We Fed Them Cactus

By Fabiola Cabeza De Baca

Prior to statehood, the Llano Estacado, the great plains of northeastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, were colonized by Hispanic ranchers. Cabeza de Baca's beloved memoir of the era has been reissued as part of the Pas? Por Aqu? Series on Nuevomexicano Literature.

A member of an old Hispanic family, Cabeza de Baca celebrates her Spanish heritage rather than the Mestizo culture embraced by later writers. She portrays the erosion of Hispanic folkways under American influence, but by recording a combination of oral narrative, autobiography, family history, recipes, and poetry, she has helped to preserve these unique expressions of Hispanic culture.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826315038
• ISBN13: 9780826315038
• Release Date: April 1994
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

19th Century New Mexico History At It's Finest

This is one of the better books I have read on Northern New Mexico history and culture....This book is FULL of phrases and definitions...Most of the stories are either first hand or oral history passed down to Fabiola..If you want to get a feel of life in New Mexico back in the day..This is a GREAT book....It aslo has a good chapter on Vincent Silva and his criminal ring..Very interesting....I'm going to get Fabiola's book on New Mexico cooking next!!.......Green Chile......mmmmmmmm

tasty pioneer stories!

I adore this slice of life on the eastern New Mexico plains, the Llano Estacado. Cabeza de Baca is an amazing lady, and her childhood remembrances are well worth reading for history buffs, who've probably already enjoyed it, as well as for people who just like to know how people lived on ranches in this era.