I picked this book up at the library because my 5 year old daughter is named Maya. I thought she might like it. Well, thankfully I read it first, because it was too much for a child of that age. It was too scarey. Having said that, one of the other reviewers said he had read it to his 7th graders. I think this book would be great for maybe 4th grade and up.

Rudolfo A. Anaya's wonderful re-telling of the familiar folktale is just in time for the begining of Hisapanic Awareness Month, and is a perfect prelude to the Halloween season.

I used this book as a "read-aloud" book for my 7th graders and they were mesmerized by the story and the beautiful illustrations. This book helped my students understand perspective, mood, setting and other literary terms. There was some discussion about the different men that helped Maya, the title character, create her children, but the fact that she was the immortal daughter of the sun god, and had her children over a span of time made Maya, "La Llorona" more plausible to them.

This book provided the impetus for genuine discussion among my students, and left them yearning to read more of Mr. Anaya's work.

I read this book when I was pregnant with my daughter, and was, in fact, considering naming her Maya before I read this book. The story offers a very mystical and beautiful stance to the legend of La Llorona, and, although somewhat haunting, the pictures really emphasized the message that the story was trying to convey.

Sonny Baca is a private detective investigating a cult murder of his cousin Gloria. The story weaves together a fabric using the old Native American, the Hispanic, and the Anglo traditions that are so juxtaposed in Albuquerque, and most of the Southwest. Anaya keeps us involved and entertained well by the cast of characters from the beginning to the dramatic climax. He shows us the good and the bad aspects of these traditions. In the end the reader is left with a greater appreciation for the natural beauty of the Southwest and a greater feeling for the traditions and beauty of both the fantasies and realities of these indigenous peoples. It helps to know a little Spanish to catch some of the brief phrases used, so a Spanish dictionary is helpful at times. However, the story never taxes the Anglo with Spanish since most of the words are either very common expressions or are explained in the text (except for the curses!). Hopefully, we can look forward to more about Sonny (and Rita) in the future.

The novel is admittedly uneven -- I suspect that hard-core mystery fans will become impatient with the see-it-coming-a-mile-away nature of some of the occurances -- but worth reading. Anaya's prose is frequently lovely and the characters resonate. In addition, it's a pleasure to read an author who presents the mystical/spiritual with respect. In my opinion, Anaya wasn't preachy, but he clearly agrees with Jung's assertion that the religious impulse in human beings is as ineradicable as the sex drive.

This was a book that I could hardly put down. Sonny Baca is one of a kind. Bring on more like this, Mr. Anaya!

This book by Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima, was a wonderful book. I like the way that he made the reader actually think about what he writes. It really kept me awake at night sometimes. It even made me question my religion! I liked the way Antonio said that God wouldn't forgive everyone, but the VIrgin Mary will forgive everyone. If you haven't read this book, I strongly encourage you to read this!

What a great read. I enjoyed the hell out of it. I wish there were more details about his adventurous life. It seems that a great deal of the story came from Mr.Baca himself and if the way he lived his life is any indication; then the "facts" he relates must be taken with many many grains of salt. That said this book is one heckuva roller coaster ride, short but action packed leaving you thirsting for more. More! please.

Is Jalamanta a fictitious story of a man banished by his government for his religious insight, or is it a parable of what today's society is becoming. Rudolfo Anaya does a wonderful job of making one look at themself and ask "What is my path and how does it interconnect with others." Do we believe everything we read in the papers and see on TV, or do we strive for the true answers? I think many will ask themselves if they really even know what questions to ask much less what truths to seek. The story takes us down a path of enlightenment through the eyes of others. It will make you question some of your own dogmas and how they influence your interaction with others in everyday life.

Beautifully written, Anaya brings the culture of the southwest Chicano alive. Antonio grows up before our eyes, nurtured and taught by wise and magical Ultima. He is struggling with faith: Catholism, local legends/myths and the magic he witnesses that heals and transforms. He asks the age old questions concerning life and death, god's purpose and meaning in the world and the life force of the earth, the plants and animals and the curandera. I was particularly struck with a conversation between father and son, "You mean God doesn't give understanding?" asks Antonio. His father replies, "Understanding comes with life, as a man grows he sees life and death, he is happy and sad, he works, he plays, meets people--sometimes it takes a lifetime to acquire understanding, because in the end understanding simply means having a sympathy for people. Ultima has sympathy for people, and it is so complete that with it she can touch their souls and cure them--""

Bless Me, Ultima was Anaya's first novel, and the first book of his I've read. I very much look forward to reading all the works of Mr. Anaya!

