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Book Picks: Mexican and Central American History, Culture, and Society The travel writer seeks the world we have lost -- the lost valleys of the imagination. Guatemala Unlike most travel writers, Benz spent enough time in Guatemala (as a Fulbright Scholar) to become enmeshed in the country?s daily existence. As a result, he offers us an insider?s view on Guatemala?s tragic beauty. His portrait of everyday encounters ? such as his comic, Kafkaesque efforts to register a motorbike ? both entertains and educates. Secrets of the Talking Jaguar: Memoirs from the Living Heart of a Mayan Village Most books about Modern Mayan life are tragic accounts of the decline and abuse of this once majestic culture. Yet, Secrets of the Talking Jaguar is different. Prechtel presents a much more compelling and joyful view of modern Mayan life. He clearly cares and respects the people of Santiago Atitlan and eloquently conveys a sense of the beauty and dignity of their lives, without becoming overly sentimental. He also presents a fascinating portrait of how his almost surreal journey into the heart of this fragile (in the end, it is almost destroyed) and moving culture changed his life forever.
Searching for Everardo is the extremely moving story of Harbury's love affair with a Guatemalan revolutionary and her efforts to find out what happened to him after he disappeared. Harbury's story is both a strong indictment of the American government's support for strong-armed cruel dictatorship like the one in Guatemala in the 1980s (over 200,000 indigenous people - mostly Mayans- were killed) and a moving love story. Even though (maybe even because) their relationship is fleeting, the story almost moves you to tears. You can't help but care deeply about Harbury and Everardo and root for their doomed love.
Rites packs a lot into a relatively small space. It balances many themes simultaneously-- the insanity of some of Latin America's cruelest dictators; Jewish life in isolated corners of the world; and Latin America's spicy, colorful blend of Spanish and indigenous cultures--without ever delving into trivia or sappiness. Even more importantly, it tells a universal story of a boy trying to define the meaning and being of manhood while the world around him constantly changes. Belize
Jaguar is a gripping story of Rabinowitz?s efforts to study jaguar behavior and his plan, eventually successful, to establish a preserve to help ensure the jaguar?s survival. It is also an absorbing, and at times non?too?flattering, autobiography of a man whose highly humane desire to ensure a species survival sometimes causes him to act in inhumane ways. Jaguar is not just about Rabinowitz, the book is also a compelling portrait of the modern Mayan and Belizean culture. Regardless of whether you like Rabinowitz in the end, it is clear that (especially after reading the books epilogue written fifteen years after the preserve was established) he a valuable contribution to the world.
Often books about the interaction between Westerners and Native Americans have a tendency to reduce both parties to caricatures. Westerners come off as na?ve buffoons and Native Americans sage saviors of the planet. While Arvigo obviously respects Native American healing, her book avoids didacticism. Instead, she portrays Don Panti, her Native American herbal medicine mentor, as a real person with human strengths and foibles. El Salvador
Kephart skillfully intertwines two love stories: one with her husband, Bill, and the other with the land of his birth ? El Salvador. Along the way, she intersperses a wealth of compelling information about the history, economics, and culture of this tragic yet vivacious land. Still Lives in a Strange Land is also one of the most lyrical and poetic travel books anywhere. I wish every country had a travel memoir as compelling and beautifully executed as this one! La Ruta Maya (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras) Time Among the Maya Modern, industrial societies assume that everything must be done faster, better, and more logically. Weaving back and forth between carefully researched descriptions of Ancient Mayan life and the Mayan folkways practiced today in Southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, Time Among the Maya shows us that the innate wisdom of Mayan ways. The Mayans believe that if they wait out the chaos of modern life, they?ll emerge victorious again. They may be right. Even, if they?re wrong, as Wright elegantly shows us, they have a lot to teach us.
