NON-FICTION

NOBODY'S SON: Notes from an American Life by Luis Urrea. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ 85721, 1998. 8 1/4" X 5 1/4". Illus., bib. 184p. Hardcover. 0-9165-1865-3.
The dialogue at the beginning of the book is an excellent introduction. It is a conversation used by Mexican-Americans on a daily basis. In this strong and powerful text, Urrea depicts the struggles of his childhood: a clash of cultures and languages. His story is not unlike that of thousands of other Americans who have waged war both in the political arena and in their own homes to claim their own personal and cultural identities. Nobody's Son is a testament to the borders that divide us all. This is a book not only about Mexican-Americans and their culture, but also about the life-long struggles of reaching the "American Dream." It is an easy book to read and follow. Its characters are convincing and credible. The characters are strong, powerful, and determined. It is a good story to reread often and to give to friends and relatives as an offering of joy, understanding, and peace. Reviewers have given Urrea high praise and commendation for his work. Nobody's Son is a book that no one should miss. Maribel Santos

GENTE DECENTE: A Borderlands Response to the Rhetoric of Dominance by Leticia M. Garza-Falcon. University of Texas Press, PO Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819, 1998. 6" X 9". Bib., index. 303p. Softcover. 0-292-72807-7.
Gente Decente translated means "decent people" or "people of worth." Garza-Falcon herein addresses Walter Prescott Webb's view of America. Webb is considered a great historical writer and theorist from the late 1800s. The problem is that he refers to Indians from the Southwest and Mexico as "savages." Garza-Falcon claims that Webb was so influential that he created many of the stereotypes that appear in historical literature throughout the years and even today. Garza-Falcon's main contention is with the justification by Americans for the forced removal of the Native Americans. The reasons according to most history books are Expansionism and the great, God- ordained "manifest destiny." Garza-Falcon shows how history is a product more of a "literary technique" than official histories or legitimate facts. She states that history as our country knows it is a product of "white" people. Therefore, collected here are Anglo stories retold by Hispanic writers: this way one gains a new understanding of the American West. Daniel Ortiz

THE BEAR HUNTER'S CENTURY: Profiles from the Golden Age of Bear Hunting by Paul Schullery. High-Lonesome Books, PO Box 878, Silver City, NM 88062, 1998. 6" X 9". Illus., notes, bib. index. 252p. Softcover 0-944383-46-7.
This text is a must for those who enjoy living on the edge of their armchairs whenever confined to civilization. No hunt is as exhausting or as thrilling as the hunt for the hunter. Just the sound of the brute foraging in the distance can send a heart into overtime. The Bear Hunter's Century is a collection of events from and about those who have paid the price for that adventure. Stories of hunters' experiences such of those of President Theodore Roosevelt, Davey Crockett, Ben Lilly, Wade Hampton III, and many others will leave the reader skittish. The art work, drawings, and photographs are original and were taken or drawn to depict actual hunting scenes. Anticipation seems to be the larger portion of any hunting experience, and no less here the reader is drawn from page to page by visual aids and Schullery's cunning style of exposure and expression.
Schullery is also the author of The Bears of Yellowstone, The Orvis Story, Freshwater Wilderness, and several other books dealing with the challenge of the unexpected outdoors.
Since Biography of a Grizzly by naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, many books about bears and bear hunting have been published--and some are very good. This book hunts with the best of 'em. Douglas L. Quentin

THE BOYS OF '98: Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders by Dale L. Walker. Tom Doherty Associates, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, 1998. 304p. $16.07 hard 0-312-86479-5.
The Boys of '98 is the complete, colorful story of the adventures of the famed volunteer cavalry regiment led by the romantic and charismatic Teddy Roosevelt in 1898. Walker tells the story of Roosevelt's Rough Riders, a most memorable regiment, composed of tough cowboys, western sheriffs, ranchers, hunters, veterans of the Civil War, Indian fighters, foreign adventurers, Indians, Mexican rebels, retired West Point graduates, wealthy college athletes and playboys, New York policemen, and even a German band. This book gives details on how some 500 spirited Rough Riders took part in hot battles on difficult terrain in the remarkable charge up San Juan Hill. It also focuses on other battles such as Las Guasimas and Kettle Hill. It is a remarkable story about the times of the Spanish-American War and how woefully unprepared for war the U.S. was at the time. It is an incredible account of bravery by a group of men looking for adventure who flocked to the flag led by Roosevelt. The war was a short one as was the life of the regiment, which lasted only four months. The campaign and more particularly the charge up San Juan Hill helped to eventually carry Roosevelt to the White House as one of our country's greatest presidents. Walker includes an account of why America went to war over Cuba. His interviews with the last three surviving Rough Riders (the last of whom died in 1975) are a unique research source for this book. Laura Santos

