University of Nevada Press, 2024 eISBN: 978-1-64779-133-9 | Cloth: 978-1-64779-132-2
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In the town of Urepel, Arizona, Xabier Etxea, a young Basque-American sheep rancher, and his wife grapple with the rituals, mores, and spirituality of their heritage and the realities of living in the new American West. Their tenuous balance of the past and the present is disrupted when Xabier’s father is unexpectedly killed.
In the wake of this tragedy, Xabier learns that not only is the family ranch in jeopardy of foreclosure but his father’s death may not have been the accident it first appeared to be. Now, he must find a way to save his family’s ranch while unraveling the mysteries leading to his father’s death. Along the way, Xabier strives to adhere to his father’s memory and words—the invitation to stay true to who he is without losing his arima (soul).
In lyrical language that evokes the mythologies that have shaped the Etxeas’s worldview, White Dove, Tell Me speaks to the divided self that seeks to honor the family’s Basque heritage, while they strive for understanding in a new land.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Martin Etchart received his BA and MFA in creative writing from Arizona State University before going on to earn his PhD. His novels include The Good Oak and The Last Shepherd, which won an Independent Publisher Gold Medal in the Multicultural Fiction Adult category. He is currently an English professor at Phoenix College where he teaches creative writing and literature.
REVIEWS
“This engaging novel is not only an insightful approach to the Basque legacy in the New West, but also a moving story about place and identity, with a touch of magic realism, Basque mythology, and lyricism. This compelling tale reveals both the power of the past and the need of risk-taking while facing the future. It is an inspiring story about strong family and community ties that coexist with a vindication of individual dreams.”
—David Rio, author of Robert Laxalt: The Voice of the Basques in American Literature and New Literary Portraits of the American West
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Blank Page
Cover Page
The Basque Series
Copyright Page
Urepel, Arizona, population 657, established 1927
› › › killing a pig
Spy Wednesday
› › › planning a funeral
› › › finding a dove
› › › making a prayer
› › › drinking a beer
› › › talking to Aitatxi
› › › searching the night
Holy Thursday
› › › counting the flock
› › › learning a truth
› › › getting a text
› › › starting a fight
› › › sending a text
Good Friday
› › › making a list
› › › breaking a heart
› › › having Basque hands
› › › opening a door
› › › telling a story
› › › making a plan
› › › building a fire
› › › running in place
› › › learning to dance
› › › singing a song
› › › saving the world
› › › starting a journey
Saturday—The Paschal Vigil
› › › finding a heart
› › › turning a page
› › › reading the past
› › › texting a friend
› › › running the water
› › › driving the car
› › › praying for light
› › › walking the fence
› › › speaking the truth
› › › searching the ashes
› › › when forever ends
Easter Sunday
› › › learning to talk
› › › going to mass
› › › changing the past
› › › living the present
Glossary of English to Basque Terms
About the Author
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