#LSBBT Before the Alamo by Florence Byham Weinberg

 

BEFORE THE ALAMO:

A Tejana's Story

by

FLORENCE BYHAM WEINBERG

Genre: Historical Fiction / Texas History 

Publisher: Maywood House

Date of Publication: September 17, 2021

Number of Pages: 296 pages

 

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Emilia Altamirano, half Otomí Indian, half pure Spanish, is born in 1814, the year after the Battle of the Medina River, where her father fought as an officer in the Mexican Royalist Army. She grows up in Bexar de San Antonio unacknowledged by her father, raised by her Otomí Indian mother, and “adopted” as an unofficial ward by José Antonio Navarro, hero of the Texas fight for independence from Mexico. She learns to read, write, and acts as a page for the Ayuntamiento (City Council). She learns nursing during a cholera epidemic and later tends the wounded on both sides during and after the Battle of the Alamo. She survives, but as a Tejana, Spanish-speaking, and a loyal citizen of Mexico, she faces an uncertain future. 

PRAISE FOR BEFORE THE ALAMO:

“Yesterday, I finished Before the Alamo, figuratively gasping for breath…Thank you for a joyful experience, so helpful in this time of disillusion and anxiety.” – reader Marti Nodine

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Florence Byham Weinberg, born in Alamogordo, New Mexico, lived on a ranch as well as a farm and travelled with her military family during World War Two. After earning a Ph.D., she taught for 36 years in three universities. She published four scholarly books. Since retiring, she has written four books in the Pfefferkorn historical mystery series, three additional historical novels and one philosophical fantasy/thriller. She lives in San Antonio, loves cats, dogs, horses, and conversations with great-souled friends.

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Reviewer’s Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Plot in Brief: Before the Alamo is the story of Emilia, a girl of mixed race, caught between world in the Colonial Mexican caste system. As she grows up, the world around her changes. Anglos are settling in large numbers in Texas, changing everything. Emilia and her love, fight to survive the revolutionary times.

The Characters: I enjoyed Emilia, a smart, kind, curious girl. She makes a claim on your sympathies almost from birth. Well-drawn, she’s a character to cheer for. The story is full of real characters, especially the Tejano's who lived in San Antonio de Bexar who flesh out Emilia's life. I especially appreciated the mother-daughter/father-daughter relationships she had with her parents, one Indian - one of Spanish descent and how their caste affected their lives. 

The History: I really enjoyed the historical setting for the book; San Antonio, Texas in the years before the Texas Revolution through the battle of the Alamo. It is interesting to read the history of the time from a Tejano perspective and learn more about Texas/Mexican history. It bring home the truth that Texas was not an empty land when it was first settled by Mexicans and then the newcomers, the Texians. It is obvious that the author did her research!

The Writing: Well written and edited the book has a nice steady pace.

Overall: I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, Texas and Mexican history.

 

My Rating: I give this book 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

Grand Prize winner gets a signed copy of Before the Alamo and Apache Lance, Franciscan Cross;

2nd & 3rd winners get a signed copy of Before the Alamo.

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 12/20/21)

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