THE AMERICANO DREAM: How Latinos Can Achieve Success in Business and in Life by Lionel Sosa. Penguin/Putnam, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY. Illus., maps, bib., index. 220p. $25 hard 0-525-94309-9.
Lionel Sosa is a Latino who overcame poverty to become a highly successful advertising executive. He explains how Latinos have the mindset of being unable to accomplish success in life and how the Latinos are viewed as underachievers who cannot overcome the challenges that are presented to them. Sosa believes that Latinos might strive for success, but often fail because of an uneven playing field. Discrimination, racism, bigotry, and stereotyping all play a part in this failure. Sosa believes that Latinos can do something about this field, but they are unaware of the solution to the problem.
Sosa gives several examples of habitual phrases that Latinos use as excuses. One of them is "Whatever will be, will be. It's God's will." There are also two major forces that hold Latinos back: the values taught by families (their goals, their strategies, and their measurement of success); the other force is the values taught by a Latino church. Latinos believe in hope. As for Anglos, they believe in helping themselves first and then God will help them. These are two completely different mindsets.
Sosa includes anecdotes from the lives of successful Hispanics like Henry and Deborah Bonilla, Vikki Carr and Geraldo Rivera. He explains how Latinos can overcome their fears and how they should approach a challenge. He provides directions on developing clear goals and strategies, effective approaches to problem-solving, and, most important, the "can-do" attitude. This book has positive information for a Latino to change his or her way of thinking and to become motivated to achieve the "Americano Dream." Lupe Flores

WOMEN OF THE WEST by Dorothy Gray. University of Nebraska Press, PO Box 880484, Lincoln. NE 68588, 1998. 179p. $10. 0-8032-7073-9. 6" X 9"
Women of the West is an interesting collection of narrative histories taking place in the westward expansion of the United States. Dorothy Gray brings several stories of women together to form a collage of interpretation about women in the 1800s. Gray fails, however, to bring to life women of many cultures that were present and influential during this time period.
The author, for example, describes the life of Narcissa Whitman, a Protestant woman who attempted to spread Christianity to the Cayuse Indians. In doing this, Whitman experienced many trials and tribulations, including the loss of one child and the gaining of seven other children. "Perhaps no figure in the history of the West . . . has occupied as important a place in the American folklore as the pioneer woman trudging westward alongside the white-topped prairie schooner, bound for California and brave beyond belief in the face of all manner of hardship and danger" writes Gray.
Gray creates an image of the woman of the West as white Protestant schoolmarms carrying old European values. She fails to mention the "hurdy gurdy" girls or prostitutes, as well as minority women of the West. Brooke Milam

BLUE RIDE by Ken Wilkerson. Xenos Books, PO Box 52152, Riverside, CA 92517-3152, 1998. $13 soft 1-879378-33-7.
Ken Wilkerson assembles in Blue Ride a collection of stories that not only emerge from the dusty back roads and outback towns of the American Southwest, but also from his own personal experiences. He flavors each story with just the prescribed fictional seasoning to make it hot and tasty; much like the environment in which the stories are set. Wilkerson uses the detective genre in three stories, naming Jack Chase to the position of a sleazy investigator working for Manning Investigations. Chase, however, prefers to be called an operative in ALow Zone," "Midnight Thunder" and "Idle Roomers."
Other stories reflect a southwest desert subculture that hides among motorcycle gangs, drug abusers, alcohol induced activities, and murder. Passages range from the sublime while describing Athe scarlet sun [that] melted into the blazing neon coiled around the roof ". . .three separate storms [that] blew up with snow, drifting, charcoal-colored curtains of rain," among others.
The boozy character of Jack Chase was the most attention-grabbing due to his uninhibited personality that was clothed in an air of mystery and intrigue. Wilkerson=s references to most of the female characters are derogatory; others are downright nasty and some are terms I hadn't heard since high school. It makes me wonder if the back roads of the American Southwest have yet to emerge from the primordial ooze, or, perhaps, it's just Wilkerson. Lisa Kramer

HOWL: The Artwork of Luis Jimenez. Text by Camille Flores-Turney. New Mexico Magazine, 495 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87503, 1997, Illus. 75p. Hardcover, 937206-48-2.
This is a brilliantly illustrated work of art with text that is both straightforward and natural. A mood of anticipation begins with the very first page, and the art critic (for that is what one becomes in this book) finds himself or herself attempting to interpret each of the master's projects even before being absorbed by the text--for the text is as rich as the art itself.
The cover is bright, yet subtle and in a way conceals the influence this reckless visionary has had on artists in his day. Possibly without realizing it, many of his pieces reflect the localisms which flowed from Jimenez's fertile experiences and expressions. His book is a small representation of the complex aspirations of this unique man. His social vision and his artistic expression of that vision differ from that of most Anglo-American artists because of his life-long dream to express who he is and from whence he came. To put it simply, Luis Jimenez has, in his own way, given the culture that nurtured him back to itself. Without compromising his heritage, his work encompasses many art forms. The sixty-one illustrations in this book are lively and bold. Jimenez wants to express all that he is, and he refuses to censor or compromise his creativity. Douglas L. Quentin

