With American Tumbleweeds, Marta Elva pulls us into the minds of
a half-dozen members of a border family in crisis, dramatizing the
state of living ni aqui, ni alla-neither here nor there geographically
and emotionally. A moving first novel.
- John Sayles, film director, author, and MacArthur fellow
The aptly named American Tumbleweeds depicts the balancing act
some bi-cultural families must undertake to live in America. The
characters indeed "tumble" back and forth over our southernmost
border, forced to live in two worlds at once. This is an experience all
Americans should know about.
- Sonia Manzano, author of Becoming Maria:
Love and Chaos in the South Bronx
Marta Elva's debut novel, American Tumbleweeds, provides an
engaging look at the human cost of the turbulent 1960s along the
Mexican-American border. Deftly conveyed through the eyes of an
innocent and vulnerable fourteen-year-old girl and her family, this
well-written saga could just as easily reflect contemporary times. It is
insightful, timely, and rich with meaning.
- Pam Webber, author of The Wiregrass
Marta Elva has written a coming-of-age novel that perfectly captures
the feel, fear, fun, and uncertainty of the late 1960s. I was hooked
on this delightful story from the very first page. And the characters
stayed with me long after the final word.
- Melanie Payne, The News-Press, Fort Myers, Florida
American Tumbleweeds is an engrossing, enlightening portrayal
of life along the Mexican-American border in the late 1960s. Marta
Elva's sensitive insights draw a straight line to family and societal
issues in today's headlines.
- Annamaria Alfieri, author of Strange Gods
American Tumbleweeds is both a moving coming-of-age story
and a compelling tale of border intrigue that goes back in time to
give a human face to some of the most divisive and hotly debated
issues facing contemporary America. Marta Elva shows an uncanny
knack for dialogue and plot as in each chapter she moves back and
forth among her characters, unrolling the narrative through each
individual's unique point of view.
- Michael Winship, senior writer, Moyers &
Company, PBS
American Tumbleweeds is a story right out of today's headlines,
lovingly written by Marta Elva with characters and scenes that reach
straight into your heart.
- Robert N. Macomber,
award-winning author of the Honor Series
Marta Elva tells a story so concise and compelling, I felt I'd
exchanged identities with each of her characters. Once I started
this book, I couldn't stop. Set in the 1960s, complete with historical
detail to validate its authenticity, it also emerges as a timely tale,
reflecting what happens when lives are touched by the effects of
immigration. Its final pages brought me to tears.
- Mary Ann Donahue, TV producer and writer
The setting and time-frame of American Tumbleweeds would be
enough to make this a fascinating book. But Marta Elva brings every
character to vibrant life by allowing them to speak in their own
voices, making this story of family, change, love, and survival even
more compelling. An intensely moving, memorable debut novel.
- Suzie Gilbert, author of Flyaway
