Antes, Stories from the Past in Cuba, New Mexico, 1769-1949

Not quite history, not memoir; more like what I imagine oral history would be like in preliterate days: “hey kids, gather round, Nana's telling stories from the old days!” As such it's surprisingly effective, although hobbled significantly by a writing style seemingly targeted at fourth-graders.

Antes is a collection of glimpses revolving around pre-WWII life in remote, isolated, Cuba, New Mexico. The author, born there in the 1930s, draws upon her recollections and those of many others in her community; equally importantly, she's done meticulous research using private libraries and other archives to corroborate and enhance those recollections, lending the volume both authenticity and warmth. To my great relief (and admiration), she avoids falling into the nostalgia trap: she writes with frankness about the stronger family ties (and obligations) in olden times and of the strength of character of those who made their livings then, but with equal frankness and great appreciation for the twentieth-century progress which, despite arriving late to those parts, greatly eased the burdens of so many individuals. She neither sugarcoats nor romanticizes the hardships of life back then; in fact, by offering detailed descriptions of daily chores, the reader develops a new appreciation for insulated homes with non-dirt floors, electric light, and our complete unfamiliarity with messy kerosene.

Language lessons, fascinating descriptions of lost cultural practices, a small number of personal stories from the author's or others' lives. Informative along many dimensions: not just a lesson in the history of one small New Mexico town, I've gained new perspectives on the 18th-century Southwest, on 19th- and early-20th-century US, on the resilience of people, and on just how drastic a change our era is from the entire rest of human existence.