Cogan’s Reviews I’m not sure how come I’ve lived in Mexico these last seven years and never got around to reading this rather well known account of life in Ajijic a good half century ago. This seems to be about the time that the earliest arrivals from up north “discovered” the place and decided to […]
Continue ReadingCogan’s Reviews It’s a long time since I started to read a book with such high hopes. And I don’t think I’ve ever put one down, unfinished, with such a feeling of disappointment. Why the optimism? Well, I’m sure everyone knows that Laura Esquivel is the author of the very successful “Like Water For Chocolate”, […]
Continue ReadingCogan’s Reviews Several months ago I reviewed Mexifornia by Victor Davis Hanson. The author of that one described his book as “a reflection upon the strange society that is emerging as the result of a demographic and cultural revolution like no other in our times” – namely, the heavy duty immigration of Mexicans to California and neighboring […]
Continue Reading
Cogan’s Reviews My spies tell me that author Scofield used to live in Ajijic and that Lago de Luz, the setting for her novel, is in fact Ajijic. If so, here’s her description of the village: “Lago de Luz, on the altiplano far from the sea, where it is neither hot nor cold, boasts no […]
Continue Reading
Cogan’s Reviews I came across this slender little volume in a friend’s house recently and I’m glad I took the time to read it. Less than a hundred pages, it’s a compilation of photos, drawings, essays, poems, letters, parts of novels and stories and other sources, all designed to shed light on this unique and […]
Continue Reading
Cogan’s Reviews I reviewed the forerunner of this novel, “Rain of Gold”, a short time ago and reported that I really enjoyed it, even though I don’t normally read many family sagas. The first book was based on the history of the author’s mother’s family. This book is a kind of sequel in which Villaseñor tells […]
Continue Reading
Cogan’s Reviews I finally have gotten around to reading this much beloved novel even though it’s been available for years and was made into a very popular movie few years ago. I’m glad I did. It turned out to be one of the more pleasant reading experiences I’ve had in a while. If you haven’t […]
Continue Reading
Cogan’s Reviews Here’s an interesting collection of stories of nineteen women who came on their own to Mexico in recent years to settle in the Lake Chapala area. The book consists of eighteen interviews plus the story of the author herself. The women range in age from their 40’s to their 80’s. Their backgrounds and […]
Continue Reading
Cogan’s Reviews The simplest way to describe this novel is to say that it’s a kind of Mexican “Roots” – a big family survival saga covering three generations of two families, complete with a large cast of characters. Author Villaseñor has based his complex, sprawling tale on the experiences of his own family members and […]
Continue Reading
Cogan’s Reviews This must surely be one of the great adventure stories of all time – how Hernan Cortés and about 500 conquistadores conquered a settled and established civilization in three short years, from 1519 to 1521. Distinguished scholar and historian Hugh Thomas has made good use of recently discovered archival material in both Spain […]
Continue Reading