 Cover by Claiborne O'Connor Trade paper -- 160 pp. ISBN-10: 0-938513-27-3 ISBN-13: 978-0-938513-27-8 $10.00 while supplies last | UNDERCURRENTS Amador Publishers is proud to announce the release on August 18, 2020 of Adela Amador's Undercurrents: New Mexico Stories Then and Now in e-book edition. First published in print in 1999, Adela's reminiscences and ruminations of changing times and mingled cultures are sure to resonate with today's readers. She delivers her unflinching observations of class, race and gender dynamics without pathos or sentimentality—she simply tells it like it is, like it was, and like it ought to be. Adela doesn't try to speak for everyone, only very clearly for herself.
"Escribe con el corazon en el punto de la pluma" [She writes with her heart on the point of her pen]. --Jorge Gabaldo, Palm Springs, CA
"Back to the future. I was taken on a poignant, nostalgic and wonderful
voyage, back into the barrio that nurtured me. Thanks, Adela." --Jose, Armas, Ph.D., syndicated columnist
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| Too many of us rush through life. We never stop to savor the moment,
to ponder the lessons of the past or to consider where we're heading as
we hurry from one appointment to the next. With disarming simplicity that
masks a true depth of perception, Adela Amador reaches beyond the glib
and the superficial to tap those deeper veins that give meaning to life.
She's a natural-born storyteller, always sharply observant and inherently
trustworthy, someone who can laugh at human foibles without demeaning
anyone. I'm glad we dragged her out of her beloved kitchen long enough to cast light on New Mexico and all those aspects of our culture and environment that make this such an inspiring place to live. Her "Southwest Flavor" column consistently draws more fan mail than any other department in New Mexico Magazine. Readers first turned to the column for Adela's recipes, but soon they discovered she could write just as well as she could cook. What perfect ingredients for creative success, magically distilled in these heartfelt essays! |
| -- Jon Bowman, Editor, New Mexico Magazine |
| Nostalgic, modern, sad, happy, funny -- these tales are of memory, remembrance, vitality and change. There are undercurrents, however; not all the memories are glad ones. Life was sometimes hard when Adela was growing up, but she was not one to stay behind and mope; she was far too busy for that. As she says, "We don't need to live in the past, but we need to nourish ourselves with past joys and life's richness." And so it is in this book: family, memories and culture form the background for these stories, yet contemporary life is present too. All in all a look into Adela's kitchen, and her heart. |
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-- Dr. Tey Diana Rebolledo Professor of Spanish, Dept. of Spanish & Portuguese University of New Mexico |
| Adela Amador's collection of stories and reminiscences is a delight. Both a participant in and a sensitive observer of the transition of Hispanic life in New Mexico between the pre- and post-World War II years, the author makes readers feel that they too are caught up in the Undercurrents that affected her people. Written in a deceptively simple but charming style, each story is told with a gamut of emotions ranging from joy to sorrow, from deep nostalgia to upbeat acceptance of present- day conditions. A charming narrative style adds zest and flavor the her journey of "Memories, Dreams, Reflections," as the first and last chapters are entitled. |
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-- Dr. Tim MacCurdy, Professor Emeritus of Spanish University of New Mexico author of CAESAR OF SANTA FE |
| Adela Amador's collection of reminiscences and tales lovingly evokes a variety of New Mexico characters, ages 8 to 80. Her intimate feel for the land, and for everyday family life, is likewise beautifully conveyed. Whether her chosen subject be a childhood amid tall flowers or girls picking pinon nuts, the ways in which little kids can hurt each other or marriages go wrong, one is ever conscious of her unmistakable voice: wistful, bittersweet, nostalgic -- yet also wise. Her side trips to Mayan ruins and to the caves at Carlsbad and Altamira further enrich this store of human experiences. And of course, we can directly savor the accounts of Adela's special and most exquisite craft: FOOD! I highly recommend Undercurrents. |
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-- Dr. Gene H. Bell-Villada Professor of Modern Languages, Williams College, MA author of THE PIANIST WHO LIKED AYN RAND |
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