COYOTE'S PANTRY: Southwest Seasonings and at Home Flavoring Techniques: Recipes from Santa Fe's Famous Coyote Cafe by Mark Miller and Mark Kiffin with John Harrison. Ten Speed Press, P O Box 7123, Berkley, CA 94707, 1998. 129p.
Coyote=s Pantry is one cookbook that is sure to accelerate the pulses of all who have grown accustomed to the provocative flavors of foods prepared in the Southwest. This book contains the reduced-fat approach, such as using grilling, rubs, marinades, ketchup, mustard, relishes, salsa as opposed to frying and using high-fat condiments. Every recipe calls for scratch ingredients--nothing boxed, bottled or bagged. The colors and settings will make one feels as though he or she is right there on the range with ol' cook. Take a turn toward the south with "Rio Grande Melon Salsa" and "Yucatan Plantain Chips," "Salsa de Calabaza" to "Hotter-than-Hell Red and Green Habanero Salsa," "Sonora Cactus Salsa," or other chutneys, relishes, and pickles. The chapters also cover flavored oils and salad dressings, sauces and pasta toppings, grilling rubs, marinades, glazes, ketchup, mustards, and "Tasty Trail Fixin's." Last but not least are "Bountiful Beans" and "Rainbow Rices." There are an appendix, basic techniques and recipes, a source list, and an index. If the delicious recipes don't capture one's heart and soul for foods from the Southwest, the bold and beautiful pictures will. Shelia R. Standifer

JOURNAL OF FORTY-NINERS: Salt Lake to Los Angeles by Leroy and Ann Hafen. Bison Books, 1998. Appendix, bib., maps, index. 319p. Softcover. 0-8032-7316-9.
This book is a varied historical documentation of the people who went in search of California gold in 1849. The journals of these different characters are in-depth and show their feelings, fears, and their all-consuming desire for the precious ore. On the journeys into the world of these gold-seekers, the reader feels as if he or she is actually side-by-side with the frontiersmen. An enormous amount of research was put into this work. I would highly recommend this book for the serious Old West historian. Kenneth Kneip

TEJANO LEGACY: Racheros and Settlers in South Texas. 1734-1900. by Armondo C. Alonzo. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM 317p. Maps. Tables. Introduction, Appendices, Index. Softcover. 0-8263-1897.
The author, a Texas A&M professor, relied on offical records in compiling this quantitative and qualitative work, his goal being to present the history of the lower valley of Texas in an unbiased fashion. Alonzo contends that other scholars have overlooked the significant contributions and the rich social life of the Tejanos, concentrating only on conflict. Some elements of ranchero history are synonymous with the experiences of other Southwest settlers; others are unique to the Mejicanos. Landholder is the thread that weaves the story of those settlers together, especially after 1848. A short comparative study, narrative conclusions to each chapter, and the introductions make the statistics more palatable. This scholarly work is a welcome addition to Borderlands history, but not for the faint-hearted. Mona McCroskey

COWBOY WITH A CAMERA by Erwin E. Smith--Cowboy Photographer (1886-1947). Story by Don Worcester. Amon Carter Museum, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ft Worth, TX 76107. 1998. 0-88360-091-9. Glossary. 8 1/4" X 11". $18.95 US. $24.95 Canada
Cowboy With A Camera is a saddlebag full of authentic events in western life captured by the shutter of one man's timing. Erwin E. Smith saw a way of life evaporating in the Texas sun and chose to preserve it. He was born in an age when cowboy life looked wild, romantic, and inviting. This book captures his imagination and his heart, and it metes out that passion to a generation far removed from its reality.
Given a camera as a young man, Smith began to chronicle this fading lifestyle. Not born in an area conducive to the ways of rawhide, Smith would literally learn the ropes from those who existed by them.
The text is clear, rustic, and descriptive. Don Worcester, who looks like he stepped out of the old saddle himself, has a knack with language that enhances this already masterful work. Worcester adds a voice to the once silent but powerful photographs of Erwin E. Smith that fill this book and adorn the walls of numerous museums.
For those who want to see the West as it was before barbed wire cut it up, this publication will have readers roping the cat, building camp fires in their back yards, and maybe even annoying the neighbors with a yodel or two. Douglas L. Quentin

IN SEARCH OF THE RACIAL FRONTIER: African Americans in the American West by Quintard Taylor. W. W. Norton & Co., 500 Fifth Ave., New York, N Y 10110; 1998. 415p. Notes. Bibliography. Index. 0-393-04105-0. Hardcover. $29.95.
The mythic West of Andrew Greeley is slowly giving way to new books and treasties on the ethnic diversity that characterized its development, especially in urban settings. Taylor's work is nothing short of monumental in scope and detail. His lengthy list of acknowledgements reveals the enormous task he faced in organizing such a vast array of detailed information. Although the earliest presence of Blacks in the West (Spanish colonial) is jejune by comparison, evidence rapidly mounts about their contributions to enclaves from Alaska to Texas. This volume once again demonstrates the richness of Western history that awaits the careful gathering of data and synthesis. Clearly written, comprehensive, and well organized. In Search is bound to become a classic referance in reconstructing and overturning the mythic view of the white man's West. Charles Polzer

