Texas Books

For many people, passing on one's life story can be as simple as telling family members and friends personal vignettes that have shaped who they are, and hoping that those stories get passed on to future generations without being altered, embellished or completely forgotten. But when those stories are put on paper, they can preserve a treasure trove of information that can make for fascinating reading decades later.

Such is the case with "Crossing the Rio Grande: An Immigrant's Life in the 1880's" by Luis G. Gomez. Originally published in Spanish in 1935 under the title "Mis Memorias" by a small print shop in Rio Grande City, Texas, this translated edition published by Texas A&M University Press is a labor of love and devotion by a grandson determined to safeguard not only a piece of family history, but Texas history as well.

Guadalupe Valdez Jr., the author's grandson, first learned of his grandfather's book in 1934. Gomez told his then 17-year-old grandson that he was writing two volumes of "notable incidents" of his youth for a "public who loves to read." He also hoped that the book would "be of great help to the young."

Valdez finally saw a copy of the book for the first time in 1947, 10 years after his grandfather had passed away. The grandson never put the book out of his memory, and as he himself grew older he began giving formal presentations on it to genealogical organizations. It was at one of these conferences that he met someone who put into motion the opportunity to translate and publish the book for a new generation of readers.

"Crossing the Rio Grande" is an English edition of Gomez's memoir translated by his grandson with assistance from Javier Villarrreal, a professor of Spanish at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi. An introduction by Thomas H. Kreneck explains the book's value to academia and describes what has been learned of the publication history of the original Spanish-language book.

Gomez came to Texas from Mexico as a young man in the mid-1880s. He made his way around much of South Texas, finding work on the railroad and other businesses, observing the people and the way of the region. From the moment he crossed the Rio Grande at Matamoros--Brownsville, he sought his fortune in a series of contracting operations that created the infrastructure to help develop the Texas economy.

Through setbacks and perseverance, Gomez has crafted a heartfelt memoir that is beautiful in its simplicity and historically valuable in its glimpse into the rugged frontier of the Lone Star state. No exact record exists as to how many copies of the original book were printed, but what is known is that five copies remain in existence today. Interestingly, a second volume is alluded to, but has never been located.

This current edition is a testament to the bond between a grandfather and a grandson that has stood the test of time, language and culture. Regardless of your position on today's immigration reform debate, it will give you insight into one man's struggles to achieve a better life in a country not legally his own.

"Crossing the Rio Grande" is a small volume, but don't be fooled by its size--it packs a powerful punch. It's sure to be on the "Top Ten" list of any Texas border community considering a "One Book, One City" reading program.

This is a great read! It was very interesting to read about his memories of this time. It was as if I was reading about my great-great grandfather's life during this time period!

According to the introduction of the book, this story was told in the indigenous language of Keresan by a well-known elder of the Cochiti Pueblo near Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1928. This traditional story is part of a larger tradition of Native Americans in teaching values and right ways of living in community through storytelling. Crow is impatient and leaves her eggs in order to do the things that she wants to do. In essence, she gives up her responsibility towards her children. When Hawk comes by and sees the eggs abandoned, she sits on the eggs, hatches the eggs and feeds the chicks. She has taken on a responsibility that was not originally hers and will not give it up even when Crow comes back and is indignant that Hawk will not give up the young fledglings. While it is a hard story for Crow, one does notice later that Eagle is comforting Crow in her loss. As for the colorful and vibrant illustrations, childen will definitely enjoy them as they are led to think about personal responsibility and the costs associated with giving it up.

This book reveals how modern adoption suits should be handled. The answer was plain, simple, and correct--how ironic that the bird which symbolizes America could see it so easily.

The author never jumps to conclusions, but slowly, gathering the clues to lay out a history of the Mayan calendar. It is up to you to decide whether his logic is correct, I could not find any flaws. As the book goes you pick up plenty of astronomical, geographical and historical facts. Very engaging.
The book has gone out of print, but is now posted in a digital format on the author's website. Still it is sad that it did not get wider attention.

Vincent Malmstrom has written a wonderfully entertaining book stuffed full of facts on the Mesoamerican systems of calendrical accounting. I had no idea the history of their calendars went so far back, nor that they were so widely used by such a great number of civilizations. His theories fill in where the facts leave off, as most studies on ancient cultures must, and the facts support his hypotheses. Malmstrom's theories on the origin of the calendar are quite different in some aspects than those of scholars before him -- one major difference is that he does not believe the Olmec developed the calendar. I don't want to ruin any surprises for a reader -- and there are some for those who accept the commonly supported theories of the Olmec as the "father" of all subsequent Mesoamerican civilizations -- so I will stop with just one more comment: If you have any interest in Mesoamerica or the cultures of the Zoque, Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Mixtec, Toltec or Aztec, GET THIS BOOK!

this was a gift for a friend of mine....book was in excellent shape and had shrink wrap around it

I gave this book as a gift. Dave is a fanatical Dallas Cowboy fan and he takes this with him where ever he goes. His wife says it has become his new bible for Cowboy trivia

As a 25 year resident of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, I must say this man knows his stuff. His ratings of the restaurants are dead on and his discriptions of the cities is not only factual but also amusing. There are things he found I didn't know about and are dying to check out. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know some little known facts about this great metroplex.

