John C. Horst's Blog, page 37

The Rebozo

Few garments evoke the culture of Mexico better than the rebozo. In Maria's Trail, we learn that the rebozo and simple peasant dress was Chica's primary dress long before she became the Beautiful Vaquero.
According to Gena Kirby of Progressive Parenting:
"A Rebozo is a traditional Mexican shawl or scarf. For centuries the rebozo has helped women in labor. The rebozo offers support, pain relief and empowerment to the laboring woman, and also to her birth partner. The Rebozo is limitless and can perform many different roles in the lives of women in Mexico and South America.
The rebozo can be an aid in labor, a baby carrier, a knapsack, a cool-weather  wrap or elegant shawl. The rebozo is limitless.
Although its origin is Moorish, the Rebozo was introduced into Mexico by the Spanish who demanded that Indigenous women cover their heads in church. The word rebozo is derived from the Spanish word rebozar , meaning to muffle or cover up. Mexican Indigenous women adopted the Rebozo not only for use inside but also outside the church and lavishly decorated them. In his 1794 report to the king, Viceroy Rivillagigedo described rebozos as “an indispensable part of women’s wardrobes”. He wrote that “the women wear them without exception: the nuns and the highest born and richest ladies and the most unfortunate and poorest women of the lowest class.” By the late 19 th century the rebozo had become the symbol of Mexican womanhood, and, like the native woman’s huipil , identified the wearer’s region or village by its color, arrangement of stripes, fabric and fringe type.
The way a woman draped it around her could even indicate her marital status, perhaps availability. Today it is still the most useful garment in Mexico and used in imaginative ways. A rebozo keeps a woman warm and dry and she uses it to carry her baby and even her young child close to her body. It is also used to protect her head from the sun or rain or can be used to haul bundles on the woman’s back. Sometimes it is twisted around the head to balance a water jar. Finally the woman takes it to her grave, wearing it as her shroud." Source ~ Progressive Parenting

Praise for Maria's Trail, The Early Adventures of Chica, Heroine of The Mule Tamer Trilogy

From the great website Barbarian Librarian, thanks Erin for this assessment of Maria's Trail:
I had the privilege of getting to read an advance manuscript of John C. Horst's upcoming work, Maria's Trail, The Early Adventures of Chica, Heroine of The Mule Tamer Trilogy. John has been really good about letting me read his works as they come out and I try to be good about reviewing them in a timely manner :)

As I've mentioned before westerns aren't really my thing, fortunately The Mule Tamer Trilogy has proved to be the exception to the rule. The characters are diverse and engaging and you can't help but cheering them on every time something dreadful seems to befall them (which is a lot). Throughout the trilogy Chica has remained my favorite character. She's crude and crass, yet she somehow is still the classiest damn woman you've ever met. She's a wild Mexican mix between Annie Oakley and Robin Hood. She's a free spirit and one of the most lovable characters in the trilogy.

This prequel helps us understand Chica's early life and why she is the way she is. Maria (Chica) suffered through a lot of tragedy but it never crippled her, it just made her stronger and more resilient. Maria's Trail gives us a glimpse of many of the stories that are mentioned in the Mule Tamer and fleshes them out. We get the real back story on Sombrero del Oro, the Indian tribe, and Chica's "uncle."

All in all this was a fantastic read and it made me love Chica's character even more. I highly recommend you read it when it is released in September!!!

The Mule Tamer III, Marta's Quest and Tienda de Raya, The Company Store

Retrato de una joven, ca.1905 Continuing our truth is stranger than fiction series, we bring you the company store:
It was during this period that tienda de raya, the company store came into existence, in which workers on large estates would be paid in vouchers or tokens that were redeemable only at the stores belonging to the landholders. Debts accumulated by a worker would be passed to his children and would continue to move through the generations until fully paid, which rarely, more likely, never occurred.
 This made it impossible for peasants to travel to lands that might afford a better opportunity, and they were subsequently made literal captives on the land of their oppressor, oftentimes forced to live in squalor, live without even enough to eat. For the ones who tried to break the bonds, the rurales were summoned to track them down and return them to this prison home.
Photo Source ~ La Jornada

The Mule Tamer III, Marta's Quest, Las Soldaderas!

Continuing with our Truth is Stranger than Fiction theme:  The women soldiers.
 
