Simpaticas: San Miguel Stories (Small Press Distribution (All Titles))

In this collection of short stories, Treviño Hart introduces us to the people of San Miguel de Allende. Nestled in the eastern part of Guanajuato in Mexico's mountainous bajío region, the town has a mild climate and an accommodating culture that attract wealthy Americans and Canadians seeking relaxation and escape. We meet a variety of well-to-do Anglo characters: some haunted by ghosts and others by their own pasts; some find renewed meaning and purpose, and still others explore their sexuality. Witnessing it all are the maids of San Miguel, the women charged with making their employers' lives carefree and luxurious in a unique and somewhat insular setting. But these women are not the stereotypical demure, silent types. Rather, they are independent and strong minded, content in their self-reliance and with their relationships with their comadres. As the two cultures interact and contrast, the women work magic to heal or redeem their employers, although sometimes the sorcery of others trumps their own. Simpaticas: San Miguel Stories movingly describes two extreme socioeconomic conditions and reveals the universal journey we all ultimately share.