Our Yucatan: Tales and Poems, Mostly True, But Laced With Artistic License

A mix of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and memoir, this book will inspire anyone who has ever dreamed of picking up and moving out of their native country for a new adventure.

The authors' voices are wide-ranging, but have in common the fact that they are struck by the relaxed and gentle quality of their new lives in Yucatán. Many have been south of the border for years, but still appear to be looking around in awe at the community in which they now find themselves.

This is the Merida Writers' Group's first anthology, reflecting on their lives after moving from the U.S. or Canada to Yucatan, Mexico.

The Merida Writers' Group has put in words their reflections on life in this very special city, a place of beauty, wonder, and even magic.

"Our Yucatan is a delight! From baseball to hurricane, the Writers Group has put together a collection of insightful anecdotes and delightful fiction, giving an inside view into life in the Yucatan. Read Our Yucatan and chuckle, smile, shed a tear, and learn a little. The Writers' Group is in the vanguard of Merida's burgeoning community of writers."
-Grant Spradling, author of Maya Sacrifice

"An engaging blend of Yucatan tales! At times melancholy, at times comical, they are certainly at all times stories told straight from the heart."
-Jeanine Kitchel, author of Maya 2012 Revealed,
Demystifying the Prophecy, and Where the Sky is Born: Living in the Land of the Maya.

Chapters:

Midlife Meatloaf: A midlife crisis leads to a treasure hunt behind the Merida English Library, by Lorraine Baillie Bowie

Imprecision,

and three other works of poetry reflecting everyday life in Merida, by Marianne Kehoe

The Maya Queen, falling in love with Yucatan while visiting a charming fishing village called Cancun, by Gwen Lane

Cha'ac Rules!, a true account of HRM Queen Elizabeth II vs. the rain gods at Uxmal, by Maryetta Ackenbom

Hammocks and Guayaberas, short memoir on discovering Centro, triplets in tow, by Gwen Lane

Waiting for Gas: Nothing is simple when you're expecting a delivery in the Gringo Gulch, by Robert E. Jack

Four-by-Four:

One mother's heroism facing the wrath of Hurricane Gilbert, by Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado

The Outside Inside Merida: A tribute to marvels, partly natural and partly manmade, not far from Centro, by Cherie Pittillo

A Baseball Story:

A hilarious first-person account from the bleachers of Kulkulkan Stadium, by Lorna-Gail Dallin

My Salvador: Anything is possible when you take an interest in the people you employ, by Maryetta Ackenbom

Sometimes You Have to Cry a Little:

If you want to survive around here, you need mad haggling skills, by Theresa Díaz Gray

Women of a Certain Age: Mary and Suzanne hail a cab and get more than they bargain for, by Patricia Mathisen