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REVIEWS FROM AMAZON READERS:
“This book is for any one with Hispanic roots that needs to get back in touch with their Latino upbringing. Sometimes we see the negative side of Hispanics on the news or just out side our door. This book reminds us that we have something to be proud of regardless if we are Mexican, Puerto Rican or any other Hispanic race. I always give it as a gift to remind young people where they came from.”
“This book is a gem. It is structured so each chapter has a theme like responsabilidad, respecto, justicia. Famous latinos share a story and then the author links a set of appropriate dichos - commonly known in the english language as proverbs. This book is helpful for those of use who grew up hearing dichos from our abuelitos, but not understanding the historical context.”
“You don't have to be Hispanic to love this book. On these pages you will find insight and inspiration for everyone. It gives an Anglo like me an indepth view of a community filled with wisdom and bursting with great stories. I highly recommend it.”
IT’S ALL IN THE FRIJOLES:
100 Famous Latinos Share Real-life Stories, Time-tested dichos, Favorite Folktales, and Inspiring Words of Wisdom (Fireside/Simon & Schuster)
International Latino Book Award:
Best Self-Help Book
Do you wish you could remember all the words to the childhood songs your grandmother taught you, so you could sing them to your children? Have you ever found yourself repeating the dichos –– the proverbs –– your parents used to lecture you with? If you are looking for a way to get back in touch with your culture, It's All in the Frijoles is the perfect start. A treasure trove of cherished folktales, lullabies, poems, and dichos, this rich collection of Latino wisdom includes inspiring recollections and anecdotes by well-known and beloved figures, both past and present -- from actor Edward James Olmos and author Isabel Allende, to Nobel laureate Octavio Paz and Saint Teresa de Avila. It's All in the Frijoles is certain to evoke with fondness many a childhood memory of essential teachings learned from parents and grandparents.
It's All in the Frijoles captures and perpetuates the essence of Latino tradition and is destined to become a family treasure that is passed down from generation to generation. This legacy of wisdom provides food for thought not only for Latinos but also for people of all backgrounds.
LIBRARY JOURNAL:
Nava didn't understand why her terminally ill mother said that frijoles ("beans") were the source of her strength until after her death. "[T]he virtuous life," Nava writes, "is the product of constantly weeding out flaws and weaknesses, just like preparing a good pot of beans." This excellent anthology gathers more than 100 stories, proverbs, poems, speech excerpts, remembrances, and folktales organized under 14 themes of loyalty, honesty, faith, courage, charity, and more. Nava, an Emmy Award-winning TV journalist living in California, believes that las virtudes ("the virtues") convey the essential collective wisdom taught to Hispanic children through the ages. The tone is upbeat and positive throughout, never demanding or moralistic. Short biographies of all 93 contributors (who go back as far as Teresa de Avila and up to present-day politicians, poets, and writers) appear at the end. Far meatier than most chicken soups, this is an excellent choice for family reading that transcends all cultures. In fact, the dichos ("proverbs") would make a delightful book by themselves. Highly recommended for all public libraries.
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:
Emmy® award-winning journalist Nava has produced a collection of poems, old sayings, personal stories, folktales and short quotations drawn from an eclectic array of sources that is guaranteed to be a constant resource for parents who wish to instruct their children in traditional virtues. ("Blood is inherited," Nava's mother told her, "but virtue is acquired.") Divided into chapters with titles such as Responsibility, Respect, Hard Work, Faith, Courage, Justice and Chastity, each section features a host of historical figures, contemporary writers, directors, producers, political figures, artists, actors and entrepreneurs--a veritable who's who of international Latinos that demonstrates the immense influence of this group on American culture. Laced through it all is Nava's commentary on her own life, which, coming as it does from a highly successful journalist and businesswoman.