I didn't like this book, but it's probably good that I read it. It was not very edifying; in fact, a few parts of it were downright offensive. The way the characters (and they weren't really characters in the literature sense because the author claims this is non-fiction) viewed life was sometimes kind of "messed up," as my kids would say.
One good thing about it, though--it doesn't get boring.... ( )

This is a fabulous family saga made more fascinating because it is a true story. This family must have had great storytellers through the ages! It details the life of the authors parents, from both of their very early childhoods in different locations in Mexico, through their courtship and marriage in the United States. The story is told in an alternating format switching between the families until they eventually merge and become the same story. The families are very different - one on the edge of the law, one always within its bounds; one bootlegging, the other follwing the crops to survive; one hard drinking, the author teetolling. At the same time, they are more similar than the story line would suggest. The similarities are revealed through the characters and their interactions, especially the mothers. Both mothers use the same pet word for their sons/daughters, both have a very strong and deep faith, both adore their children and would do anything for them, both give sage advice that is heeded at crucial moments. At the same time, the children - especially the main two characters, Lupe and Juan Salvador - revere their mothers in a manner that bonds them forever to their mothers and to each other. ( )

I read this as a freshman in high school and it has remained one of my favorite books ever since. Villasenor writes with a beautiful rhythm and his words and images stick in the reader's mind long after they have finished reading the book. In an age where kids grow up hating their parents, it's wonderful to see the love and care he puts into reconstructing his parents' lives. ( )

A good read -- hard to follow and keep together his characters but would certainly recommend it. ( )

Fantastic Reading!