"The Road to Guadalupe" is a heart-warming and healing treasure. Author Eryk Hanut weaves the timeless tale of the enormously revered Virgin of Guadalupe with his experiences as a modern day pilgrim in Mexico City. The fragile, poignant and miraculous story of the Mother's appearance to an illiterate peasant runs counterpoint to Hanut's dusty, wise and scintillating account of the host of eccentric characters, from charlatans to diamonds in the rough, that surround her shrine. It is this mixture of earthy and Divine that makes the book so utterly unique and delicious.

I marveled at Hanut's use of English (not his first language) in "I Wish You Love", the story of his relationship with Marlene Deitrich. In both books, he delights the reader with stunning metaphors. Although "The Road to Guadalupe" is a narrative, the author's disarming observations as poet and photographer dominate the vivid writing style, leaving his audience breathless and eager to turn the page in search for more of his jewels. His lazer sharp sketches of unforgettable characters will blaze in your memory, long after the book is reluctantly closed.

At last. At last a book that is what it claims to be. At last an author whose congruency shines in every word and between every word. At last a HUMAN journey for, with, and in search of the divine. No detail is missed, no simple solution or candy-coated solace is sought, no doubt is shirked, no one and nothing is spared his scathing scrutiny and wit. This is it. This is Mexico. This is the journey of the thoughtful and the faithful. It is all seen and told with an acute sensitivity, a true and wicked sense of humor, a brilliantly refined and down-to-earth sensibility, and with a rare congruency that includes the reader in every emotion, every taste, and every spell on so many levels that it fills your senses and your heart with every word. I believe this writer. I believe his faith. I believe his struggle. I believe he could not have written this story, this way, without being exactly who he is on the pages. This book manages to BE a pilgrimage. It does not describe a journey to the sacred tilma in Mexico city. It IS the journey. Mr. Hanut managed to evoke the place, as if casting one of the spells, he includes from his journey. This book is a magical adventure that does not end. And Mr. Hanut is a practiced and effective guide in the land where story becomes myth, myth becomes religion, and religion becomes daily life in all of its darkness, as well as its light.

This book is just superb! And I mean- SUPERB!!!!!!!!!Poetic,funny, acerbic- and so full of wisdom. I like his style- so irreverent and so deep at the same time. I will reread it often and will give it around.
I strongly recommend it- you got the point, right?
I met Eryk Hanut once- many years ago. I attended an opening for his artwork in Virginia Beach. I was with a friend (who was already sick and has died since)who admired and praised one of Mr. Hanut's Art pieces . She told him so and joked that she couldn't afford it; He left us and came back with the framed photograph that he had just took off the wall- and gave it to my friend. That's the kind of man he is.
Long live authors of his talent and originality!

The thread that binds cultures is stronger and more firm than most people think. Complicating beliefs in order to make them seem original has nothing to do with their essence. Underneath it all they spring from a common source, with an extraordinary parallelism. God is God, no matter by what name. All of that and more is embraced by this amazing book, beautifully written, thought-provoking, a reference source for a lifetime of consultation. Highly recommended.

This book is apparently complicated but in fact is quite simple: underneath the dogma and ceremony, all religions are the same. They have in common a need for answers but also a need for questions that lend themselves to lessons in morality, cautionary tales, structures of ethics that permit the fine fabric of law and society. And furthermore, the societies we think of as primitive are anything but that. Each culture devises a standard of values and behavior, that is essentially like every other culture. A valuable book, a fascinating and provocative one, as applicable as a textbook as a bedside reference source.

This book is a fantastic read - it's passionate, poignant and well written. The research done to write it is obviously extensive and thorough - Carol Miller certainly did her homework! even though the subject is highly intellectual, it's an easy read - great for a flight or a trip to the beach.

This is the perfect companion for "The road to Guadalupe" by Eryk Hanut; With great panache and sensitivity, the author paints the life and ordeals of the inhabitants of a small Mexican village at the turn of the century- And it's illustrated with his own gorgeous photographs!! A very comforting book- like a fairy tale- quick read and forever in one's heart-

I just received this lovely book - along with the other "Road to Guadalupe", also by Eryk Hanut. What a refreshing,inspiring tale of faith and wisdom; the pictures are beautiful and make this book a small reliquary to be treasured.