The Heart of the Sky is an excellent summary of Mayan life both past and present written by a sympathetic, keen observer. Canby takes the readers through La Ruta Maya and provides superlative commentary on the life going on behind the scenes at most of the tourist destinations. As such, Heart of the Sky is the perfect companion to take on your next trip to this enigmatic and fascinating region. Sacred Monkey River: A Canoe Trip with the Gods One of the better adventure travel memoirs available. Shaw has painstakingly researched the history, culture, topography, and politics surrounding the Usumacinta River between Mexico and Guatemala. He sounds a loud yet important call for preservation of this vital, ancient waterway. Along the way, he also displays great courage and intense feeling. A good read! The Miskito Coast (Caribbean Coast of Central America)
Around the Edge is a fascinating snap shot of life in one of the world's most inhospitable places -- the swampy, malarial Caribbean coastline of Central America. Accompanied by Ford, you'll learn about the little known history and culture of the English speaking, black, descendents of pirates who reside in this little populated region and discover the tragic-comedic history of the Sandinistas efforts to deal with the unruly, independent blacks who live along the Nicaraguan coast. Nicaragua The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey What can you make of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua? On one hand, it educated and empowered hundreds of landless campesinos. On the other, the revolution destroyed the country?s economy and turned it into an armed camp. In Jaguar Smile, Rushdie tries to come to grips with the revolution at the peak of its power. Just like us, Rushdie is ambivalent about its meaning by the end of his journey. Along the way, however, he offers a sense of the humanity and oppression and gets to know the people who populate this volatile yet perpetually spellbinding land.
The Country Under My Skin is the story of one of most passionate woman alive today. Independent, sassy, and headstrong, Belli is not afraid to fall in love -- either with a man or a revolution -- or to risk her life to make her country a better place. Her heart keeps getting broke - by men who don't know how to contain by such a whirlwind and ultimately by a political movement that didn't live up her to expectation -- yet she keeps trying to find (and ultimately succeeds in the mostly unlikely of places -- in the hand of an American journalist) someone and something worthy of her energy. Panama
Often reviewers (including myself) describe books using adjectives like encyclopedic, sweeping, and comprehensive. Sometimes, these words are warranted and sometimes they are mere hyperbole. However, with The Path Between the Seas these adjectives leap immediately into every reader?s mind. It is almost as if you could look up encyclopedic in the dictionary and see this book. Fortunately, however, this book is also a lot more than these words convey. It is also a compelling, fascinating, and fast paced account of history?s most amazing accomplishments. US/Mexican Border and Relations
In the late 1980s I bought this book in Big Sur, California and read it from cover to cover sitting in a caf? overlooking the ocean in three or four hours. Even since then, I have tried to read everything Miller has written. He has helped form my love of Latin America more than any other North American author. I reread this book several years later and still loved it. Why? Miller remains one of the most successful travel writers ever. He combines excellent research with compelling story telling better than almost anyone else in the field. A must read!
Crossover should be required reading for anywhere who wants to understand the motivations (the migrants in this book just as often leave their villages for excitement and stability as to fight poverty), issues, and migration paths (most of the immigrants end up not in Los Angeles or San Antonio, but instead in small towns in Wisconsin and Arkansas) of Mexican immigrants to the US. By following several families from a mid sized town in Michoacan to the US, Martinez gives a real feel for the people who make the journey of the border. I wish every xenophobic, anti immigrant, American politician could read Crossover to give them a more balanced, and emphatic, portrait of immigration today. Mexican Politics and Culture Five Families Five Families works at two levels simultaneously. On one level, it is a well researched academic portrait of five families in Mexico in the 1960?s. On the other, it is an immensely moving and ultimately unforgettable perspective (I read this book 25 years ago and still remember it well) on Mexican family life, the impact of Westernization on traditional society, and the meaning of poverty. A classic. Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans Distant Neighbors is a comprehensive, journalistic treatise on Mexico in the late 1980s. Following NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and the (at least temporary) demise of the PRI?s dominance on Mexican life (PRI was the ruling party in Mexico from 1918-2000), the book seems a bit outdated. Nonetheless, it is a very thorough and interesting summary of the political and economic structure of one of the world?s most complicated countries. Viva Mexico Written in 1907, and reprinted many times since, Flandrau weaves a sympathetic and engaging portrait of Mexican life. While it is definitely dated in parts, Viva Mexico is surprisingly ? just like the land itself ? timeless. At the same time, it also has an interesting view of the perspectives of the early 20th century America on the rest of world. Warning: The book has lots of comments that would not pass muster today. They are too politically incorrect for modern times, yet they can be very insightful even today.
