People of the Valley

by Frank Waters

One of Frank Waters’s most popular novels, People of the Valley takes place high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where an isolated Spanish-speaking people confront a threatening world of change.

Genres: Fiction, Westerns, Native American

201 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Frank Waters was an American novelist, essayist, and cultural historian best known for his profound explorations of the American Southwest and Native American spirituality. Deeply influenced by his Cheyenne heritage and early experiences on the Navajo Reservation, Waters wove themes of indigenous identity, mysticism, and the clash between tradition and modernity into much of his work. His celebrated novel The Man Who Killed the Deer (1942) is considered a cornerstone of Southwestern literature, offering a powerful portrayal of a Pueblo man’s internal struggle with cultural dislocation. Over the decades, Waters produced an impressive body of work, including both fiction and non-fiction, such as Book of the Hopi, Mexico Mystique, and The Colorado, which blended mythology, history, and esoteric thought. A strong advocate for the arts, he held various editorial and academic positions and was honored with several awards. His legacy lives on through the Frank Waters Foundation, which supports writers and artists in the spirit of his creative vision.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned about Frank Waters while I was visiting New Mexico. I stayed at the Frank Waters room at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, and I was curious to find out more about this New Mexican author. I visited the Taos Book Gallery and found this fiction book along with a nonfiction book by Waters. I read both this book and his other book during my travels in New Mexico, registered both of them at BookCrossing, and released them.

People of the Valley is a wise story of a woman, Dona Maria of the Valley. She grew up as a part of the natural world and gradually came to know the wider world. As she learned about both worlds, her people came to see her as a leader, and sought her advice.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t remember what caused me to buy the book without knowing anything about it. What a fantastic read: the story engaging, the writing was artistic and beautiful, the landscape mystic.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally like Frank Waters ... why did this book fall short? Supposedly it's one of his best works, but I did not care for the plot, the lengthy descriptions, or any of the characters. The plot line, while realistic, is depressing.

ex of poetic description on p 35
Ojala! What a beautiful, wondrous sound! It was at once rippling over rocks, a child's laugh, the tinkle of frosty stars. It was the blood of springtime beating an arpeggio at temples and fingertips.

Yes, some descriptions gave me pause, but overall, they are too numerous. ex p 49
Maria lacked the imagination which makes saints of fools, martyrs of fanatics, and lends grace and strength to the most humble of men.

This is the author speaking, when it should be Maria's thoughts. ex p 127
When the Murphys desire my land, it is false. For they would not belong to it; they would only that it belonged to them. By this they refute their own mother, and would enslave another's for a ransom of gold. So I suspect them.

Here's a sentence is a brief summary. p 128
Instantly, intuitively, Maria distrusted the dam.

This paragraph, from the back cover, is a more complete summary.

"The story is of many people, vivid in their special characters. But the dominant person is Maria del Valle, the herbwoman. We see her as a young girl, free in her love; then in middle-age, shrewd, irascible, intuitive; and then as an old woman, independent of both state and church, and the leader of her whole community."
(minimal reference to 'herbs')

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Northern New Mexico near Santa Fe/Las Vegas/Mora. Published in 1941. Beautiful setting and story of the people of that time and strong woman who leads them and helps them make decisions, Dona Maria; a character I'll never forget.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. It's story is truly New Mexico, complex, varied, multi-generational, and unforgettable.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in college, but I don't think I was wise enough to understand it's meaning. To me this book is so meaningful in this time of political unrest. The message to the reader is that we should be careful to truly understand what promises are being made and what sacrifices might be asked of us. Nothing is as simple as it seems and there are always consequences to decisions we make and many times those consequences will be very painful and lead us away from what our hopes were in the first place.

[Nancy Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did I miss this author?

I picked this up in the library, and what a great book. I am so impressed that I did some exploration of the author, only to discover that he has passed, but has written a wealth of great things.

HOW DID I MISS THIS?

My high school spanish is coming in handy......

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did I ever miss this lyrical book for so long in my life? Anyway, I am glad I finally read this one. It is a poetic read that captures the interplay of two peoples, two ways of being, encountering one another. The descriptions of the land are thoughtful and vivid. It is a book I will treasure, long remember, and it will rank as one of my favorites.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever lived in Mora Valley New Mexico this is a book that you can identify with. I read this just because there isn't much written about Mora and just because I really liked living there.