THE ROAR AND THE SILENCE: A History of Virginia City and the Comstock Lode, by Ronald M. James. University of Nevada Press, Reno, NV 89557, 1998. 6" X 9". Notes, bib., index. 355p. $?? soft 0-87417-320-5.
This is a history of Nevada's Comstock mining district that spans from the late 1850s to the present. The bibliography indicated the extensive historical research involved; however, the easy reading and interesting text is filled with folklore, personal accounts, and interviews. The introduction adds interest and color to the overall history of the area. From surface mining to underground mining, the book explores the techniques used as well as the entrepreneurs who cynically exploited rushes where resources were scarce and money free-flowing. The mining district changed from Mexican packers, prospectors, thrown together buildings, and a society where women were quite scarce to a place of industry and engineers. By 1870, it had become an international community. Personal accounts of people who were prominent or influential are presented in a way that is believable and makes one feel that the characters are not only real, but almost one's acquaintance. The Roar begins with primitive mining and moves to more sophisticated methods, including the invention of stabilized nitroglycerin-capped dynamite, to the silence when the single-industry economy declined. By the late 1870s, it was obvious that the decline had taken a strong hold, but the sequel was to include bohemians, artists, TV shows, and even a tourist attraction. The more than 150 pictures and lithographs give one an insight into the characteristics of the people, lives of the miners, working conditions, architecture, and tragedies of mining accidents prevalent at the time. The writer's style is both historical and figurative. One can relate to the characters and events through the straightforward presentation that flows over the decades, from its humble beginning to the present. The book is highly recommended as it is well written and combines history, folklore, and interviews to form a tale that is both interesting and factual, but most important, it is a part of our heritage to be remembered and appreciated. Patricia Maurer

THE SOUTHWEST FOR FREE by Greg Edwards and Mary Jane Edwards. Mustang Publishing. 1997. 0914457837. 160p. 5" X 7 7/8". $9.95
The writers of this book are husband-and-wife Mary Jane and Greg Edwards. They travel and are a team right down to the last chore. Together, they took a trip to see how great a time they could have in the Southwest using as little money as possible. In the book, there are listings of many places to go that are free of charge. It is complete with maps, specific places to visit, and even phone numbers if one wishes to call in advance. This type of information is available for all the Southwest. A great aspect of this book is that not only does it have travel information, but is also full of Southwestern historical data. It is well thought out and useful. For those traveling on a budget, this is the way to see the great Southwest. Daniel Ortiz

SOUTH WIND COME by Tina Juarez. Arte Publico Press, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2174,1998. 5 1/2" X 8 1/2". 286p. $14.95 soft 1-55885-231-X.
The colorful jacket, along with its title, are symbols of the old rugged Southwest life. The author stimulates the imagination simply by taking the reader along the southern border and then to Corpus Christi, meanwhile giving descriptions of the southwestern desert.
The controversy of Mexico and the Civil War during the 1860s are the highlights of the story. The revelation of the struggles and horrors of war supplied devastating moments, described in one instance as "collective screams of human beings crying in agony." Texas is the setting, which includes Austin as the capitol and the beautiful cities of Houston and San Antonio. Irma Perez

DINOSAURS OF UTAH by Frank DeCourten, Photographs by John Telford and Frank DeCourten. Illustrated by Carel Brest Van Kempen. University of Utah Press, Salt lake City, Utah. 1998. 0-87480-556-2. Index. Bibliography. List of Illustrations. Glossary. $45. 9 1/4" X 10 1/4"
From the big green lizard-looking creature on the brightly colored cover to the skeletal remains on the back, this book is packed with illustrations, pictures, notes, charts, sketches, drawings, and everything else one might need to uncover prehistoric remains in the comfort of a library.
Dinosaurs of Utah is an extravagantly detailed record of the latest facts, theories, techniques, and speculations of life in an another age. DeCourten, Telford, and Van Kempen have compiled an enormously consequential chronicle for those seeking knowledge in such a field, or for those who simply enjoy flipping through the pages of a beautiful book. The text is brilliantly written and to the point. Illustrations have "Figure" reference numbers for detailed descriptions.
Dig sites are explored, excavated and documented in a geological step-by-step method. Maps give locations of these remote area and the ancient treasure they canopy.
The "Contents," "List of Illustrations," "Plates" and "Photographs" are extensive. The book has a thorough Glossary, an eighteen-page bibliographical record, and a five-page index. It seems as though they have left no stone unturned. Douglas L. Quentin