Bless Me, Ultima is a book I would recommend because it deals with issues young adults can relate to, such as, developing our own personal identity. Not what our mother wants, our father wants, or what the family expects, but our "own." Antonio, the main protagonist of this novel has to face the opposing forces in his life to create himself, a combination of all he has lived through. Ultima tells Antonio, "as you grow into manhood you must develop your own truths(112)." I agree, as we become older, hence wiser, we must take our own stand, make our own decisions, establish our own beleifs. We can not expect our parents to decide for us, tell us what to beleive, who to become. We have to take responsibilty for our actions, our life.
This one human universal concern is developed by Rudolfo Anaya throughout the novel by the reoccuring theme of the loss of innocence. In order to develop a personal identity as young adults, one must lose their innocence, that is, leave their childhood behind ( if at all possible). Antonio realizes that, "the innocence which our isolation sheltered could not last forever (14)." Here, Antonio recognizes that although we may want to maintain the child within, full of innocence and no knowledge about the evils of the world, it is almost an impossible and inevitable event in life, that may not be bargained with, compromised or posponed.
Ultimately, all in all, Bless Me, Ultima, is a great novel easy to read, and to relate to, as it deals with issues we all must deal with/ encounter in that painful transition from childhood to young adulthood. As we fully open our eyes to the crude reality of the world, we develop our own personal identity, through losing our innocence. This the novel clearly outlines.

Rodolfo Anaya's novel, Bless Me, Ultima tells a remarkable story about a boy named Antonio whose pure heart, innocence, and spiritual bond with a curandera named Ultima give him the strength to survive in world that surrounds him with nothing but evil, sin, and death. Tony's bravery and ability to cope with the evil he is forced to witness, while still managing to maintain his innocence helps the reader sympathize with him, his confusion about the Catholic religion, and his quest for being a good person. Many of us are brought up going to church every Sunday with our families, and we are forced to believe that everything we hear during mass or read from the Bible is true; we are also lead to believe that it is wrong to question our religion and its teachings. However, sometimes things just don't make sense, and Rodolfo Anaya does a wonderful job in this book of demonstrating many inquiries of the Catholic religion that most of us have sometime in our lives, but are too afraid to actually question them out loud.
As I read Bless Me, Ultima, I was taken on an enchanted journey filled with both mythological tales and the reality of both religion and family life. I could not tear my eyes away from the pages of this novel, without anticipating a new twist that would await me in the next chapter. The author's vivid description of the Christmas play that Antonio and his friends put on at school was one of my favorite parts in the book. I think Rodolfo does an excellent job of providing such thorough descriptions of each one of the boys that the reader is able to envision the comedic and chaotic mess occurring on stage as Tony and his classmates attempt to tell the story of "The First Christmas."
Not a word is wasted in Bless Me, Ultima; every word is a contribution to the novel and the powerful story that it conveys. Rodolfo Anaya's way of writing is magical and powerful; it touches the reader's emotions on a very spiritual level. I really look forward to reading more of Rodolfo Anaya's work, especially if they are all as extraordinary as Bless Me, Ultima.

This book,copyrighted in 1992,precedes the trilogy about detective Sonny Baca beginning with Zia Summer (1995), and then Rio Grande Fall (1996), and the latest Shaman Winter (1999). I read Alburquerque after these three novels and enjoyed them all very much, but I feel that it would have been better to read Alburquerque first before the Sonny Baca novels. This is because some of the characters are presented in full detail in Alburquerque and play a major part in the later novels. It did feel strange to read Alburquerque in which Sonny Baca plays a very minor role. Here the center of attention is Abrán González who undergoes rapid growth of character in relationship to his search for his biological mother and biological father, his relationship to his adoptive parents, and his discovery of his true love Lucinda. Those who find boxing disgusting should still read this, in which the boxing is handled with grace and drama. The story is written in a direct style with great warmth. You find yourself really caring about the characters. The 293 pages fly by as the book plunges into its whirlwind ending.

An interesting story full of enough tidbits of history to make you want to do independent research on Mexico and read more of Anaya's writings. The characters are colorful and have twists and turns that keep you wondering until the end. I learned some interesting bits about how politics might have been run in the times and how people's pasts never really rest.