I received this pop-up book as a gift for my daughter's baptism. Now that she's 3, she can understand the story which is beautifully told and includes the traditional loving words with which Mary addressed Juan Diego. The pop-up art is extremely well done. We have been to the actual shrine in Mexico City and the pop-up cathedral is exactly like it. Many of our friends in Mexico City have inquired where they can buy this book. Fabulous gift for a Catholic family.

extra nice book, I'm very pleased as a pop-up collector-the '12' pages are referring to the double page-and makes for 6 fanastic pop-ups. Money well spent.

If you have read novels such as Sea Glass by Anita Shreve, then you will understand me when I tell you that Les Coalson has tied a thrilling mystery with real environmental concerns. Not only does the author educate the public about threatening issues regarding the Texas Hill Country, but he entices the reader with deep and intiguing characters among twisted plot lines. After reading this first novel by Les Coalson, I feel more secure with my knowledge of the ties between human needs and the environment, and am defintiely awaiting a second story to unfold from this new and upcoming author. I highly suggest this book to anyone seeking to further their intellect and enlighten their soul.

This novel is an excellent summer read. Coalson interweaves environmental concerns with a haunting murder mystery and sweet love story. I have more respect for the Texas Hill Country area after reading this book.

Tradition in my Mexican family is that tamales are made every Christmas Eve for Christmas day dinner. I have very fond memories of my grandmother, aunts, and cousins getting together and making unbelievable amounts of tamales from scratch. So this year I wanted to make tamales myself, but with the passing of my grandmother, her recipes went with her. Tamales are not the easiest thing to make (I remembered all the time and effort they require). Not all masas or fillings taste the same and everyone that makes them, has their own specail "touch". I wanted to be able to recapture the same texture and flavor of the tamales my Mama Luz (grandmother) used to make. So...in my quest for tamale guidiance, I turned to this book. I wasn't sure if I'd get good results, but decided to take the gamble. Well let me tell you, my tamales came out AMAZING!!! The recipe for the tomatillo salsa was a big hit! I paired this salsa with chicken and it was great! I also made the traditional sweet tamales and they tasted just like the ones my grandmother used to make. The recipes were easy to follow and the illustrations were very helpful. I'm a pretty avid cook but I had always been intimidated of tamales. Well nevermore! My childhood memeries of tamales will now not just left to be a yearly tradition in my household because I now know I can whip up a batch at a whim. I'm very happy that I found this book and glad that I took the gamble on this book now. Thank you Alice Guadalupe Tapp for helping me bring back a cherished tradition into my home.

I bought the book on Christmas Eve out of my desparation to get the recipe for the Puerto Rican pastelles. Being an Italian New Yorker, making the pastelles was totally foreign to me. I wanted to make them for my Puerto Rican lover who longed for pastelles around Christmas time. So, I spent most of Christmas Eve, making the pastelles, following the recipe in the book. The instructions were very clear and precise. There were several drawings to show me how to fold/wrap the banana leaves. The recipe was so detailed that I had no problem making the pastelles for the very first time. By the time, my lover came home from work, I had a platter full of freshly steamed pastelles. His face was all "sparkle" with joy and tears. The best Christmas gift, he said. The pastelles were gorgeous and they tasted unbelievably delicious. He couldn't believe that I made them because in his words, they were as good as his grandmother's! A new holiday tradition is born in our home! TAMALES 101 has brought a lot of joy to my home this Christmas, many thanks to Alice Guadalupe Tapp.

Burkhart's book is a collection of Nahuatl manuscripts with English translations that deal with the Virgin Mary prior to the development of the Guadalupe cult. Burkhart provides an interesting introduction and postscript to place matters in context. The book does not, however, really contain much information on the development of the Guadalupe cult. The reason for this is that there were virtually no Nahuatl materials dealing with Guadalupe until the mid seventeenth century. For the full story on Guadalupe, see Stafford Poole's book "Our Lady of Guadalupe."

