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Either as a way of compensating a complicated premature debut on this planet (weighing 4 lbs.), or because my guardian angel turned out to be influential, my childhood was happy and privileged. I was born in the northeastern Mexican city of Monterrey.
I majored from ITESM in 1984: English literature with a minor in Comparative Linguistics, Translation and Pedagogy. I studied my master degree in Education at Trinity College (Vermont) in 1999.
I met Plutarco Adame in 1977. He was exactly everything that I wasn't; we fell irremediably in love. We have been blessed with four kids and four grandkids.
Having been blessed with a child with ADHD, I wrote the book The Child with ADHD: A Guide for Parents (in Spanish, El Niño con Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad, Guía para Padres), published by Trillas Editing House in 2001 (ISBN-10: 9682465842).
I have been a speaker at national and international conferences (CHADD) on ADHD in Washington, DC, Chicago (ILL), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Managua (Nicaragua) and in Mexico City.
We came to Giddings, Texas, in 2005, where I have been a bilingual teacher. I love cooking and scrapbooking; spending time with my family and pets and reading. My all-time favorite: read and write (in both English and Spanish). My favorite authors: in Spanish: Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Juan Rulfo; in English: Lewis Carroll, James Joyce and Vladmimir Nabokov.
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
We first meet Tabatha in "Zyanya", a contemporary fantasy by Greta Benavides Adame. Tabatha is travelling with her mother and step-father to their new home in the jungle, and she is not at all happy about leaving her home and friends back in Texas. Zyanya is a coffee plantation where the beans are shade-grown, along with a dazzling profusion of orchids and fruit. This self-sustaining jungle paradise was the dream, and creation, of Severo Alba, whose son left years ago taking away his wife and Antonio, their son, after Antonio suffered a mysterious accident. One of the first persons Tabatha meets is Yaxkin, who is drawn to her against his will. Yaxkin has been working at Zyanya since he was seven and seems duty-bound to harm her -- something he is resisting with all his might.
Adame creates a splendid backdrop for her story in "Zyanya". The descriptions of the orchids, the waterfalls and the jungle are fabulous and lend an exotic air to this fantasy-thriller. "Zyanya" is a page-turner. There are several plots going on which kept this reader's attention throughout the work. Tabatha, Jairo and Yaxkin are compelling characters and "Zyanya" is rather unique in that it is a coming-of-age story of these three young adults, whose lives are somehow entwined. The mythological aspects of the plot are intriguing, and as Tabatha experiences her new surroundings, the reader is likewise enriched by the experience. There is a lot to like about this book -- fantasy, action & adventure, mythology and a hint of the paranormal. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it.
