Mexico Books

Anne James Valades is one of the most evocative novelists I've read in a long time. Her prose is gorgeous. Her stories and characters real, even though she uses the mystical element to great effect. In the Shadow of the Amates is sweet, sad and historically fascinating. If you know anyone who is going to Mexico for the first or umpteenth time, they'll love this book.

Anne Valades, making her debut onto the literary scene, enveloped me with a quality of writing that gave me the sensation of being in the garden of which she so eloquently describes. She took me on a journey through Mexican history and brought me home to a special place in her heart that she named Amacuepantle.

Is your citation correct. Author's correct spelling is: Valdâes, Anne James.

Biggers book of experiences living in a Tarahumara village capture the many nuances of life here in the Sierra. His writing has a good, readable style and is fun to boot. His tangents although sometimes distracting are always informative and frequently educational. Biggers is to be respected for not naming the village where he lived but he provides more than enough clues to figure out the location. Although not a general travel book, Biggers book is a must-read for anyone wanting a true and enjoyable insight into the Tarahumara style of living.

In the Sierra Madre is one of the best travel memoirs I've read in years. It's a real page turner. I couldn't put it down. Situated in Mexico's Copper Canyon, author Jeff Biggers traverses the legendary canyons of the native Raramuri or Tarahumara, while weaving in the history of centuries of travelers, including some unforgettable characters like writer/adventurer Frederick Schwatka, George S. Patton and Black Jack Pershing, an Irish lord and his African American mistress, etc etc. Biggers is funny, informed, and his pages move from story to story. And of course, the fabulous tale of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre always lurks in the background. This is a great book and makes me want to travel to Copper Canyon. By the way, Biggers in person is also quite a raconteur. Should he come to town, don't hesitate to see his performance.

Since I made the train journey up to Copper Canyon, I bought this book and felt like I re-lived the trip, and then another I wished I had made. This is a wonderful, moving, often poetic, memoir of an American's year-long sojourn in a Tarahumara (he uses the traditional name, Raramuri) Indian village. The writing, however, never falls into any anthropological notes. Biggers moves back and forth from his own experiences in his adopted village, where he chops wood with the local lumberjacks and plants corn and weathers the worst drought in the region's history, and the often hilarious adventures of famous travelers who have made their own foray into the canyons. The book's range is fantastic: characters like French poet Artaud, black West Point cadet Henry Flipper, a young George S. Patton, and a Russian sailor--to name only a few--pepper the stories like characters from a great drama. Jeff Biggers, who is the author of a book on Appalachia, is that chatty companion you wished you had along for the journey, someone who knows world literature and history as well as he knows the intimate details of the local canyons and people, and someone who loves to mix the two. Biggers writes about the ups and downs of tourism in Mexico's famed Copper Canyon by spinning a tale of a modern-day tragicomedy based on the Greek Antigone; he discusses the plight of logging by recalling a poem by Scottish bard Robert Burns and the Scottish debacle at Darien.

I'd recommend this to anyone planning a trip to Copper Canyon, or those armchair travelers who love their world history written through a great journey.

This is a very moving story with characters that become real within the first few pages. It opens our eyes to the Maya ways of thought and to the modern struggles of all working people in a sometimes cruel and corrupt world. The ending took me by surprise but I didn't want to close the book or let go of the characters. I wanted to just begin reading this truely powerful story again. I highly recommend it!

This is a brave and beautiful book. Hard and sometimes harsh, it uses the language and imagery of an ancient people to tell a modern and eternal story of courage in the face of corruption. Shorris makes excruciating the details of two men's battle against impossible odds, and by doing so, ennobles them. No one who cares about politics or social justice in Mexico -- or the USA -- should miss this powerful book.

This is an brave and powerful book. It takes on profound issues facing all of us -- in the US as well as Mexico: economic domination, political corruption, and the meaning of courage in a world without empathy. There is no cynicism at the heart of this book; despite its sometimes gritty language and always too-accurate portrayals of the ways of power, at its heart this author must believe that there is a role for the lonely soldier of truth. Although this sometimes a hard book, I found lessons about life on every page. It should be read by anyone who cares about justice.

