the author's mother, Cecilia's Year explores the tribulations of growing up and determining one's own destiny, in a heartfelt manner sure to resonate with anyone striving to find their place in the world.

Moving story set in a small New Mexican farming community during the 1930's in which 14-year-old Cecilia, who's a top student and avid reader, wants to go to high school, college, and work in a city; however, her old-fashioned mother feels that she should prepare herself to run a home. (M) I loved the way the Abrahams wove Cecilia's story into the months of the year, and the sprinkling of Spanish throughout added flavor. Cecilia's family may have been poor financially, but it was rich in love.

The title of the book was enticing, the cover, quite eye-catching... the author, a complete stranger. Fortunately, I decided to risk it. The book is hilarious, from prologue to epilogue. The author's style is humorous, witty, self-effacing... a truly excellent piece of writing. Name-dropping elevated to an art indeed, by an undeniable master. GIVE ME MORE WARD WALLACE, PLEASE!

The title of the book was enticing, the cover, quite eye-catching... the author, a complete stranger. Fortunately, I decided to risk it. The book is hilarious, from prologue to epilogue. The author's style is humorous, witty, self-effacing... a truly excellent piece of writing. Name-dropping elevated to an art indeed, by an undeniable master. GIVE ME MORE WARD WALLACE, PLEASE!

The title of the book was enticing, the cover, quite eye-catching... the author, a complete stranger. Fortunately, I decided to risk it. The book is hilarious, from prologue to epilogue. The author's style is humorous, witty, self-effacing... a truly excellent piece of writing. Name-dropping elevated to an art indeed, by an undeniable master. GIVE ME MORE WARD WALLACE, PLEASE!

Please bear in mind that I am a long-time friend of the author and am also mentioned several times in the book. Having said that, I can state that Ward Wallace has a fine writing touch and has been entertaining me with his letters from Spain for over three decades. He has been living the expatriate life in Madrid and Sotogrande, meeting world-level celebrities, and now he has put his best stories between covers where they belong. Ward's best stuff is about bull-fighting, including his own adventures in the ring. He also has some insights into famous golfers as well as Spanish dignitaries he has seen with his unreconstructed American eye. The vision of Bing Crosby suddenly materializing in a Spanish church is worth the price of the book. Ward makes fun of his own penchant for name-dropping. For all Americans who think they could have handled an adult life in another country, here is a vicarious experience. He never loses the perspective of an athlete from Hofstra College on Long Island who wound up living with his wife, Conchita, a few blocks from a great soccer stadium in Madrid. Bien hecho, amigo.