One of the most entertaining and unique books about cultural differences ever written. DeMente expands on the definition of approximately one hundred words widely used to Mexico to help gringo decipher this complex country. While many such books seem condescending and ethnocentric, this book does a laudable job of explaining the Mexican culture and mentality in an approachable and ultimately sympathetic manner.
Preston and Dillon present an encyclopedic, thoroughly researched, and compelling look at the changes that led to one of the most interesting and underreported events of the late twentieth century -- the fall of the PRI's (Partido Revolucion Institucional) stronghold on Mexican politics. A must read for any student of modern Mexican life. I hope someone will follow this book up with a look at Mexico since the election of Vicente Fox in the near future.
When they are done well, I love books that attempt to profile a culture by compile interviews with different people from a cross section of society. No other authors has done a better job compiling this type of a book than Quinones. He gives a moving, and fascinating, voice to everyone from smugglers to gays in Mexico. Very well written and researched. A must read for any student of modern Mexican life and culture.
Though similar and older than True Tales, The Mexicans also merits a careful read by anyone interested in modern Mexican society. The interviews in this book are carefully drawn and selected forming an excellent companion to Quinones' book. The story of the honest Mexican cop will forever stick in my mind.
A wonderful series of essays about Mexican life by a long time expatriate English teacher. Hogan shines when he writes in skillful and elogant prose about his students and his observations of Mexico. Unfortunately, there are a few essays here, about his early life in the US, that seem out of place and a bit dry. Mexican Travel Tales
On Mexican Time is the best of a compendium of recently written memoirs written by Northerners about setting up a second home in Southern climes (such as Peter Mayle?s A Life in Provence and Frances Mayles? Under the Tuscan Sun). I must admit I?m a bit prejudiced ? I will follow anyone, like Cohan, who clearly loves Mexico as much as I do. Why do Cohan and I love Mexico so much? Read the book and you?ll discover the answer ? the indelible vibrancy and humanity of Mexican life. Under the Tabachin Tree: A New Home in Mexico Under the Tabachin Tree is a wistful remembrance by a 87 year old widow of two years spent (25 years earlier) living with her husband and dog in Colima, Mexico. Wakefield should be the model for cultural adaptation for American expatriates. She oozes appreciation and compassion for the Mexican people without veering into soppy sentimentalism.
Guaymas Chronicle is an extremely moving and powerful look at the tenuous balance of life in Mexico. The book tells the tragic and bittersweet story of an eleven year old girl who helps Stuart run contraband between the US and Mexico. It also skillfully uses the girl's voice to help the readers pierce the soul of this incredible country. One of the best books on Mexico around!
Into a Desert Place is my favorite "adventure travel" book anywhere. Unlike most books of this genre which just tell the story of one man's heroic struggle to survive the elements, this book gives adventure travel a real human voice. McIntosh is the most unlikely, and approachable, person I've even seen depart on such a challenging journey. Perhaps, even more importantly, the Mexican people and places that he captures in this book are compellingly and beautifully drawn instead of mere props to propel the story forward (which is my number one complaint about most books of this genre). Nearer My Dog to Thee: A Summer on Baja's Sky Island A worthwhile follow up to Into a Desert Place, Nearer My Dog to Thee tells the story of McIntosh four month stay at Baja's most unique national park, Sierra de los Martires, at a time. This time, he is much more established and older (15 years) then when Into a Desert Place was written. Though at times I miss the younger, more adventurous, and footloose (in this story he is encumbered by two likeable dogs) McIntosh portrayed in Into a Desert Place, I still admire McIntosh's intellectual curiosity and adventurous spirit. Living and Traveling in Mexico Note: Many of these books are repeated in my reviews of books about living and working abroad.
Probably the best collection of stories I?ve ever seen about Americans living abroad is Midlife Mavericks. While ostensibly just about women in a small American colony on Lake Chapala, Mexico, Midlife Mavericks is a compelling collection of stories about Americans who have chosen to create a new life for themselves in another country. Nowhere else can you get such a thorough and moving view of the joys and trials of living in another country and so much insight into why Americans consider living in foreign climes. Read this book if you are considering moving to any other country! Notes
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