THE COLLECTED STORIES OF MARIA CRISTINA MENA edited, with an illustration, by Amy Doherty. Arte Publico Press, Houston, Texas 77204-2090, 1997. 5 1/2" X 8 1/2". 157p. $12.95 soft FIND ISBN #
Maria Cristina Mena was born in 1893 in Mexico City, Mexico. She was born to a prominent family who saw to her elite education. By the age of ten she began writing poetry. In an effort to have her escape the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution, Mena's family sent her at the age of sixteen to New York to live with friends. After only six years of residing in the United States she submitted and published her short stories in popular magazines. The Collected Stories of Maria Cristina Mena includes stories previously published in American Magazine, The Century Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and The Household Magazine.
Mena, the first Mexican-American woman to publish her works in well-known magazines, is a fine and talented writer who vividly depicts life in Mexico both before and during the Mexican Revolution. Her stories include topics of class oppression, the role of women during the Mexican Revolution, and bi-racial love affairs. This collection of stories allows intriguing insight into Mexico's past, yet it remains relevant to today's readers. Accompanied by an excellent introduction by Amy Doherty, this book is a must in any library. Tyana Contreras

MAYAN COOKING: Recipes from the Sun Kingdoms of Mexico. by Cherry Hamman. Hippocrene Books, Inc, New York, New York. 371p., Glossary, Bibliography, Index. Hard. 0-7818-0580-5. (Hippocrene International Cookbook Series.)
Hamman, a nutritional anthropologist, spent years in a small village on the Yucatan Peninsula. Accepted into the community, she shared the hearths of the natives. The Mayan diet is dependent upon the weather and the production of foodstuffs gathered from the milpas. Some of the dishes are labor-intensive, especially those prepared with only a hearth and an underground oven. The mostly meatless recipes are adaptable to any culture, and Hamman offers substitutions for native ingredients, even iguana and armadillo. This book is also a treasury of folklore and cultural mores of the Mayan people, enhanced by the author's delicate illustrations. A spiral binding would have made it more practical for use as a cookbook. Mona McCroskey

THE NEW WOLVES by Rick Bass. Lyons Press, 31 West 21 Street, New York, New York 10010. 1998. 165p. $18.95. Hard. 1-55821-773-8
The New Wolves tells the story of the reintroduction of the Mexican Wolf to the Southwest. These "new" wolves are seventh generation, captive-bred ancestors of only two or three wolf familiy groups that remained in the Southwest twenty-two years ago. Hunted almost to extinction, the few remaining wolves were shipped to zoos to protect them and their offspring until the time would come, if it ever did, for them to return to their wild home.
Rick Bass, author of more than ten books on the environment and wildlife, including The Ninemile Wolves, tells the story from his personal thoughts and concerns. Can these wolves, so far removed from their wild ancestors, survive in the wild? Can the land, that also suffers degradation from years of abuse, support them now? It is a sad story but, as the author says, there is always hope for the wolves, five of whom were shot to death, one who is missing and presumed dead, and one missing wolf pup who was born in the wild. The remaining wolves were recaptured and put back into acclimation pens, waiting for another time to be allowed to be free. Diane B. Rhodes

SPEAKING FOR THE GENERATIONS: Native Writers on Writing. Edited by Simon J. Ortiz. University of Arizona Press, Tucson AZ 85721; 1998. 228p. Notes. 0-8165-1850-5. Price ??. Softcover
Eight rather well known Native American authors and poets present essays to explain their viewpoints on writing about Native American themes. Each essayist heralds the importance of story-telling as the harbinger of native tradition. Strong emphasis is placed on the role of land and natural phenomena as the underoinning of native culture. Overall, the collection is informative and sets out the Native American perspective on the role of story-telling as fundamental to Indian traditions. Charles Polzer

FICTION

THE SNAKE CHARMER: A Novel by Sanjay Nigam. Morrow & Company, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, 1998. Illus. 223p. $22 hard 0-688-1509-9.
The Snake Charmer is the story of the greatest snake charmer in India, Sonalal, and his quest for love. Sonalal feels that something is lacking in his life and, after an incident in which he bites off the head of a cobra in anger, he decides to leave on a quest for both redemption for his evil deed and to gain what is missing in life. It is not hard for Sonalal to leave his wife or sons, for he feels that his wife does not love him and his two young sons are disrespectful. On his journey he finds the redemption he has searched for and the fulfillment of his sexual, financial, and artistic needs. An enjoyable book that takes the reader to exotic places. Esmeralda Barrera