I would rate this book as 10 stars and this is because to the nature of the box and definitive language which is free of the outdated and high-flown language. The book will bring you to the lecture hall and you will get acquainted with many problems that seemed unsolved. The book deals with minorities (sexual, ethnic) and also the evolvinfg nature of how to write critiques and research. You will also know how the money you pay for tuition is being psent and why! Get the book NOW and you will never think that you wasted money!

War, Human Sacrafice, Courage, and A Fight Against All Odds! This books brings to life the struggle against the evil one in Aztec Mexico with the arrival of the Spanish, just after having defeated the Muslims forces in Europe, under the mission of Mary, Mother of God, to bring Christ to millions onto millions. At the same time so many rebelled against the Church of Christ's founding in Europe, so many found it as their salvation against brutal death in the name of pure evil -- the actions of the Spanish guiding the natives to Christ through Mary. And through her, Juan Diago was able to bring full sight in this amazing story and truly conquer evil in a spiritual war (following the actual war) with the victory in baptism of millions. If I could recommend any book to my friends, this would be one of the first!

I loved this book. Absolutely excellent story telling, and explains perfectly well the historical context of the Blessed Mother's famous appearance in Mexico.

The riveting history of a great man, Hernan Cortes, who with 300 men conquered the demonic empire of 14 million Aztecs who had ritualistic human sacrifices of ripping out live human hearts on top of their pyramid in Mexico City. Naturally he had circumstantial Divine help and great courage. What man destroys his own means of escape (he sank his vessels) and turns to face odds of 46,000 to 1? Then a few years later the miraculous appearance of Our Lady and huge conversions. Some were still carrying on human sacrifices in secret til Our Lady came. Greatest book I've found in years, excellent for young men to read about heroism and faith. Some ladies may be turned off by the barbaric cruelty and cannibalism of the Aztecs, but it gives great perspective as to the evil that had to be conquered. It is also one of my wife's favorite books and we have gone through 4 as I continue to give it to others.

Do get this book if you are a big Frida Kahlo fan. Her step-daughter's memories are somewhat interesting; it's a good read that sits with dignity on either a bedroom night stand or the coffee table or the cookbook shelf.

Don't get this book if you want to start to learn Mexican cooking. It's not a beginner's cookbook!

Do get this book if you have kitchen help and/or if you have some experience with Mexican ingredients (and access to them) and Mexican recipes/dishes. In Asia I have succeeded in making the smothered pork sandwiches (associated with a baptism Frida attended) and some of the other simpler recipes.

If you like the format of Like Water For Chocolate, you'll like this special book. Nicely illustrated with photos of all the food in beautifully styled presentation.

Bonus for art lovers: the cover and some of the illustrations are re-creations of paintings by Frida... tour de force still-life photography!

This book is a true sensory experience. From the first page on, your senses will be teased by the wide array of mouth-watering recipes, organized by fiesta type (which will simplify your search once you go back to prepare one of them), the anecdotes will nourish your imagination and the exceptional photographic work provide for an exceptional visual experience. More than a simple cookbook, it is a passport to a great cultural experience. One can also discover in the book a nice set of views about the famous Blue House in Coyoacan near Mexico-City, once residence of the famous couple Frida Kahlo-Diego Rivera, nowadays a museum. The authors are to be commended for their work, as this book, beyond a mere cookbook, provides a very intimistic view of the house and the lives of its inhabitants, without making the reader feel like a "voyeur". but rather like a guest. It is the "most often picked and looked at" book of my cookbook collection, and I have noticed several of my friends had ended up buying their own copy. There definitely is something about htis book...

If you are looking for a great Mexican traditional cookbook, look no further. These mouth-watering recipes are grouped by occasions for which they are served, so the reader will also learn about the traditional Mexican fiestas celebrated all year round. What gives the book another dimension, is that these are the recipes that were prepared in Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera' "Casa Azul" in Coyoacán! The numerous anecdotes and the extensive selection of pictures also featured in the book make it an excellent choice, whether you are solely interested in Mexican cooking, or looking to read about the fascinating couple Rivera and Kahlo were and continue to be. If you are considering this book for a gift, beware! You will end up keeping it for yourself...