A village boy seeks help in unexpected places—and finds courage in his heart

Milagro of the Spanish Bean Pot (cloth, litho case)

Emerita Romero-Anderson, with illustrations by Randall Pijoan

In the 1790s, in a tiny Spanish Colonial village in the Kingdom of New Mexico, pottery is as crucial to starving villagers as the rains that might save their scorched bean fields. But Native potters are sending their wares south to markets in Chihuahua. When his widowed mother’s only bean pot cracks, eleven-year-old Raymundo knows his family's last hope lies with Clay Woman, a Genízaro outcast and quite possibly a powerful witch.

In addition to drought and famine, Raymundo faces the return of Comanche raiders and his mother’s failing health as he risks all to learn Clay Woman’s secrets. Even as he prays for a miracle, he knows he must summon the wherewithal to save his family—and his people.

Sensitively blends heart, history, and heritage in a story that glows with the patina of ancient legend and universal truth. —Mary Peace Finley, author of the Santa Fe Trail Trilogy

Emerita Romero-Anderson is a sixth-generation Hispana born and raised in San Luis, Colorado, and is a descendant of the town's earliest settlers in 1851. Retired from teaching, she is the author of two previous books for children, Grandpa’s Tarima and José Dario Gallegos: Merchant of the Santa Fe Trail. She lives in San Luis, where she writes and is active in community and civic work.
www.emeritaromeroanderson.com

Artist and illustrator Randall Pijoan is a resident of Amalia in northern New Mexico.
www.randypijoan.com

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