COMANCHE DAWN: A Novel by Mike Blakely. Tom Doherty & Associates, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, 1998. 413p. $25.95 hard 0-312-86575-9.
Mike Blakely started writing this work of fiction with the assistance of two anthropologist/novelist/rancher friends, W. Michael Gear and Kathleen Gear. Blakely's friends were important in contributing factual information of the Shoshone people and their culture. Blakely's novel depicts an Indian tribe trying to survive at a time of food shortages. The salvation of the Shoshone was the acquisition of the horse. On the day that main-character Shadow was born, Wounded Bear and other Shoshone people saw a mysterious "shadow dog" circling the lodge. The Shoshone killed the beast and ate it, but they later learned to use the animal to begin their movements and headed south to hunt buffalo.
The horses were brought by the "Metal Men" or the Europeans. Shadow fell in love with the animal and became a good horse-back rider, and this soon became his name--"Horseback." A group left the Shoshone people and became the Comanche people. They moved south, and their claimed territories ranged through Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas.
Horseback has a great responsibility to his people when the newcomers arrive, for the Spanish and French foreigners pose a serious threat to the Comanche nation. Horesback faces a great challenge to lead his people to defend the Comanche nation from these foreigners who try to exploit their riches and enslave them. Horseback leads his people upon a trail that will lead them to glory or to annihilation.
Mike Blakley has written a clear and colorful novel. Anyone who likes the Southwest will enjoy it whole-heartedly. Jose A. Perez

BREAKING EVEN by Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez. Arte Publico Press, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2090. Illus. 254p. $11.95 soft 1-55885-213-1.
Breaking Even is a story about eighteen-year-old Val Cooper, who lives with his mother Lupe and stepfather Floyd. They live in a small West Texas town where everyone knows what is going on in everyone else's lives. Val has grown up fantasizing about his father who supposedly died a hero years earlier. Val has his heart set on getting out of town, and when he finds out that his father is still alive, he becomes even more determined. He leaves his mother, stepfather, and pregnant girlfriend Bonnie, in search of his long-lost father. He finds his father, Frank Cooper, only to realize that he was not a hero after all. He is a compulsive gambler. His father lies to his companion, Blue Morgan, and to Val. Frank tells them that as soon as he has enough money they will buy a ranch and live happily. Frank wins thousands of dollars but does not tell them of his winnings. He plans on using the money to gamble more. Blue and Val realize that Frank does not care about anything but gambling, at any cost. Finally, it is clear to Val that his mother has found someone much better than Frank and is grateful that Floyd has taken good care of Lupe. Once he became aware of his father's tempestuous life, Val knew he did not want to follow in his footsteps. Val decides to take responsibility for his life and the life of his unborn child by being the caring and loving father he never had as a child. Breaking Even is an inspiring book about taking responsiblity for one's actions and, in turn, becoming a better person. Mary Gonzalez

MARIA WIND by Alma Flor Ada. Illustrations by Lilian Hsu Flanders. Little Brown and Company, 1998. Illus. 31p. $14.95 hard 0316-073445-4.
Maria Wind is the story of Maria, a little migrant girl who travels just like the title says--like the wind. Maria's parents are very poor, and they have no choice but to travel all around the United States in search of jobs that will better support their family. The story is filled with beautiful and very colorful illustrations that bring the story to life. The illustrations consist of the different states in which the family goes to work. Included are also many beautiful pictures of different fields and crops as the year and seasons change. This book is an excellent source of reading for any student between the ages of four and possibly twelve-years-old. It would serve as an excellent source for a social studies lesson because of the culture, seasons, and the many wonderful illustrations found in this book. Teri Gonzalez

LETICIA'S SECRET by Ofelia Dumas Lachtman. Pinata Books, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-2090, 1997. 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" Illus. 126p. $7.95 soft 1-55885-208-5, illustrated by Roberta C. Morales, 126 pages, soft cover, , $7.95.
Leticia's Secret is an intriguing, warm-hearted novel for middle school readers. A young girl named Rosario is jealous of her cousin Leticia, whom the family treats with special care. When Leticia comes to visit, Rosario has to give up her bed for her cousin, amongst other sacrifices. Only later does she find out that Leticia has a fatal disease. Rosario is then ashamed of her jealousy. She tells Leticia about a secret place she has, and the children have but a short while together before Leticia will be gone. A touching book that children will enjoy. Maribel Santos

TUCKET'S RIDE by Gary Paulsen. Delacorte Press, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 1997. 5 1/4" X 8 1/2". Map, bib. 110p. $15.95 hard 0-385-321996.
Francis Tucket is a fifteen-year-old boy who sets out on the Oregon Trail in search of his parents. He had been kidnapped from their wagon at two years old by the Pawnee Indians. Along the way, he comes across two small children who were left alone after their father died of cholera. Without hesitation or realizing that taking the children along with him would slow him down, he decides to adopt the children. Adventures abound as the three head west. An entertaining book. Maribel Santos

