This is a memoir both of the unique city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, but also of most small cities across America in the 1940's and 50's. If you read carefully, you see how many of the commonplaces of American childhood from that generation are gone entirely. It's a sweet remembrance of the time, and the view from inside a culture that is often subtly (or not so subtly) maligned by the larger anglo-American world. Recommended, and quite a quick read. Will probably make you long for more detail about Santa Fe's fascinating culture (and Cash's artwork and that of her Romero family.)

Sent out as part of a VBB.

Thanks! This arrived last week but I've been having a heck of a time with home interwebz...I will probably hand this off to a co-worker once I've read it.

I loved this - thank-you again for sharing! I will be passing this along to a friend but I'm going to order a copy to keep. How is it that I'd never seen this book before?!
Some of her memories of growing up sort of on the fringes of mainstream Anglo-American culture remind me of Maria Manziotti Gillan's stories of her childhood in an Italian immigrant community in New Jersey.