› Forums › Book Club › November 2020 – Life Along the Border – Jovita Gonzalez › Reply To: November 2020 – Life Along the Border – Jovita Gonzalez
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1. What did you like best about this book?
I loved the historical aspect of the founding of Las Villas del Norte and the emphasis that South Texas history started way before Anglos arrived in the area.
2. What did you like least about this book?
What I least liked was the use of the word peon, can’t pinpoint why but I just didn’t like it. Maybe I have a misconception that the area did not have many peons.
3. Share a favorite quote from the book. Why did this quote stand out?
“And it is our place and our duty now to learn American ways, to send our children to American schools, to learn the English language, not that we are ashamed of our Mexican descent, but because these things will enable us to demand our rights and improve ourselves”. It stands out to me because I as an immigrant believe in it. We can’t stay in the past but we need to become fully integrated into our new country to fully partake in its democracy and make it better for future generations.
4. What feelings did this book evoke for you?
It did not stir any of my feelings.
5. Which places in the book would you most like to visit?
Mier and Guerrero Viejo.
6. What do you think the author’s purpose was in writing this book? What ideas was he or she trying to get across?
I think she wrote the book to set the record straight of South Texas’s early history and counter the romanticism by anglos that South Texas was an undiscovered country in the early 1900s.
7. What new things did you learn?
I learned more about the Guerra family of Star county that are descendants of my own Guerra ancestors.
8. What do you think about the author’s research? Was it easy to see where the author got his or her information? Were the sources credible?
Yes, there is a section for notes and also a bibliography, and as far as I can tell they are credible sources.
9. Why do you think the author chose to tell this story?
I think to counteract the animosity against Mexicans during her time.
10. Do you see your ancestors differently after reading this book?
It made me feel that I need to focus more on writing their stories and emphasize their role in local and historical events.