Rain of Gold (Book Review)

Written by: Victor Villaseñor

Narrated by: Johnny Rey Diaz

goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14345.Rain_of_Gold

Rain of Gold, Victor Villaseñor’s bestselling family memoir that reflects the experiences of many Mexican Americans, is available to US audiences in a new Spanish-language translation. It is a true-life saga of love, family and destiny that pulses with bold vitality, sweeping from the war-ravaged Mexican mountains of Pancho Villa’s revolution to the days of Prohibition in California.

Paperback: 576 pages - First published January 1, 1991
Audio: Length: 30 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rain of Gold is a true-life saga of love, family and destiny that pulses with bold vitality, sweeping from the war-ravaged Mexican mountains of Pancho Villa's revolution to the days of Prohibition in California.

It all began when Villaseñor’s maternal grandmother sat him down in their little home in the barrio of Carlsbad, California, gave him sweet bread and told him the story of their past. Of his mother Lupe, the most beautiful girl in the whole village who was only a child when Villa's men came shooting into their canyon. And of his father Juan and his family, reduced to rags and starvation as they sought refuge across the border, where they believed that endless opportunity awaited.

Lupe and Juan met and fell in love in California, but they found that the doors to the Promised Land were often closed to those from south of the border. His father was forced to take the law into his own hands, in spite of his wife's objections. With love and humor, Villaseñor shares this passionate love story that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit.

An all-American story of struggle and success, Rain of Gold focuses on three generations of Villaseñor’s kin, their spiritual and cultural roots back in Mexico, their immigration to California and overcoming poverty, prejudice and economic exploitation. It is the warm-hearted and spirited account of the wily, wary and persevering forebears of Victor Villaseñor.

©1991 Victor Edmundo Villaseñor. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

 

Reader’s Review (2024/12)
(Audio book version)

Certainly for me a ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ novel and production. 
My original intention was to explore some of the folklore, customs and attitudes of the Hispanic and native Indian cultures from the mountainous areas south of California and New Mexico borders. To a restricted degree this novel does weave some of this into the characters and times presented.

While the Publisher’s Summary outlines key plots, many themes run this long and rich saga. From impacts of war, harsh conditions, displacement and integration in early 19^th century America. For me rich development of family members creates the foundations that present colourful history and deeply rich family lives.

Two powerful characters not mentioned in the Publisher’s Summary are the family matriarchs. Juan’s mother and Lupe’s mother form contrasting positions of roles in the large nuclear families from two very powerful women. Many of the dialogues between mother and child I found some of the strongest moments in Rain of Gold sometimes bringing me to tears and wonderment.

The narrator Johnny Rey Diaz developed dialects and accents enriching characters enhancing my mental imagery. Given the length of the novel, I applaud the narrator in his consistency throughout.

While only achieving highly focused folklore, customs and attitudes, Victor Villaseñor’s writing grasped my interest and heart through a most fascinating journey of the generation that produced and raised him.

Muy agradecido.