DEADVILLE: A Novel by Robert F. Jones. St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010, 1998. 245p. $22.95 hard 0-312-18564-2.
The novel takes place during the mid-eighteen hundreds in the wilds of Idaho and Montana and then turns south to New Mexico. Two brothers head west to make their fortunes. A turn of events separates them, and the story follows both along their individual paths. The elder brother is taken prisoner and is forced to work in the mines in New Mexico, while the younger carries on with life in the wilderness. The brothers are reunited and find themselves once again in a desperate fight for their lives against the man responsible for their separation. The elder brother is bent on revenge, while the youngerwants survival for himself, his friends, and his family. The theme of the novel is that whatever lies in a human's heart will affect the course of his or her life. This novel expresses the hardships faced by people in the West in the nineteenth century and how the strong truly will survive. Sean Warner

THE FLOWER IN THE SKULL by Book ReviewEnglish 3312Kathleen Alcala. Chronicle Books, 85 Second St., San Francisco, CA 94105, 1998. 6"X81/4". 180p.
Alcala's novel is a combination of three stories told by three different voices. The three women who tell their stories, Concha, Rosa, and Shelly, are from three different generations, yet their stories are very similar. Each woman's story is like a puzzle piece; as the story progresses, one begins to see the whole picture.
The novel begins in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico. Concha is a young Indian girl who is forced to abandon her home in search of safety. Scared and alone, she takes the reader on a long journey by foot to Tucson. There she begins a new life and gives birth to a daughter, Rosa. As Rosa grows and matures, the reader is allowed to witness the difficulties she faces growing up in a poor home and how she overcomes these problems. Finally, the reader is introduced to Shelly, a troubled young woman who works as a publisher in Los Angeles. When she is offered an assignment in Tucson, she takes it in part to escape her difficulties at home.
Alcala does a wonderful job in depicting each of these women. The short time spent with each one leaves the reader wanting more. Strongly developed, the characters show the reader exactly how it feels to be in their shoes. The figurative language Alcala uses describes the events in detail. It is a story of great sadness, hard times, and eventual triumph. lt is a quick read, full of the twists and turns that keep readers immersed even after they have finished the book. Jessica Pina

THE GAUNTLET: by Max Brand. Dunkin Hayes Publishing, Ltd. 1999. 0886464994. Hardcover. $29.99.
Beginning with the first few exciting sentences, the reader will automatically be pulled into the time of the Western life style in Max Brand's The Gauntlet. The author describes Harrigan as he is working on a hot sunny day and waiting for a friend to return with supplies. His face is red as an apple and his muscles are aching with a long day-shift. In an era that used horses and mules as transportation, the characters are not drinking water out of a faucet, but out of a canteen. It is indeed a time of hard working, gun slinging men who drown their sorrows in whisky. Readers will have a vivid image and almost be able to smell the odor of a person working on a blistering hot day.
Mr. Brand ably establishes a conflict between two men, Harrigan and Mac Tee, who are seeking the love of the same beautiful woman. Harrigan is a tough working but concerned person, while Mac Tee is portrayed as rootless and untrustworthy. The woman, Kate, is a sweet, loving person, but she is unsure of her needs. Limited law enforcement also plays an important part in the story. By all means, any person wanting to go back into the time of Westerns must experience THE GAUNTLET. This book is for adults, young or old. Jesse Mireles

KEEPERS OF THE EARTH by LaVerne Harrell Clark. (Hell yes! Texas women series) Cinco Puntos Press, El Paso, TX. 371p. $14.95. Soft. 0-938317-28-8.
Clark, a prize-winning author, has made good use of her folklore knowledge to weave this novel about two families and the occult in Texas in the mid-1960s. Cefus Jenkins, a black practitioner of hoodoo (same as voodoo), is determined to carry on the traditions handed down to him. Jenkins' nephew, Franklin D., grapples to blend his learning with the principles of hoodoo, while Cefus's challenge is to keep Franklin D. "a cullud man some way or nother, whutevah you grows up to be." The Munday family, on the other hand, is struggling to restore the homestead of their patriarch, Silvester Clayton Munday, Sr. and to deal with changes brought to the land by oil drillers. The coachwhip snake with its powers for good and evil twines throughout the story. Clark skillfully overlays the action from vignette to vignette as the story builds to its end. Mona McCroskey

DEADLY SANCTUARY by Sylvia Nobel. Nite Owl Books, 4040 East Camelback #101, Phoenix, AZ 85018, 1998. 360p. 0-9661105-7-9 $15.95 Soft
Kendall O'Dell, an asthmatic reporter from Philadelphia, takes on an investigative assignment in a cliched Arizona town, Castle Valley, a kind of Castle Hot Springs/Wickenberg amalgam. This mystery novel lurches along between missing and murdered teen-age girls, high-rolling lawers, and angry ranchers. In trying to solve the disappearance of her predecessor, O'Dell uncovers an unsavory rehabilitation scheme at a remote desert hospice. Tinged with romantic sequences, this is very much like a feminist Western crafted with predictable descriptions and characterizations. Charles Polzer

