Review of Victor Villaseñor’s Beyond Rain of Gold
By Trudie Barreras
A major thesis of this incredible book is that “there are no accidents”, a perspective with which I heartily concur. Therefore, I must start this review by saying that I find miraculous synchronicity in being invited to participate in the Amazon Vine review group, and that I selected this for my very first review, at this particular moment in my life.Image may be NSFW.
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I am in the same age category as the author, and have many similar connections, having been born and brought up in New Mexico. I am married to a man whose ancestors hail from Mexico, and have two daughters married to Navajo Indian men, who happen to be brothers. Of my eight grandchildren, five qualify as Indian as well. Perhaps this explains why I was immediately enthralled by this unusual story, with all its rich nuance and miraculous focus, concern for indigenous peoples, and emphasis on familia.
Before proceeding further, however, I have to say that I fear this book is not for everyone. If the reader is stuck in “head mode”, determinedly scientific and intellectual in outlook, afraid of the possibility that the Creative Potential of the Universe is really a source of total LOVE, he or she will be immediately scared off by the exuberant excitement that Villaseñor projects. Far too many of us suffer from what he refers to, graphically but inelegantly, as “constipation of the brain”.
The most accurate evaluation of this book that I can make is that I believe it is completely authentic. Victor truthfully and transparently shares his own joys, despair, miraculous experiences, failures and triumphs. His basic thesis is one with which I heartily agree – our planet must be healed; we must be profoundly thankful for this tiny but vitally important Earth we inhabit and the Creation Creating awaiting each of us who will accept and participate. He sees profoundly that women and children, not men, must lead with love and laughter from within. Men of good will who have glimpsed the vision can provide, as the male geese do when flying in formation, protection and energy-saving strength.
This book is, of course, part of what has been called, often deprecatingly, “New Age Spirituality”. From my own perspective, this is not a defect but rather an asset of the highest order. But far from being theoretical and fanciful, it is earthy, humorous, and just plain fun. It offers a completely personal account of what can happen when individuals allow joyous love, respect for their ancestors, and willingness to plug into the currents of Divine Creativity to guide them. It is hopeful and helpful – and reading it has motivated me to read Villaseñor’s other books, which I had somehow never encountered, despite my tendency towards interest in the type of spirituality he is discussing.
