Allison’s Book Report "Three Wives' Tales"

Happy Nevada Day, readers.  As a fourth-generation Nevadan, I often brag about how The Silver State is the best place to call home. Where else can you see a sunset that sets the entire sky on fire? Where else can you breathe in the very specific scent of Artemisia tridentada mixed with pinion pine? The answer is simple: only in Nevada. I know that I promised you a review of the new Jason Rekulak novel, The Last One at the Wedding, but that will have to wait until next week. In the spirit of our state’s birthday, I decided to share a book that is near and dear to my heart. 

During the pandemic, my favorite uncle, Dale Erquiaga, wrote a novel based on the women in our family, called Three Wives’ Tales. The book won the 2020 Basque Writing Contest sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno and Boise State University. I might be a little bit biased - Dale is not just my favorite uncle, he is one of my favorite people on earth – and the story is in part about my beloved Granny, who gave me my love of reading and writing - but I can also say with confidence that the story is a solid one. 

The book begins in 1950, with a simple wedding rehearsal toast, where the whole family cried, “To the wives. ” bringing together two Basque families, combining their immigrant stories and launching a new American tale. Three Wives’ Tales is a glimpse into the lives of Victoria, Eladia, and Annie – three formidable women who served as the backbone of their families in the American West. Victoria leaves her tiny village in Bizkaia to make a new life in America, where she struggles to overcome superstitions and the ways of The Old Country. Eladia has married a man beneath her social status and struggles to embrace her new Northern Nevada home. Young and optimistic Annie, whose marriage brings the two families together, does her best to fulfill the American dream that her parents left their homes to pursue. Part memoir, part historical fiction, Three Wives’ Tales is a love letter to the women who gave up so much to make the American dream a reality.

As I said above I might be a little bit biased, but I really do think that Three Wives’ Tales is a perfect way to celebrate Nevada Day. The book is available to order from Amazon, and our library has a couple of copies available as well, so go ahead and grab this great local read.  Then, pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader and tell me what you thought – and if you happen to see my favorite uncle around town, don’t forget to tell him how much you loved his book, too.