Where the Sky is Born: Living in the Land of the Maya (Paperback)

by Jeanine Lee Kitchel (Author) "Highway 307 on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula stretched like an asphalt ribbon before us..." (more)
Key Phrases: Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Joe Marino (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Her Mexican adventures will make you turn page after page,and in the end, you'll want to read more." -- Kathy Loretta, Miami Herald/Cancun Edition, October, 2003

"This book leads the reader on an incredible journey to the Yucatan ... will delight anyone who knows and loves Mexico." -- Ron Mader, Planeta.com, October, 2003

Product Description
Imagine running away to the Mexican Caribbean and never coming back. That dream became reality for author Jeanine Lee Kitchel and her husband who traveled to the Yucatan in 1985 and a decade later left their city jobs to pursue a relaxed lifestyle in Puerto Morelos, a small fishing village south of Cancun. Chance links them with a contractor who offers them an unbelievable land deal. They accept his offer, and this is where the true story begins including the Mexican government's seizure of the land by eminent domain, the contractor's financial crisis, and a class five hurricane. After sidestepping disaster on several fronts, they build their home, settle into Mexico, and then travel deep into the heart of the Yucatan to explore the Mayan ruins.

This travel memoir leads the reader on an adventure that is not only fun to read, but just the ticket for anyone who has ever dreamed of retiring in Mexico.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Enchanted Island Press (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974483907
• ISBN-13: 978-0974483900
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #845,640 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This is about building a house, not the Mayans, February 27, 2007

By	SaraLiz - See all my reviews

I was assigned this book for a class on Mayan Culture and Civilization, so that certainly impacted the lens through which I read this book. I was expecting a book on the Mayans, and that's not at all what this is. It's really a book about buying property and building a house in Mexico - if that's what you're looking for, great. If you want to learn about the Mayans, don't waste your time with this one.
I still only gave this two stars because I felt the writing could have been a lot better.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Midnight in the Garden . . ." South of the Border, February 10, 2004

By A Customer

From the jungles of the Yucatan to the jungles of border patrols and immigration authorities, from pristine beaches to ancient ruins, Jeanine Lee Kitchel's story is a spellbinding, chilling, and humorous adventure of her impassioned effort to realize her dream of "Living in the Land of the Maya."
Beginning with a serendipitous meeting with a man toting a yellow umbrella, Jeanine follows her intrigue to the ends of civilization as we know it, and back. Refusing to be exiled to the land of the "gringos," she links the otherly world of the Mayas with today's Mexican societal peccadilloes and reconciles the differences such that she (as well as we) better understand the fusion.
This book will make you feel as if you've watched a movie where the characters are either so despicable or likeable that you're sure that you've met them somewhere in your life, where the scenes are so enticingly vivid that you can't choose which you'd like to visit in real life. This is a story of hope, perseverance, survival, and love-love for the Mayan people, their rich history, and the place in which they live: "Where the Sky is Born."
No less than a south of the border "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," "Where the Sky is Born" effervesces comedic characters, ancient ruins, history, culture, mystical beliefs, as well as promise for an end to the frustrations Jeanine experiences along the way. You will not be disappointed! This is a beautiful story.
Donna Lee Gorrell, author, "Perfect Madness"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight on dreams and how to realize them., January 21, 2004

By	Tony Perez - Know & Enjoy Mexico - knowmexico.com (Marin County, California) - See all my reviews

For a first time published writer, Jeanine Kitchel does a wonderful job of narrating the trials and tribulations she and her husband experienced in realizing their dream ... building and owning a home in Mexico's Riviera Maya. Her book is factual, delightful, easy to read and hard to put down. Reading it anywhere is fun. Reading it in the Riviera Maya lying in a hammock under a "palapa" with a "cold one" on a tray next to you would be sheer delight.