This book features the life stories of four women artists - Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Alice Neel and Faith Ringgold. Each of them surmounted great odds including illness, betrayal, discouragement and poverty. But they continued to create works of art, and eventually became well-known.

There are many pictures of the artists and their art througout the book, and these photographs help trace their growth as artists. I wish there was some more information about the medium that the artist worked in to create these pictures.

This book is a good read overall, especially for women, and young girls aspiring to careers in art. But its appeal is much wider, and anyone can draw inspiration from these stories.

Read about inspiring women!!! Get a behind the scenes story about famous women artists, while seeing some of their paintings as illustrations. Also, find out what inspired the famous paintings that you love!!

An inspiring story about great women who made a difference. Come read about the troubles of the famous artists you look up to! Find out what the paintings you love are based on! Get an inside look at all the women artists from Georgia O'Keefe to Frieda Kahlo. Find out how they got to be the great artists they are! See some of their paintings!!! This book is recommended for future women artists, women artists, and former women artists. Also recommended for people of all ages who like history and biographies. A good story.

i got these for a trip to costa rica - i had taken spanish in high school, but hadn't really learned a whole lot. these cds start with the basics/the alphabet, etc. I listened while I brushed my teeth, drove around, worked out, etc and learned quite a bit. They integrate common vocab into the lessons and you really do pick up a lot of the language. i didn't use the cd-roms, but now that i'm going to spain, i think i'll need a little more practice!

Instant Immersion Spanish Audio Deluxe (Instant Immersion) [UNABRIDGED] (Instant Immersion)

I ordered this package because I had previously ordered the instant immersion software and wanted something to complement it while not at the computer. This package is especially nice because in addition to the audio disks, it provides a disc with all the dialog in Printable PDF files so you can follow along with the audio cds if you like or just go back to the printouts for review. Great Product!!!

After taking two years of Spanish in college about ten years ago, I needed a good review prior to a trip to Peru. This 8 audio CD set is ideal for re-learning the language. It is an excellent review. I believe it could also be a good learning tool for someone who wants to commit the time to listen diligently and practice with the audio CD's and learn the language for the first time. I especially like the extra CD-rom that allows all the lessons to be printed in order to see the words and phrases that are spoken. The package includes a second CD-rom which permits the user to practice proper pronunciation on the computer.

I had purchased the Instant Immersion software package (3 audio and 5 CD-rom)and very much liked the audio CD's, but found that I could not commit the time to sit at the computer to review the lessons. This 8-audio deluxe version allows me to learn while I'm driving. I appreciate the style of teaching which is very similar to a classroom setting. Each lesson builds on and reviews the previous teaching. There is adequate time to practice pronunciation and learn new vocabulary and sentence structure. It is not rote memorization which is on some other CD's which I would not recommend.

A great presentation of what I expected to be an unexciting topic. Examines the workings of the political system in a highly readable way. I was not only well-informed after I read the book, but entertained as well!

This is excellent material if you are conducting any kind of serious research on NAFTA and its negotiations' development and outcome. It provides with a huge theoretical framework, every step of the process. If your line of work is game theory, this book will really help you (or at least it worked wonders for me). This is mandatory reference material for anyone interested in studying NAFTA.

Mayer rivals Grisham. He enfolds the strategy of NAFTA like a good murder-mystery. More proof that reality is more entertaining than fiction. It's a thriller, a nail-biter. I couldn't put it down!

This is an excellent novel that was very well researched. The author knows his history and apparently thought this one through before putting pen to paper. Highly recommended!!

This novel is very well researched. It covers the early Spanish settlements in Mexico and New Mexicao from 1540-1680, and is the story of a fictional family based on the author's own ancestors. The writing is formal and somewhat stiff, but many times you can't put it down. And I learned a lot.

