They walked along the Rio Grande, that stubborn brown snake oozing its way through Wild Horse Desert.... Their way was scattered with hot stones covered by a fine dust, grey and soft,
like gunpowder ready to ignite from the intensity of the light. Those hot rocks bruised their callused feet, even through the old tough huaraches.

In this excerpt from “La vista” Ochoa demonstrates, in her distinctive and finely descriptive prose, a deep understanding of and intimate acquaintance with the Southwestern region bordering the Rio Grande and the people who live in this arid land. Her characters are as tough, uncomplaining, and enduring as the river itself:

Old people these were, square and stiff, brown and dry like the land, with broken teeth and dull, thoughtless eyes the color of the black beans they ate as a staple food.

These stories explore the lives and deaths of a cross section of inhabitants living along the Rio Grande and this collection is ideal for class adoption or for those readers interested in the Hispanic culture enduring the Southwestern regions of the United States.

Esperanza Ochoa, a lifelong student of literature, began her literary career at the age of eight with a series of poems about a less-than-bright cat named Dilly. Her most recent achievement is the translation of the 12th century poem Candor Anubhuti from English to Spanish, which took the better part of a year.

Although she has lived most of her life in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, Ms. Ochoa is multilingual and has traveled widely in Europe, India, and Mexico in search of instruction, inspiration, and enlightenment.

ISBN 0-938738-14-3