LOUSE by David Grand. Arcade Publishing. New York, New York. 1998. 1-55970-449-7. 225p. $23.95. 5 3/4" X 8 1/2"
Louse is an original, hilarious novel written by an author with a wild imagination. This novel is interestingly full of suspense and Grand's web of uncertainty. Poppy, the main character, emerges from wealth, influence, and power. Louse is his friend/servant who enjoys his position in life but takes the brunt of Poppy's lifestyle and past. The stage is set high in the penthouse of a casino with sterile surroundings and a plush atmosphere. This novel is full of mystery and madness--not to mention desire. The author is slow to reveal the disaster unsuspectingly approaching this paradise.
David Grand's writing is easy to read and follow. This book will entertain the reader far after the closing line. Kristine Reiley

REPRINTS

THE BOY CAPTIVES: Clint adopted by Comanche Chief . . . Jeff sold to Geronimo by J. Marvin Hunter. San Saba Printing and Office Supply, 1609 West Wallace, San Saba, TX 76877, 1998. 5 1/4" X 8 3/8". Illus., bib. 277p. $12.95 soft 0-94369-24-9.
Now in its twelth printing, The Boy Captives is a true chronicle of two brothers' unwilling induction into the life of the Plains Indians. First published in 1927, the book is a non-fiction narrative as told by Clinton L. Smith and edited by J. Marvin Hunter. After dodging capture five times, Clinton L. Smith, nine, and his brother Jefferson D. Smith, seven, were caught off guard on Sunday, March 3, 1869, and were seized while herding sheep for their father a few miles north of Boerne, Texas, as their mother and sister regretfully looked on. Well schooled in the art of evasion, the Indians dashed rescue attempts by firing the prairie grasses and spreading skunk musk to distract the tracking dogs. After nearly 200 miles of chasing the Indians, the Texas Rangers and Minute Men called off their search for the boys, leaving them to adapt to the language and lifestyle of their new family, the Comanche Indians.
Besides preserving Clinton Smith's rich language, the book tells a number of Smith family stories that shed light on the time in which he was living. He also depicts how his mother met the family's clothing needs with a spinning wheel and loom and used walnuts and various barks and plants for coloring. He describes herding his father's sheep to the San Antonio markets, which was a two-day journey from Dripping Springs; but, foremost among the family's frontier concerns were the Indians who always loomed close by.
A true adventure, The Boy Captives is ripe with color and humor as the reader is granted inside, unbiased documentation of a culture on the verge of demise. Allen Smith, Jr., grandson of Clinton L. Smith and present owner of the copyright, preserves his family's history by keeping the story alive. The book is available through various merchants and through the Hill Country Internet at http://www.texashillcountrymall.com/indianstory. Cheryl S. New

CHILDREN/YOUTH

HANNAH AND THE HORSEMAN AT THE GALLOWS TREE by Johnny D. Boggs. Thomas Bouregy & Co. 1998. 0803493207. 183p. $17.95
Johnny D. Boggs is a member of the Western Writers of America and enjoys spending most of his time traipsing around historical sites, ghost towns, and boneyards in the American West. In this novel, Boggs gives readers an exciting journey through the Old West where gangs and vicious bandits are thirsty for trouble. Hannah Scott and Pete Belissari, two gunfighters, travel to the lawless town of Shafter, Texas, to look after orphans Darcy and Desmond Comhghall. When the twins fight to remain with a local miner, trouble is only beginning. Throughout the story, Hannah and Pete fight for their lives as they try to protect the twins--who just happen to be the meanest, sneakiest, and dirtiest pair of siblings west of the Pecos River.
Boggs gives good descriptions of the setting of Shafter, Texas, where most of the action takes place and does a tremendous job of showing the characters and giving them life by the courage and bravery that they display in fighting those viscious, devilish gangsters and bandits.
Hannah and the Horseman at the Gallows Tree is an exciting novel that must be read by the Old West fanatics. It is an easily understood novel, and the author gives the reader smooth reading to enjoy the adventure. Laura Sanchez

VAQUEROS by James Rice. Pelican Publishing, 1101 Monroe Street, Gretna, LA 70053, 1998. 28p. $14.95 hard 1-56554-309-2.
Vaqueros is a children's book written and illustrated by James Rice and translated by Ana Smith. Written both in English and Spanish, it allows the reader to enjoy the text in both languages. Each page if filled with large and colorful illustrations which contain no more than three typed sentences on them. Rice begins by telling the reader briefly about the history of how cattle came to the New World and goes on to tell about problems the Spanish had in taking care of the cattle. He then tells what the word Avaquero@ means and describes a vaquero's special skills. Rice tells of the horse culture in the New World, defines terms the vaqueros used, and explains their riding gear. The book has a special character whose name is Chi Chi, a Chihuahua who is an expert on the vaqueros. Chi Chi helps tell the story of the vaqueros and makes comments that give the book a realistic touch. Vaqueros would be ideal to have in the classroom.