Walking Stars: Stories of Magic and Power [Paperback]

Victor Villasenor (Author)

Book Description

These are the stories of Victor Villaseñor's childhood. Magical, yet true, they are fables of endurance, defeat and triumph, spirituality, and, always, of love. Handed down through the generations, the Villase-or's have been telling these family tales for years. Now, Victor shares them with his unmistakable storyteller style, complete with beautiful imagery and timeless significance.

Set against the backdrop of the Mexican revolution and his family's migration to the United States, these stories feature a cast of unforgettable characters who have in common their perseverance and courage. They encounter the supernatural, escape persecution by rebel soldiers, endure hunger, thirst and physical stress, and ultimately, transcend their circumstances to achieve their dreams. They are indeed walking stars.

Victor Villaseñor works his magic once again with these extraordinary stories.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Legend and fact coexist happily in this spiritually rich collection of stories, which pungently combines elements from Native American folktales, Bible stories, Mexican political history and the experiences of the author and his Mexican family. On the one hand, Villase?or (Rain of Gold) finds literal as well as metaphorical truth in a Mexican octogenarian's statement that "we all are walking stars.... And we all come from the heavens!" On the other, he describes his father's boyhood confrontation with "La Bruja," the town witch, a lesson about the hazards of assuming magical powers that do not exist. Still other entries here include a disconcertingly convincing story of a difficult birth; a rousing tale of a boy's desperate race against the train carrying his family away from their Mexican village to the United States; a mystical account of a dog's loyalty to a dying master. The power of this collection is somewhat diluted by the author's notes that follow each story; these recapitulate the themes of the fiction in overeager and artless tones. Such intrusions aside, this literary collage is both original and moving. Ages 11-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-12-Villase?or has ably employed figurative language and lively dialogue in these magical stories told to him by relatives or based on his experiences in Mexico and southern California. These eventful tales cover subjects such as the courageous inspiration of heroism, the pain of childbirth, and what happens to the soul after death; underlying all of them is the author's joy in all that life has to offer and respect for his family and the Indian/Spanish heritage that forms the core of their lives. At the end of each story, he offers a brief explanation of the circumstances surrounding it and its influence on him. Some of the scenes in these selections are not only filled with exciting action, but are also graphic, as in the one about a young mother's difficult childbirth. This book is especially appropriate for Hispanic readers, who will learn about the mysticism that is engrained in their culture, but all YAs will celebrate the protagonists' courage, spirit, and sense of humor.
Phyllis Graves, Creekwood Middle School, Kingwood, TX
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Delta (May 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385316542
• ISBN-13: 978-0385316545
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Victor Villasenor is the author of the nonfiction books Rain of Gold and Jury: The People vs. Juan Corona, and the novel, Macho! He has written several screenplays, including the award-winning The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. Villasenor continues to live on the North County San Diego ranch where he grew up.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An elegantly written Oral Mexican History., October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Walking Stars: Stories of Magic and Power (Hardcover)

Victor E. Villasenor cleverly leads the reader into Mexican and Mexican American history through his own journy and the journy of his family. As a first generation Mexican, Victor Villasenor struggles to find meaning in a world that has been all but welcoming. In his search for meaning he begins with stories/Oral history handed down to him by his mother, that at times seemed surreal. In his quest, he finds himself back in Mexico were many of his family stories originated. It is through this passage he find the magic of perseverance and the ture meaning of healing and pride. Walking Stars is the light inside all of our hearts.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's like a fairy tale, July 10, 2002

By 

Cristina Garcia (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walking Stars: Stories of Magic and Power (Paperback)

Victor Villasenor knows how to get into people's hearts. I'm mexican, and this book just got to me, it describes how our people think.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Great!, January 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Walking Stars: Stories of Magic and Power (Paperback)

This book was truly a great book to read, especially if you have not read Rain of Gold (The last two parts of Walking Stars are exerpts from Rain of Gold). The stories were well combined and the author's notes were what I thought was very intersting.