Alburquerque

Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A.: University of New Mexico Press, 1992. Second Printing . Hard Back. Very Good/Very Good. 6" x 9. 280 Pages. Pink boards with black cloth quarter spine and purple lettering. Legend says that an Anglo stationmaster painted Albuquerque on the railroad sign in the 1880s because he couldn't trill that first R. In this long-awaited novel, Anaya reveals much more than the correct spelling Alburquerque, he bares the soul of a city. The story focuses on Abrain Gonzalez ex-Golden Glove champ and homeboy from Barelas who meets up with writer Ben Chavez. From this fateful encounter unfolds not only a poignant tale about a young man's search for his father in the mean streets of Alburquerque 1992, but a story of a Southwestern city coming to grips with the complexities and imperatives of explosive urban development. Anaya draws on his trademark magic realism but adds a touch of madcap adventure and political satire in this journey to the heart of Aztlan, where ruthless atorney Frank Dominic dreams of returning the city's downtown into a desert Venice by rechanneling the water of the Rio Grande. Where the mayor risks her career for love. And where a cast of hundreds, from the northern villages and the Santo Domingo Pueblo to the Duke City, help readers understand the deep roots and traidtions of New Mexico's people.