Jacona is the story of the Mestas family's experiences and love for New Mexico, especially Jacona, in the early years of Spanish exploration and colonization of the new world. Jacona has everything: adventure, hardship, battles, romance, family, politics and religion - a well rounded view of Spanish life and customs in the harsh but beautiful terrain of New Mexico. Growing up in Jacona myself, I was deeply touched by the story which brought to life a bit of my history and reinforced my opinion that Jacona is and always has been one of the most beautiful and enchanting places on earth.

This book goes into great detail about the combat actions of Gen. Joe Shelby and his Iron Brigade. It covers nearly all the organized fighting in the ArkLaTex, Kansas and Oklahoma during the Civil War. Of all the cavalry units west of the Mississippi, Gen. Shelby's cavalrymen time and again rescued lesser talented commander's bacon from the fire of numerically superior Union pursuit. Shelby's men lead the charge in nearly every large unit action and covered the Army's rear in retreat. Shelby's men fought Yankee units of greater strength to a standstill time and again. "First In, Last Out" was not invented by the U.S. Army Pathfinders. Joe Shelby's Iron Brigade was doing it long before the current owners of that phrase came into existance! What a book!!

Jo Shelby's life during the Civil War is very interestingly written about by Deryl P. Sellmeyer. Sellmeyer has done a very good accounting of the exploits that many are not aware unless you are a Civil War reader and some even may not know him well if they read Civil War history. What interest me besides the cavalry in the Civil War is the leadership abilities of those chosen to do just that, lead. Some do well and some are dismal failures i.e., Bragg, Fremont, Burnside, and Hood to name a few that come to mind. The author also gives a few insights about why the South fought the war and it was never all about slavary. If you would like to read about a pricipled man this is that sort of leader. He was not willing to set down his priciples after Lee, Johnston, and Smith surrendered and made a futile attempt in Mexico to continue his rebellion.
I believe this is the best and most detailed accurately portrayed book on Shelby. It was written in much detail of the accounts that took place under Shelby and his command. I believe those who have interest in the west of the Mississippi battles and campaigns will find this book of value

Mr. Sellmeyer shows great interest and passion in detailing the history of Shelby's Brigade. Someone in Hollywood should make a movie about General Jo Shelby! Jo Shelby's Iron Brigade tells the tale of how General Joseph Shelby developed three regiments of Confederate recruits into the toughest cavalry brigade west of the Mississippi. This is the first fully factual account of Shelby and his rough riders. Like Civil War icon General Beauregard, who will be forever remembered for firing on Fort Sumter beginning the Civil War, Shelby and a remnant of his brigade will be remembered as the men who refused to surrender and buried their battle flag, and with it the Confederacy, in the Rio Grande River before entering
Mexico, ending armed resistance in the Civil War.

History, a great story and an authentic historical craft! Not only that, but just the right size for girl-sized hands. A+++++++ Cannot be beat!

This is another one of the American Girls Short Stories series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. In this book, when Josefina and her father journey up to the mountains to visit one of the rancho's shepherds and his grandson, they discover a recent illness has left him blind. In spite of Josefina's pleading, her father decides to retire the shepherd. But, on their way home, Josefina and her father are caught in a sudden storm, and he is injured. Can Josefina save the day?

The final chapter of this book looks at shepherding in 1824, and gives directions for making a mini rug (it looks quite fun and easy, and my daughter and I are going to make one). As always, Jean-Paul Tibbles has produced some excellent illustrations that add a great deal to this already excellent book. My daughter and I both highly enjoyed this book, and we recommend it to you.

