Nasario García - Böcker

Nasario Garcia's poignant memoir revisits the 1940s Albuquerque neighborhood of his youth to capture the struggles and joys of growing up in Albuquerque's oldest barrio. In the summer of 1945, nine-year-old Junie is transplanted from the idyllic setting of his family ranch in the Río Puerco valley to Albuquerque’s oldest barrio, Martíneztown, home and refuge for Nuevomexicanos seeking better opportunities in the wake of World War II. Young Junie finds comfort in some of the community’s familiar Hispanic traditions as he struggles to learn a new language and navigate this often confusing and challenging new environment. Through the boy’s eyes we meet an extraordinary cast of characters and urban survivors on an intercultural journey into modern New Mexico. To read this remarkable collection is to enter a time machine and travel into a world where neighbors help neighbors as they celebrate life and confront life’s tragedies and heartaches side by side. These connected stories serve as an elegy for an era too important to relegate to the forgotten past. Martíneztown, 1945 transcends its specific time, place, and culture to become a universal testament to our shared humanity with all of its confounding imperfections and sporadic splendor.

This title is the winners of 2005 Southwest Book Award. 'The stories are charmingly frank, unexpectedly humorous, sometimes sad, all reminiscent of a simpler, though not always uncomplicated time...The book brims with anecdotes, folklore, and oral history that help define one of New Mexicos most fascinating pockets of enchantment' - ""Albuquerque Journal"". 'Garcia presents stories on life in the countryside, education, folk healing, witchcraft, superstitions, religion, politics, folk sayings, and riddles...All Hispanic Americans with an interest in their cultural heritage should identify with many of the stories told by the viejitosthe old folks...Recommended' - ""Choice"". 'A veritable buffet of reminiscences...An outstanding contribution to the folklore and history of Hispanic New Mexico' - ""New Mexico Historical Review"". 'There is a rich and engaging text in two languages, humor and intelligence mixed in just the right proportion; what else could be desired? Photos! Ancianos, penitentes, cowboys: Welcome faces smile out of almost every page at the beginning of the book...In this book many, many stories will live to be enjoyed and appreciated by generations of new readers' - ""Southwest BookViews"". Nasario Garca, a native New Mexican and leading folklorist in his state, has produced many works on New Mexican literature and folklore, including ""Plticas: Conversations with Hispano Writers of New Mexico"" (Texas Tech 2000).