Fantastic! Wonderful! I loved it! Bring on more Sr. Anaya!

Rudolfo Anaya has a remarkable way of telling a stroy from the eyes of person that grew up in the southwest. Rudolfo's descriptions of the life and strugles of his characters always make reminds me of my child hoood while growing up in that culture. His books tell it like it is or was and the Heart of Aztlan is no exception. It is a plesure to read a book from an author who takes his characters from real life experiences. If you want to see life through a Hispanic growing up in the southwest read Heart of Aztlan.

This was a pretty good book. Anaya tells a shifting story about the Chavez family moving away from ther land in Guadalupe and adapting to an urban life in a 1950s New Mexico barrio. Anaya gives a fairly convincing account of chicano lifestlye in the barrio. He describes all aspects of the chicano culture, even a bit of superstition and magic. Beyond all this, Anaya's novel includes a kalediscope of happenings that make it very easy to just read without stopping. There's a lot more to it than simply reflecting on the barrio culture. It is interesting, enjoyable and definately worth reading.

Loved this. Reminded me of legends and superstitions I grew up with in Northern New Mexico.

While I agree with Steffanie Gibbons' view that the Waters' memoir is well-written, in that it flows with the pen of an accomplished writer, but I cannot not agree with a rating of five stars. The "intimate" picture portrayed gives a thin image of his artist friends. Moreover this picture is one of, somewhat desperate, people seeking to be significant as artists, but coming off more like hangers-on. After reading the book, Taos has lost much of the well manicured luster as an artist center, and comes off more like a tourist trap.

In this well-written memoir, Frank Waters shares intimate details of his friendships with many of the artists who lived in Taos, New Mexico during the Mabel Dodge Luhan era. A pulitzer prize-winning author, Waters uses his talent with the pen to acquaint the reader with his artist friends in Taos and tell his own life story. Waters also shares his exploration of the history of Native Americans in the Four Corners area. If anyone is qualified to write about the art world in Taos at that time, it is certainly Frank Waters. A must-read for those interested in the Southwest.

I found Rio Grande Fall to be a very entertaining book. However, it greatly relies on the reader being familiar with the first book Zia Summer. While Anaya tries to fill in some of Zia's happenings, it would have been a very difficult book to read without first reading Zia Summer. Sonny Baca is a great character, but lacks some depth that he had in Zia. You would think that Sonny would have learned his lesson concerning the villian Raven. Anaya's style is supurb but lacks some Christian aspects that could easily be incorporated into his spiritualism. Unlike some reviewers, I did not find it to be a "preachy" novel, but gave another religious interpretation. I also loved Anaya's description of the Southwest and the culture. He certainly could rival Tony Hillerman. Overall I would recomend reading Rio Grande Fall, but after the superior Zia Summer.

"Rio Grande Fall" picks up where "Zia Summer" left off. Sonny and Rita are back, along with most of the other original characters. Anaya introduces a few new, intriguing characters as well. The story will certainly grab your attention, and the final chapters will have you on the edge of your seat! Things certainly end with a bang! or perhaps, to be more precise, a zap! A must read for both Anaya and mystery fans.

This second book by Anaya, regarding the adventures of his detective hero Sonny Baca and his companion Rita, has wonderful contrasts between the three layers of culture in the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico. We are shown the modern American culture in the setting of this novel during the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, where we encounter modern life and modern villains and some heros as well, even among that modern phenomenon of a homeless population. The Hispanic culture is included in the cantina, the bar, knife fights, and gun battles in the predominantly Spanish barrios in parts of Albuquerque, as well as in the Church of San Felipe de Neri. This book is most appealing in the poetic beauty that Anaya brings to this complex tale by carrying the story deeper into the magical thinking of the mysterious culture of the Native Americans. Anaya brings the magical fantasies in slowly but reaches a grand climax in the heroic battle of good versus evil as if it were out of a Navajo legend. It is great fun to go on such a fast tour through these different cultures. In the end, it leaves you with a greater appreciation of the unreal beauty of the Native American cultures. It is helpful, but not essential, to know a little bit of Spanish to understand the brief interchanges in Spanish between some of the characters. This use of Spanish is at a basic level and never too taxing, since Anaya often explains the action also in English.