"Josefina's Song" is the third Josefina short story that was published, but it is set just before the book "Josefina Saves the Day". In "Josefina's Song", Josefina is allowed to join her Papa on a trip to the local mountains. They are going to visit the shepherd and his son who spend most of the year with the herd of sheep on the more abundant grazing land found in the mountains. When they arrive at their camp, they realize that the shepherd has become blind from a fever, and his nine year old son watches the sheep. Even though the shepherd proves himself capable around the camp, Papa is still worried for his safety. Papa offers to house them comfortably in town, but Josefina boldly speaks up for them, jeopardizing her own trip to Santa Fe that same summer. On their way home, a summer storm hits and Papa is injured when his frightened horse rears at lightning and bolts. Brave Josefina leads her Papa on her own horse back to the shepards camp, until men from home discover the runaway horse and rescue them in the morning. During the night, Josefina sings in her beautiful voice to the shepherd's flute playing. When she runs out of songs she knows, she sings her feelings about her journey, her outspokenness, the storm, Papa's accident and about the care the shepherd gives them. The next day, the abilities of the shepherd and his son are re-evaluated.

I was introduced to this book through a Scholastic website. I order it and have throughly enjoyed it as a resource for teaching about culture, respecting the environment and community. My second graders and I were fascinated by the skill of the artwork illustrated in this book.

The Journey Of Tunuri And The Blue Deer: A Huichol Indian Story by James Endredy is a captivating picture book rendition of a tale from the beliefs of the Huichol Indians of mountainous western Mexico. Gorgeous, full-color traditional Huichol yarn drawings created especially for The Journey Of Tunuri And The Blue Deer is enhanced with Maria Hernandez de la Cruz and Casimiro de la Cruz Lopez wonderful illustrations in this outstanding Native American folk tale of children who meet their family in nature (Grandfather Fire, Father Sun, Mother Earth, and Brother Wind) and learn to share the wonders of the planet in harmony. The Journey Of Tunuri And The Blue Deer is a highly recommended addition to school and community library Native American collections for young readers.

The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer is a colorful picture book by James Endredy which tells the enchanting story of Tunuri and his journey with Blue Deer. Tunuri, an inquistive and adventurous Huichol youth, is making a trip to the sacred mountain with the families of his village. A beautiful butterfly catches his attention, and he follows it over many hills and through the forest. Tunuri looks around and realizes that he couldn't see or hear anyone. He is lost.

Something catches Tunuri's eye, and he notices a unusual deer walking toward him which seemed to glow from inside. He knew that this deer was no ordinary animal--the coat was a lovely deep blue color! Magical Blue Deer introduces itself, and tells Tunuri that it knows where his family is. He beckons Tunuri to follow, and wherever the deer stepped, colorful flowers began to grow. Blue Deer leads Tunuri on a journey where he meets Father Sun, Brother Wind, Sister Water, Mother Earth, and Grandfather Fire. Grandfather Fire assures Tunuri that he is never truly alone, even if lost, and gives Tunuri a special task: to share all that he had learned that day with everyone he knows and meets.

The Huichol Indians are among the last of the world's indigenous cultures that have been able to maintain their way of life and spiritual traditions into this new millenium. They live in remote regions of the Sierra Madre Mountains of western Mexico, and although some communities can be reached by car, many of them are still isolated by mountainous terrain. The Huichol have a rich, nature-based spiritual tradition, and The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer is a modern adaptation of one of their traditional stories. Two of the most important elements of the Huichol spiritual tradition is the sacred Blue Deer and the sacred cactus, hikuri, and this book reflects the teaching of how a boy or girl finds his or her task in life by connecting with the powers of nature through their help.

Each page of this captivating book is filled with full-color pictures of yarn drawings made by Maria and Casimiro, two Huichol artists. This unique art form is made by spreading bees wax on a piece of wood, and then placing many colors of yarn in intricate patterns. Each drawing takes many hours to complete, requiring enormous amounts of patience, skill, and artistic vision. Maria and Caismiro teach this special technique to younger members of the Huichol community to keep this artistic tradition alive.

In addition to the inspiring tale and gorgeous yarn art, this book also contains information about the Huichol, their sacred symbols, and how each yarn drawing for the book was made.

This book is great for younger children because the colorful pictures and lyrical prose will hold their attention. The vibrant art work and unfolding mystery of Tunuri's journey will captivate older children, as well. The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer would make a wonderful addition to any library, especially for learning about contemporary indigenous culture and nature-based spirituality. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and found it inspiring and comforting.