SAM, THE FREEWAY ISN´T A
CATTLE TRAIL ANYMORE
Synopsis
Like any legacy writing, Sam, the freeway isn´t a Catlle Trail Anymore, by Sam C. Joy, contains pages that talk about the life of the author, but mostly we are introduced to a world of ancient landscapes and a very particular rural and agricultural lifestyle in the Arizona of the 1900´s.
Born in the Salt River Valley, these stories are a collection of family memories that give a peculiar flavor to the work and history of the region. By immersing ourselves in the entertaining anecdotes, we shall find chapters that, without realizing it, will describe hundreds of interesting situations, customs and practices of the time: places, ancestors, hunting stories, food, games, rituals, animals, music, festivals, arrangements and cultural co-existence among diverse communities.
As expressed by the title of the book, the text is valuable because it reveals transformative experiences, whether in institutions or small actions in everyday life, often accented by the author as "the good old days." His story highlights the fact that changes are evident, especially during the post war. He not only refers to roads, urbanization, rapidly expanding growth and technological advances, it so happens that people evolve differently as well, perhaps with a further distrust of the future.
In reconstructing a previous sense of life, Sam has written not only a compilation of oral stories, but a deeply felt testimony on the relationships with the land, people, animals, plants, families and communities. These stories based on fact and true events allow us to peer into the past with a better reconstruction of our distinct history.
Born in the Salt River Valley, these stories are a collection of family memories that give a peculiar flavor to the work and history of the region. By immersing ourselves in the entertaining anecdotes, we shall find chapters that, without realizing it, will describe hundreds of interesting situations, customs and practices of the time: places, ancestors, hunting stories, food, games, rituals, animals, music, festivals, arrangements and cultural co-existence among diverse communities.
As expressed by the title of the book, the text is valuable because it reveals transformative experiences, whether in institutions or small actions in everyday life, often accented by the author as "the good old days." His story highlights the fact that changes are evident, especially during the post war. He not only refers to roads, urbanization, rapidly expanding growth and technological advances, it so happens that people evolve differently as well, perhaps with a further distrust of the future.
In reconstructing a previous sense of life, Sam has written not only a compilation of oral stories, but a deeply felt testimony on the relationships with the land, people, animals, plants, families and communities. These stories based on fact and true events allow us to peer into the past with a better reconstruction of our distinct history.
© Sam C. Joy. All rights reserved