On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel
by Tony Cohan

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Book Reviews of On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel

Book Review: A vicarious journey to the central highlands of Mexico
Summary: 4 Stars

Selective extracts best convey how the author ably sprinkles the text with evocative imagery of la vida y sabor mainly of San Miguel de Allende, but also of its environs, the countryside, and also Mexico City, which is just a ride several hours away. Markets, restaurants, foods, and flavors pervade the text QUOTE a squash flower soup, flor de cabeza, which arrives in a deep brick red bowl, a color as pure and soft as the soup?s flavor?.fried sugar twists called churros?.fresh fruit drinks called licaudos in fat soda glasses?a necklace of garlic hangs from a nail?.a bowl full of dried red chiles sits on a tiled counter?among a pile of green calabaza squash topped by orange flowers, a flopping red fish?s glassy eye looks balefully up at me?happy eaters gather around a sizzling grill of carnitas, ender cooked pork parts?we discover ensalada chicharron, a mixed vegetable salad garnished with low-rent fried pork rinds and a squeeze of lime to become a delicacy?.drip-sweet strawberries in plastic cups with lethal dollops of whipped cream?UNQUOTE

The book has a natural rhythm through its flow of seasonal changes QUOTE Since January the hillsides have mutated from ocher to moss green..the summer air holds new fragrances: jasmine, tuberoses, citrus?. UNQUOTE The unique historical position of San Miguel de Allende is injected in small doses in between culinary references and characters descriptions QUOTE The emperor Maximilian was slain in Querataro an hour away?It was here that the priest Hidalgo hoisted aloft a painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe and cried Death to the Spaniards! Igniting the revolution against Spain?. UNQUOTE

But what the author does most compellingly is to weave into what might otherwise be a travelogue his own personal motivations and evolution, from the time he and his wife sell their Los Angeles and move across the border into this quiet Mexican town in the central highlands which changes over fifteen years QUOTE [Describing their married existence in L.A.] Tangled in adulthood?s web, pumping out the tasks: we?ve barely had time to look up?.[describing early days in San Miguel] Each morning, exempt from whatever unconscious semiotics guided our choice of appearance in urban America, we choose a short or blouse out of pure whim, eat what and when we wish, speak whatever comes to mind?.UNQUOTE As the years pass, the author portray the changes from the few transient foreigners, old retirees, and aging bohemians in the scenery of their early years to the droves of baby boomers buying up old houses, starting businesses, to the two Internet servers that the authors finally acquire.

In short, a very pleasant read that will bring you closer to the culture, history and people of this sensuous country.

Summary of On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel

What followed was a love affair with a country and its people that has endured. On Mexican Time is a lyrical attempt to capture the Mexican magic that bewitched the two of them. Cohan introduces us to a quirky cast of Mexicans and expats, including murderers, idealists, philanderers, and writers. Spanning 15 years, the book conveys something of the curiously intangible passage of time, as we watch girls become mothers, marriages drift apart, and friends come and go. The text is rich with sensuous details, and Cohan is excellent at conveying the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of a country that he clearly adores.

On Mexican Time is much less of a glib chronicle than other books of the "charming new life in paradise" genre. Although he is not averse to the odd moment of portentousness, Cohan makes a gentle and elegant guide through the experiences of expat life in San Miguel. --Toby Green

Essays & Travelogues Books

• Subjects > Travel > Reference & Tips > Essays & Travelogues
• Reference
• Latin America > Mexico