Wednesday, January 18, 2023

A Memoir of Place and People: The Hearthstone of My Heart

by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

Elizabeth Borton de Trevino is such a delight. This book is like sitting down to tea with her and listening as she shares memories of her family and her incredible life. Her thoughts on the deepest aspects of what it is to be human rise up naturally from her stories.

Borton de Trevino is the author of children's books like Nacar: The White Deer and I, Juan de Pareja. She actually wrote many books, but most of them are now sadly out of print. 

In this book, she commented on children's literature in a way that reminded me of Charlotte Mason's ideals. 

Shouldn't the imagination of what could be a beautiful world, be kept, in their stories, in their entertainment? If not, how will they envision it? Man has always dreamed of improvements before he was able to effect them. (p. 195)

A little later, she writes:

I do feel, strongly, that some of the special gifts of childhood must somehow be preserved, and chief among those is the vaulting imagination, and the child's capacity for love and empathy. (p. 195) 

This author led a remarkable life, interviewing and befriending (or befriended by) many of the greatest artists and musicians of her life in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Mexico. She writes often with generosity and warmth of her relationships with them.

Her Epilogue provides a good reflection on the book as a whole.

I think, as I look back over what I have told in this volume, that the important thing I want to emphasize is that there is still much goodness, generosity, and kindness  all around us, that friendship is still the greatest treasure God has offered us for the taking, during our lives, and that, as they say in Spanish, "Amor con amor se paga." Love is repaid by love. (p. 223) 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I also recommend My Heart Lies South

I have received nothing in exchange for this review. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased this book.