Martin Etchart is a native Arizonan who received his BA and MFA in Creative Writing from Arizona State University before going on to earn his PhD. His novels include The Good Oak and The Last Shepherd, which won an Independent Publisher Gold Medal for Adult Multicultural Fiction. He is currently an English professor at Phoenix College where he teaches creative writing and literature.

This engaging novel is not only an insightful approach to the Basque legacy in the New West, but also a moving story about place and identity, with a touch of magic realism, Basque mythology, and lyricism. This compelling tale reveals both the power of the past and the need of risk-taking while facing the future. It is an inspiring story about strong family and community ties that coexist with a vindication of individual dreams." - David Rio, author of Robert Laxalt: The Voice of the Basques in American Literature and New Literary Portraits of the American West

• Blank PageCover PageThe Basque SeriesCopyright PageUrepel, Arizona, population 657, established 1927›››killing a pigSpy Wednesday›››planning a funeral›››finding a dove›››making a prayer›››drinking a beer›››talking to Aitatxi›››searching the nightHoly Thursday›››counting the flock›››learning a truth›››getting a text›››starting a fight›››sending a textGood Friday›››making a list›››breaking a heart›››having Basque hands›››opening a door›››telling a story›››making a plan›››building a fire›››running in place›››learning to dance›››singing a song›››saving the world›››starting a journeySaturday—The Paschal Vigil›››finding a heart›››turning a page›››reading the past›››texting a friend›››running the water›››driving the car›››praying for light›››walking the fence›››speaking the truth›››searching the ashes›››when forever endsEaster Sunday›››learning to talk›››going to mass›››changing the past›››living the presentGlossary of English to Basque TermsAbout the Author

Martin Etchart is a native Arizonan who received his BA and MFA in Creative Writing from Arizona State University before going on to earn his PhD. His novels include The Good Oak and The Last Shepherd, which won an Independent Publisher Gold Medal for Adult Multicultural Fiction. He is currently an English professor at Phoenix College where he teaches creative writing and literature.

This engaging novel is not only an insightful approach to the Basque legacy in the New West, but also a moving story about place and identity, with a touch of magic realism, Basque mythology, and lyricism. This compelling tale reveals both the power of the past and the need of risk-taking while facing the future. It is an inspiring story about strong family and community ties that coexist with a vindication of individual dreams." - David Rio, author of Robert Laxalt: The Voice of the Basques in American Literature and New Literary Portraits of the American West

• Blank PageCover PageThe Basque SeriesCopyright PageUrepel, Arizona, population 657, established 1927›››killing a pigSpy Wednesday›››planning a funeral›››finding a dove›››making a prayer›››drinking a beer›››talking to Aitatxi›››searching the nightHoly Thursday›››counting the flock›››learning a truth›››getting a text›››starting a fight›››sending a textGood Friday›››making a list›››breaking a heart›››having Basque hands›››opening a door›››telling a story›››making a plan›››building a fire›››running in place›››learning to dance›››singing a song›››saving the world›››starting a journeySaturday—The Paschal Vigil›››finding a heart›››turning a page›››reading the past›››texting a friend›››running the water›››driving the car›››praying for light›››walking the fence›››speaking the truth›››searching the ashes›››when forever endsEaster Sunday›››learning to talk›››going to mass›››changing the past›››living the presentGlossary of English to Basque TermsAbout the Author

Martin Etchart is a native Arizonan who received his BA and MFA in Creative Writing from Arizona State University before going on to earn his PhD. His novels include The Good Oak and The Last Shepherd, which won an Independent Publisher Gold Medal for Adult Multicultural Fiction. He is currently an English professor at Phoenix College where he teaches creative writing and literature.

This engaging novel is not only an insightful approach to the Basque legacy in the New West, but also a moving story about place and identity, with a touch of magic realism, Basque mythology, and lyricism. This compelling tale reveals both the power of the past and the need of risk-taking while facing the future. It is an inspiring story about strong family and community ties that coexist with a vindication of individual dreams." - David Rio, author of Robert Laxalt: The Voice of the Basques in American Literature and New Literary Portraits of the American West

• Blank PageCover PageThe Basque SeriesCopyright PageUrepel, Arizona, population 657, established 1927›››killing a pigSpy Wednesday›››planning a funeral›››finding a dove›››making a prayer›››drinking a beer›››talking to Aitatxi›››searching the nightHoly Thursday›››counting the flock›››learning a truth›››getting a text›››starting a fight›››sending a textGood Friday›››making a list›››breaking a heart›››having Basque hands›››opening a door›››telling a story›››making a plan›››building a fire›››running in place›››learning to dance›››singing a song›››saving the world›››starting a journeySaturday—The Paschal Vigil›››finding a heart›››turning a page›››reading the past›››texting a friend›››running the water›››driving the car›››praying for light›››walking the fence›››speaking the truth›››searching the ashes›››when forever endsEaster Sunday›››learning to talk›››going to mass›››changing the past›››living the presentGlossary of English to Basque TermsAbout the Author