Wild steps of heaven

It was a time of love and war, heroism and miracles - a time when men and women still danced up the wild steps of heaven, driven by magic and faith, enraptured by the joy of la vida. Against this spellbinding backdrop, the critically acclaimed author of Rain of Gold creates a powerful, moving portrait of his father's family - the Villasenors - who in their courage and love of life represent the whole passionate history of Mexico. In Wild Steps of Heaven, Victor Villasenor breathes life into his father's family, and in particular, the Villasenor women. Mothers and daughters, sisters and lovers - their faith transcends the madness that surrounds them, and their love is all-powerful, life-giving, and touched by the miraculous. Margarita is the indomitable Indian matriarch who guards her family and conquers her enemies with the cutting edge of unconditional love - and a touch of magic. As a young woman, she was swept away by Juan Jesus Villasenor, who carried the blood of Spanish royalty in his veins - and who, unarmed, once wrestled with the great serpent that held his village hostage...and won. Together, Don Juan and Dona Margarita would create a dynasty on the eve of the Mexican Revolution. Their daughters...Emilia and Luisa, who find courage in their mother's faith, and searing, explosive passion amid the turmoil of war. Their sons...Jose, who becomes a legendary horseman and a hero of the revolution. And Juan, the youngest, Victor Villasenor's father, through whose eyes this brilliant, tumultuous saga unfolds. Rejected by his own father, little Juan would learn from his mother how to live and love con gusto y amor, and from his brother, Jose, how to be a man.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction, Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.