A warm embrace in San Miguel

Patrice Wynne, owner of ABRAZOS welcomed me to San Miguel

Friday February 4th, I had the great pleasure of presenting my book in San Miguel de Allende. The name of the shop where the event was hosted is ABRAZOS, which means “The Embrace” in Spanish. And I certainly felt warmly “embraced” by San Miguel’s international community

ABRAZOS – San Miguel Designs is a magical oasis full of books, colorful original clothing, jewelry and handcrafts. Certainly it was the perfect setting for the event.

Patrice Wynne, (the owner of ABRAZOS who has lived in San Miguel for more than 20 years) asked, “The international communities of San Miguel, Ajijic, Merida and other Mexican cities are all unique; how does your book address those differences?”

I answered, “It doesn’t. “Magic Made in Mexico” is all about the commonalities. It is not a reference that will tell the readers where to buy certain products or how to do this or that; rather it is all about cultural adaptation and this process is the same all throughout the country.”

Another good question came from Susan Page (the founder of the San Miguel Literary Society) She asked, “How is your book different from others that have been written about living in Mexico?” I said, “My perspective comes from two sources – the country of my birth and my adopted one. As a Canadian, I understand and empathize with the issues new residents face. But living in the Mexican community for 35 years has taught me how the citizens of this country look at things. I am able to explain the subtleties of both.”                                                                     Susan Page & Patrice Wynne

A third attendee wondered, “Your book has a history section; why did you include this?” I replied, “Understanding past events helps us to make sense of the present. This is true of all places but especially so in Mexico.”

Thank you so much Patrice and all the San Miguel community for the wonderful welcome… I had a great time and hope to return soon!

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