If you were a woman, and wanted to help the Revolution, it was best to be with Zapata. The soldiers were always "caballeros." Josefina Bórquez relates how she and four Carrancista friends were detained in Guerrero. When the general arrived in Chilpancingo, Zapata personally delivered them to him. He told his men,
Stay behind. Nobody goes with me. I want to show the Carrancistas that I fight for the Revolution, not to take possession of their women.(Source~Las Soldaderas Women of the Mexican Revolution)
Elena Poniatowska, David Dorado Romo,
Translator (Cinco Punto Press)
 http://www.ralphmag.org/EQ/briefs.html

The Mule Tamer III, Marta's Quest, a nice Goodreads Review

From C.C., Goodreads member: The third installment in the Mule Tamer series, and what a gem. This book is centered around the character Marta, and wow is she a dynamic one. While reading about her adventures and escapades, I truly felt emotionally connected to her and wished that she was my sister, although Rebecca is just as lovely! The one thing I will say, that kept me from giving this book five stars, is that I was hoping for more adventures and less romance. As always, Mr. Horst does a fantastic job of placing his readers in the middle of the turbulence surrounding the times. Great summer reading series, very enjoyable, and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a quick western read.

Disclaimer: Although I received this book for free through a firstreads giveaway, the ideas expressed in this review are my own, and as such are original and unsolicited.

Latest Goodreads 5 star rating for The Mule Tamer

Hilola gave to: The Mule Tamer
by John Horst (Goodreads Author) 5 stars. Read in August, 2012. I had read the last book of the trilogy and because I liked it very much decided to read the whole series. I am glad that I did.
The characters were well developed and very likeable. Chica was magnificent! The story was all about action from the very...more I had read the last book of the trilogy and because I liked it very much decided to read the whole series. I am glad that I did.
The characters were well developed and very likeable. Chica was magnificent! The story was all about action from the very start, packed with twists and turns and was much wilder which I liked as well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The author tipped me that the second installment in series is a more violent one. Although I usually am a no-violent-stuff type of a reader I cannot wait to get started with it. After all, a good western is supposed to tell a story of Wild Wild West with all the wildnesses of the time to make it spicy

Latest Amazon 5 star review for The Mule Tamer

5.0 out of 5 stars Mule Tamer.1, August 26, 2012 By  R A "Bob" (Nevada) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase( What's this? ) This review is from: The Mule Tamer (Volume 1) (Paperback) I am an inveterate western reader and I so agree with others: Mule Tamer is one uncommon western! I am hardly a literature major but I am pretty sure that character development is what is driving this book's plot. This is a powerful and engaging read and I am SO into the characters. Though maybe more in the spirit of things I should say it reads fast-like? Anyway. Ya hoo! I'm just bustin to read bk2!!

Maria's Trail, The Early Adventures of Chica, Heroine of The Mule Tamer Trilogy

Prequel to The Mule Tamer trilogy, Maria’s Trail chronicles the first adventures of Senora Arvel Walsh. Chica, Artemis, the beautiful devil, she is the great tragic heroine of The Mule Tamer saga. Follow this remarkable woman as she journeys through the first adventures of her life, suffering hardship and pain, loss and danger, betrayal and first love. Her exploits are legendary and it soon becomes evident why everyone who comes under her spell can only love her. Maria’s Trail is a long and tumultuous one, essential to make the glorious Maria the remarkable creature that we’ve come to know and love.

Maria's Trail will be out in September 2012.

The Mule Tamer another 5 star review!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!, August 24, 2012 Amazon Verified Purchase( What's this? ) This review is from: The Mule Tamer (Kindle Edition) Don't remember why I chose to buy this book on my Kindle but whatever reason it was....I'm glad I did. I absolutely love Arvel!! All the characters in the book are so believable and true to life. I have since bought II and III. I'm reading II and it is good but so far my heart is with the first one. I read alot of westerns....got tired of the murder mysteries of the modern world. The killings in the old west was a way of life and the strongest did survive. Great book, you will definitely be entertained.....

Latest review for The Mule Tamer III, Marta's Quest

Goodreads review, August 22, 2012
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. My favorite genre is sci-fi/fantasy, so it took me a little while to get into "Marta's Quest". But when I did, I discovered that I wanted to see what Marta and Rebecca would do next. I like the fact that the author loves the history of the Old West and based his books upon this love...do what you love...and he did.
I felt that the author was conveying the reader back to 1911 through his writing style...which reminded me of Louis L'Amour and William Johnstone with a touch of Jane Austen. The pace of the novel is fairly consistent, and I liked the story of two sisters discovering love...love for each other, love for others and love for themselves.
I'm glad that Goodreads hold these book giveaways-I'm discovering books that I normally wouldn't read. I'm also glad I read "Marta's Quest" and got to know the sisters and their world.