Customer Reviews

Fables & Other Mayan Tales of Atitlan (English and Spanish Edition)

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Many years ago, I spent a summer on Lake Atitlan in Panajachel. I was a student of Latin American History and had a special fascination with the syncretic affect of Spanish culture upon the indigenous people of Central America. I was always so enchanted by how the folklore and the "magical realism" of their everyday life felt so near one another.

Mr Morgan Szybist's book is a reminder to me of those days spent on the lake. His succint collection of tales make for a great companion reader to anyone who is interested in Atitlan. Whether one wishes for some greater context on the mentality of the local lake inhabitants or who once spent time there and wishes to revisit the charms of this ancient place, <Fables & Other Mayan Tales of Atitlan> is a delightful read sure to please and educate...and very child-friendly might I add!

In my Spanish classes for fifth graders, I integrate relevant social studies curriculum, including the history of the Maya in Central America and the Yucatan portion of Mexico. Having visited Lake Atitlan two summers ago as part of a month-long journey in Guatemala, I was pleased to discover this collection of fables and other Mayan tales from this mystically beautiful place. As I started reading the stories, I became excited thinking about how the oral history represented here could enhance my classes--I know that kids love stories, and remember them far longer than simple factual information.

When I first ordered and received the book, however, I was curious about the subtitle "As Told to a Polish Gypsy." How did that fit into the Guatemalan landscape? In the book's prologue, I learned that the "Polish gypsy" was someone named Jan Marcinkowski, a free-spirited young man who manages to escape Communist Poland in the 70's and follows his fascination with Mayan culture to the Lake Atitlan region. As I read the italicized notes which introduce and follow the stories, I imagined myself in Jan's hiking shoes: exploring the pueblos around the lake, talking to the villagers, and recording their fantastic stories. An epilogue at the end of this bilingual book explains more about this Polish gypsy and how the stories he collected became this fine collection of Fables & Other Mayan Tales of Atitlan.