Ultima, Bless Me

When my dad first brought this book to my attention I really wasn't that interested, I bought it reluctantly. Once I stated reading it I was hooked, as a Hispanic I felt so connected with the characters. I recommend this book to everyone, whether you are Hispanic or not this is a beautiful tale of a culture. I promise this book will pull at your heart strings.

Good read. Story of youths struggles with growing up. A tale of how those choices shape lives. How faith in God can become confusing in the business of living. Interesting characters that help Antonio along the way and help shape his life.

Mr Anaya takes on the questions regarding meaning and origens of life as well as the questions of the supernatural and weaves his understanding with the story of a young Hispanic boy and his culture. One could argue that a 7 year old is not old enough to begin to grapple with these issues and it takes some suspension of disbelief to get it to work. All in all a nice book.

The "coming of age" novel is a component of every generation, but not all are destined to be classics. This one ranks highly, comparable to Huckleberry Finn, True Grit, and To Kill a Mockingbird. A sympathetic and accurate portrait of the American Southwest and its tradition of curanderisma, yet exceptionally spiritual.

Everyone can relate to the journey of Antonio is some way or another. His experiences with Ultima help him to come to terms with the inner turmoil of having both Native American blood and the blood of the Spanish Conquistadors. This is a story about finding your own truths and trusting in your own path.

We purchased this book for my daughter's PreAP Summer Reading assignment. It was an easy read, but not a page turner. The story is written in autobiographical form as a man reflects on his life as a child during a time when old ways were slowly being replaced by new. Readers who have struggled with their religious beliefs will relate to this boys questions as he grows up. The book is sprinkled with Spanish phrases that make you feel like you are missing something if you do not know Spanish (you can use Google translator but it is inconvenient to do so throughout the book).

Great story of a journey about Antonio... It was very good to read about a young mind who is so impressionable yet with a greater understanding than most of the adults that were trying to teach him! I loved Ultima's role in his life.. She didn't lean him one way or another in his decisions when it came to which road to travel.. She helped to develop the gift that he was born with regardless of the man he decides to be. Loved it.. Their bond and lack of fear on both of their parts when facing a situation was heartfelt and wonderful. Now if you are not familiar with some Spanish at first sight you will read and not understand.. But keep reading because the context of what's being said in Spanish is reflected in the remaining text of a certain sentence, paragraph or passage.. Great read!

This book was a privileged journey to the heart of a family and a culture. The spirituality of this group of people is rich, colorful, and pulsing with a vitality that is palpable. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start it again. Beautifully written, beautifully conceived.

Anaya has the style that creats images and scenes in one's mind that makes the story line very interesting. He also creates a sense of what the southwest and the Hispanic culture is all about. I'm only half way through the book and I have a hard time putting it down. I would recommend it for any and all ages.

I bought this book because of the movie that came out. I wanted to read it before I saw it. Mr. Anaya and my father in law know each other. My father in law is from Puerta de Luna and the areas within the book are familiar to me. I am from New Mexico and the story brings back stories that were told to me growing up. Ultima is familiar to me but by another name within the village I grew up in. You will love this book it gives you an idea of the past in New Mexico and coming from small villages and towns. As a Hispanic coming from New Mexico it brought back the memories. I loved it.

This book overall is a interesting read. Only thing is that it has a lot of dialogue in Spanish so if you don't understand it, it makes it a little confusing. This boy Antonio has always been stuck between his parents' dreams. His mom wants a Priest, "A man of learning". His father wants a sort of cowboy, one who will follow him on horseback around the terrain. At a young age Antonio has a mentor named Ultima who is a curandera, a lady of the earth, what most superstitious people would call a witch. Antonio tells the story of his childhood and how he learnt to deal with the world as it, develop his own moral compass. and figure out for himself what he wants to do. Quality of the book is good as well, arrived even earlier than it said.

I had heard of curanderas prior to reading the book, but this novel gives an intimate picture of the practice and the environment of their function. The story captures the conflict of the two cultures in the mid-1940's.Although it is understandable to young readers, it is really not a children's book.

This is a boys' book, like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. But like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, it can be enjoyed by all ages. Both have central themes of the river, and of the struggle for boys to accept and internalize Christian "civilization." Both have adult helpers who are not fully integrated into that civilization (Jim and Ultima). Both draw lines between the boys' and girls' view of the world, and neither represents the women's view fully In three dimensions. Both have tantalizing brushes with death, spirits, and really bad men. Pap and Injun Joe haunt Huck like Tenorio Trimentina torments Antonio Marez. If you enjoyed Mark Twain's classic, you will enjoy this book.