The protagonist of this coming of age story by Rudolfo Anaya faces a difficult decision: to honor a promise made to her dying mother, or risk ending a budding romance with the most sought after boy in school. Whichever choice she makes is likely to lead to a “dead end” of sorts. She comes close to a decision while ‘making out’ with the boy in his car. Fortunately, a childhood memory and plaintive sob from a passing bag lady help clear her mind. Themes: determination, family responsibility, dreams (a better future vs. ‘fitting in’ with the gang), sexuality, life choices More…
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In Search of Epifano
In this story by Rudolfo Anaya, an eighty-year-old woman leaves her loveless marriage and unfulfilling life in California behind to follow her passion (painting) and search for her familial, ethnic and spiritual roots in the Mexican desert. She journeys to the abandoned ranch of her great-grandfather Epifano, who she believes is calling her in her dreams. As she overlooks the ruins of his hacienda, a tall Indian with Epifano’s eyes guides her through an ancient ceremony in which her moan of love is like a new life as a blinding flash fills her body. Themes include heritage, identity, emptiness, epiphany. More…
The Indian and the Hundred Cows
In this folktale from the American Southwest, a misunderstanding arises due to a priest’s poor choice of words. In soliciting donations, he alludes to the biblical concept expressed in Mark 10:30, whereby he who gives up everything for God will be rewarded a hundredfold. A misled, or more likely wily, parishioner donates a cow and takes a hundred of the priest’s cattle in return. The story’s message is to make sure you understand the culture of people you are dealing with before making promises and, even then, be careful what you say. More…