Description
In the early 1900s, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is sparsely populated, with the exception of the area known as Old Town, famously claimed by Spanish settlers some two centuries earlier. Its people are primarily Catholic, mostly Spanish-speaking, inordinately proud of their long-dead European forebears, and largely ignorant of the modern world outside their village.
Nevertheless, change is inevitable, and as Rosalea Duran grows up, she is met with conflicting messages: Follow the accepted path to marriage and motherhood or be independent and bound to no one. She resolves to be unwed, gainfully employed, and yet virtuous enough to remain acceptable to her community. Rosalea achieves her goals, but ultimately, finds she’s not immune to love.
As her three daughters enter womanhood in the 1950s, they must grapple with the same quandary. How can they satisfy their desires and ambitions in an ancient culture that rewards tradition, even as the larger world beckons?
