I first saw this book, rather appropriately, in a shop window in Santa Fe.  I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover.  I bought it as soon as I got home, though I hardly knew anything about it.  I just had a feeling.  Thankfully, my intuition didn’t let me down.  The Hummingbird’s Daughter is a fantastic story of knowledge, power, faith, family, and healing.  It is also a story of Mexico, steeped in history, wonderful food, cowboys, outlaws, and corrupt government officials.

Luis Alberto Urrea has written a grand story based on the life of his great Aunt Teresita.  It is a wonderful tale of a woman achieving knowledge about her own gifts as well as the pain and power that accompanies such an endeavor, for Teresita’s gifts aren’t of the pedestrian variety.  They are miracles and mysteries, the kind that illicit the distrust of the government and devotion of the masses.

As we watch Teresita grow up, learning the ways of the curandera, we also watch Mexico change.  There are new people and new ways of living:  some of which are simple, like the difference between a corn tortilla and wheat, others undermine and uproot all that has been known – like the simple dusty life in small rural towns.

It is part history, part fairy tale, and entirely absorbing and interesting.  I learned much about our neighbor to the south while also exploring what it means to have incredible faith and devotion.  As someone who is deeply spiritual but hardly religious, I enjoyed learning about the Mexican traditions that combine a bit of mysticism with Catholicism.

Thankfully, too, the text is beautifully crafted – easy to read, full of humor and wit, very easy on the eyes.  I hope you think so, too.

Did you know that if you want your kid to be some sort of sports superstar that you should make sure his or her birthday is on the day or just after the deadline for youth sports groups?  Well, and that the kid is talented and dedicated and all that, too.  But the birthday really helps and in a big way.

I learned this and many other gems from Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorite writers.  This in itself is a bit of a revelation for me, as I didn’t really think that I had any favorites.  I don’t tend to read more than one or two works from a single writer before moving on to different, sometimes more verdant, sometimes just vacant, pastures.  Him, I like.  I’ve got all three of his books: The Tipping Point, blink, and Outliers.

Each explores small details of life in a somewhat loose but rather engaging fashion.  I like that the books aren’t terribly academic, either.  Don’t get me wrong, I think he is very intelligent, but he isn’t out to prove it in his books.  He’s exploring what makes people successful, what makes a certain type of shoe sell, and why our first instincts really do matter, among other topics.   The fact that he does it in a way that is often humorous and always interesting is what makes me like him so much.

I won’t give any more away because that would spoil the fun of the books, but I will say, if you are curious about patterns and some of the reasons why things happen to be the way they are, I highly recommend his work.  They come from a charming man who is really interested in life, people, and asking questions that get answers.

Back before I was a bit derailed by life and took a break from the blog, I had my Friday Spotlight, where I wrote about movies, books, and music that I like.  Well, I’m bringing it back, but a little early this week for topical reasons.

My husband and I have a Christmas Eve tradition of reading Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory aloud to each other.  We take turns, each reading a few pages at a time.  It is so magical for me.  Though I know the plot, each time is new and wonderful, full of funny quips and brilliant details, bringing me both laughter and tears.

If you aren’t familiar with A Christmas Memory, it recalls Capote’s own youth when he lived with relatives, and in particular, Miss Sook and their dog Queenie.  The story centers on the Christmas season, but like any good tale, it is so much more than that.

We watch the trio venture into the woods to cut down a tree and decorate it with home made ornaments (they couldn’t afford any others).  We also learn of the myriad ways they earn money for the fruitcake fund.  Each year making cakes (and enjoying a little whiskey themselves) for strangers dear to them, including President Roosevelt.  What different times – can you imagine sending the President a cake today?

Like so many of the stories I am drawn to, it is also about love and the deep connections we share, for Buddy and Miss Sook, and little Queenie, too, have a most tender and sweet relationship, one that, despite distance and time, only grows stronger.

If one day you come upon the story, regardless of season, please do read it, for it is so very special, one to treasure, and you will never look at two kites flying in the same way again.

I am a pretty voracious reader who is not terribly concerned about genre.  I will read about any topic, fiction or non, as long as it is well crafted and holds my interest.  With a few exceptions, I do not tend to read multiple books from one author.

Today’s post illustrates one of these exceptions.  Two of my favorite books of all time are from the Scottish author Rosamunde Pilcher.  The Shell Seekers, which I posted about early in my blogging days, and September, the subject of today’s Spotlight.  Though it is not a sequel to The Shell Seekers, they are rather good read one after the other, having one character in common.

September actually begins in May in various places around the world, painting a detailed portrait of very diverse characters and their inward and outward journeys to one rather lavish dance in the Scottish countryside. The story centers around the widowed Vi, and radiates to include her friends, family, neighbors, current and former servants, and mere acquaintances.

It is a modern tale, steeped with fun, the remnants of old wounds, family secrets, and the everyday goings on of a diverse cast of characters.  It’s the kind of book that will entertain, give a little education (from Scottish Reels to the IRA) and keep you guessing until the end.

Much like the Shell Seekers, though not quite as good, in my opinion, September is a realistic portrait of imperfect people as they move through life – loving, learning, and making mistakes.