Benigna's Chimayo: Cuentos from the Old Plaza

By Benigna Ortega Chavez and Donald J. Usner

Offers a collection of folktales from Chimayao, New Mexico, in English and Spanish as retold by the author's grandmother, Benigna Chaavez, who was born in 1898, along with an account of her life and her world.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0890133816
• ISBN13: 9780890133811
• Release Date: January 1755
• Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Pr
• Length: 153 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 0.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Remembering Chimayo

The cuentos/stories are warm and quite different from other folklore stories. The stories aren't just thrown at the reader. Each cuento has its own introduction to create a mood and preserve a memory of the past. I am from Truchas (near Chimayo) and vaguely remember some of these cuentos. Don Usner did a wonderful job of preserving these stories before DVDs conquer the world. The stories are first told in English with occasional Spanish phrases interwoven, and all Spanish is followed by a translation for the English reader. The stories are retold in Spanish in the 2nd part of the book, minus the introductions provided with the English versions. These are great stories and well written to read to children. My favorite cuento has to be El Viejo Tuerco (Old One-eyed) because I do remember looking for treasure in old trees.