As a 25 year resident of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, I must say this man knows his stuff. His ratings of the restaurants are dead on and his discriptions of the cities is not only factual but also amusing. There are things he found I didn't know about and are dying to check out. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know some little known facts about this great metroplex.

A Dark Night In Texas is based in a small but real town in Texas. The places featured in the book are real but the story IS NOT. Just so you know.
Ranger O'Malley is called out to investagate a death and finds out that it is an old friend. As Ranger O'Malley searches the death of Jack Weatherby, he grows in love with Jack's kid sister, Sara. Read the book and find out if you can solve the murder before Ranger O'Malley does. But beleive me it is a great book.

Great characters in this book. Very suspenseful. An ending I totally did not expect! I would love to see Ranger O'Malley continue in other stories!

With so much publishing money funneled into Chick Lit and the next mass market success, it is more than just a little refreshing to find a book of poems of such caliber. Wright, with his dark, lyrical style is the sort of poet who is the real deal. His sensibilities, reminscent of Roethke and Dickey, materialize in his masterful images and his language; while his approach to nature (especially a blue crab) is fresh and unique. His perception of the South denies the current trends of focusing on the "redneck qualities" and instead, revisits Southern landscape and relationships in a tone both comically horrific and heartbreakingly beautiful. Wright is an emerging enchanter to enjoy.

Give this book a chance, and see why the University Presses are putting out the best work right now.

It's hard to remain sedate about a book that shows such promise: I was one of the few who had access to the manuscript of William Wright's Dark Orhard before it was selected for the Texas Review Breakthrough Poetry Prize. For a first time book, Wright's poetry strikes me as masterly; he has a inherent sense of line break and meter, although most of his work is free verse. In addition, Wright's work synthesizes the sensibilities of preceding poets like Roethke, Dickey, Ammons, James Wright, Richard Hugo, and, in his more lyrically obsessive pieces, Dylan Thomas; Wright's style is definitely his own. My favorite pieces from the book include "Dreaming of My Parents," "Cruelty," "Benfield, Remembered," "Dead Dog," and "In Fear of Holiness"-- all of these poems interlace Wright's half-imagined, half-experienced childhood with interior exploration, really great stuff.

Nature and humanity coalesce in some of the best, freshest poetry that I've recently read, a welcome relief from the esoteric, propaganda fueled poetry that claims much of today's literary landscape.

Not a terribly sophisticated book, and somewhat star-struck in tone, but nevertheless a very interesting and thorough account of an early Galveston socialite.

After visiting Ashton Villa in Galveston, October 2003, I decided to learn more about its famous former inhabitant- Bettie Brown. The book was actually suggested to our group as we walked through the old house. The tour whetted my appetite, and when I finally bought the book, I devoured it in one sitting. Bettie lived a fabulous life of luxury, and was a truly modern woman. There are several pictures of Bettie and her family in the book, and of Ashton Villa which is just as important as Bettie herself. The book covers the span of Bettie's life, her family history, a very long family tree, and even the life of the house after Bettie died. The 1900 Galveston storm is a prominent event in Bettie and Ashton Villa's life, and it was very interesting to read about how it affected even the very rich way of life. I recomend this book not only as a peek into Galveston history, but also as a valuable biography of a true Texas woman.

A non-stop read. Some of the most eerie and interesting characters I've ever read. My mind wrapped around the story and wouldn't let me put it down until the end. Couldn't wait until volume 2.

Dead and Dying Angels

by James A. Mangum

The first words you read after the title page is...."Please Excuse Me, I'm Killing Myself".
It's an ominous start to this well crafted gritty "novel noir" set in the south Texas sunshine.

Jamey Maxwell, a depressed, retired custom officer lives in Dos Cruces, a hot dusty town..... "forty miles from Laredo and light years from anywhere else.....where both sides of the tracks are on the wrong side of town." He has moved to the town to get away from a downturn in his life. His wife and daughter were killed in a car wreck in Houston and Jamey believes he is at fault. He sees no reason for living.

Then strange things begin to happen in Dos Cruces....a brutal rape and murder is blamed on an innocent local and Jamey is drawn into a labyrinth of mysterious events with twist and turns reminiscent of Raymond Chandler's 1930's hard boiled detective novels. Chandler with a hint of the supernatural

The first person writing style of Dead And Dying Angels is conversational and personal.....revealing sometimes embarrassing details about the main character's life. The easy prose moves the plot along giving us plenty of backstories for character development. Jamey Maxwell is a good and ethical man to whom bad things have happened and that continue to happen. His ultimate reaction to all this is violent and we find ourselves applauding.....cheering him on while at the same time knowing that we are condoning a crime. A good writer like James Mangum can pull this off with grace and style. It's the stuff of good literature.

I put the book down after reading it in one sitting and wished I could start on the second book of the projected trilogy. Hurry up James, a lot of us are waiting.

Tim Saska
Santa Fe

Too many texas children know nothing about the heroes of our state. This is a book that every responsible parent (who call themselves Texan) should read to this little ones. Don't let the stories of people like Deaf Smith die due to the incompetence of our schools or the ignorance of our media. Take up the torch for your family yourself.

A good friend's fourth grader selected this book as a gift from me while visiting my new home. She was completely absorbed by it and stimulated to remember and relate to me the Texas history she'd studied in the past year. I read it, too, and found it a good tale, well told and well illustrated.